Can I get a “brain worm” from eating undercooked meat?

There’s little I find more terrifying than the idea of something living and crawling around inside me. Based on the number of sci-fi movies involving parasites, from Alien to The Host, I’m not the only one with this fear. Lucky

Continue Reading Should I be worried about worms eating my brain? Setting the record straight on the dangers of ‘brain worms’

Belgian authorities have temporarily closed an events venue linked to more than 50 Shigella infections.

The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) and the Flemish Departement Zorg reported that over recent weekends, people had been infected with Shigella after attending the Zandberghoeve venue in Beernem. The

Continue Reading Belgian officials search for source of Shigella infections

Researchers have looked at patterns in sporadic Shiga toxin–producing E. coli (STEC) infections in Ireland.

The Republic of Ireland often reports the highest annual incidence rates of STEC in the European Union. There is a high proportion of sporadic STEC infections and they are often associated with environmental exposures.

Researchers
Continue Reading Studies shine light on Irish E. coli infections, parasites in Peru

Officials have published a document highlighting ways to avoid the risks from foodborne parasites transmitted by pork, freshwater fish and crustaceans.

Foodborne parasitic diseases are often neglected in food safety control systems even though they can cause severe human health problems, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
Continue Reading FAO highlights ‘often neglected’ foodborne parasites

The first sets of food safety risk communication and country-specific action plans to tackle the significant public health problem of foodborne parasites have been identified in Asia.

They were discussed at a regional meeting to accelerate prevention and control of neglected foodborne parasitic zoonoses in certain Asian countries in 2018
Continue Reading Experts set out plans to tackle foodborne parasites in Asia

Cryptosporidium spp., Toxoplasma gondii and Echinococcus spp. have been identified as important foodborne parasites in Europe.

Infection with these parasites in humans and animals, or their occurrence in food, is not notifiable in all member states. There are also no routine controls for the three parasites in food. Diseases caused
Continue Reading EFSA identifies important foodborne parasites in Europe