The FDA and USDA continue to investigate outbreaks with the sources of the pathogens remaining unknown.
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service have posted virtually no information on the outbreak it has been investigating except to say that the pathogen is E. coli in beef. The agency has not said how many people have been sickened or where they live. It appears that FSIS closed another investigation linked to Salmonella and beef that also sickened an unknown number of people.
On the Food and Drug Administration’s side of the outbreak coin, the agency has begun sample collection and analysis in an outbreak linked to enoki mushrooms. The Listeria monocytogenes outbreak has sickened at least people in two states. Both have been hospitalized. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the investigation is trying to determine what brand or brands are involved.
Another outbreak, the FDA is continuing to investigate although the outbreak has ended. There have been 270 people sickened from Salmonella Typhimurium, but the FDA has not reported their ages or states of residence. The outbreak has been determined to be over, but FDA investigators continue to look for its cause.
Other FDA ongoing investigations
- For a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak from Brie and Camembert cheese an Outbreak Advisory was issued on Sept. 30. Recall information was updated on Oct. 28. It reported that seven patients from six different states have been confirmed ill. Five have been hospitalized, according to the CDC.
- For an outbreak of infections from Salmonella traced to seafood, the FDA continues to work on the investigation with the CDC. A total of 33 patients in California, Illinois, and Arizona have been confirmed, with 13 of them requiring hospitalization. Several varieties of seafood totaling more than 150 tons and supplied by Mariscos Bahia, Inc. have been recalled.
- An outbreak investigation continues for infections from Cronobacter in at least four infants, two of whom died. The outbreak has been determined to be over by the CDC but is it still under investigation. The babies consumed infant formula made by Abbott Nutrition’s plant in Sturgis, MI. The company says its internal tests have not found the pathogen and denies any ties to the illnesses or deaths.
Click here to go to the FDA page with links to specific outbreak details. The investigations are in a variety of stages. Some outbreaks have limited information with active investigations ongoing, others may be near completion.
A public health advisory will be issued for investigations that have resulted in specific, actionable steps for consumers to take to protect themselves, according to the FDA. Please direct your attention to those pages for the most up-to-date information on the investigation and for consumer protection information.
Outbreak and adverse event investigations that do not result in specific, actionable steps for consumers may or may not conclusively identify a source or reveal any contributing factors. Adverse event investigations rely on self-reported data. Although these reports may name a particular product, FDA will only indicate a product category in the table and will not publicly name a specific product until there is sufficient evidence to implicate that product as a cause of illnesses or adverse events. If a cause and/or contributing factors are identified that could inform future prevention, FDA commits to providing a summary of those findings.
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