DISEASES, OUTBREAKS & RECALLS | Food Safety Africa Magazine

Wageningen Bioveterinary Research conducts successful vaccine trials against avian influenza

Mar 21, 2023Mar 21, 2023

NETHERLANDS – In a preliminary experiment carried out in a controlled environment, two vaccinations evaluated by the Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, located northeast of Amsterdam, has demonstrated efficacy against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). A formal document posted on the Netherlands government website revealed that one vaccine was produced by the German company Boehringer Ingelheim and the other by the French…

CDC leverages WGS to identify drug-resistant Escherichia coli linked to multiple outbreaks

Mar 2, 2023Mar 2, 2023

U.S – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have employed whole genome sequencing (WGS) to identify a persistent, drug-resistant strain of Escherichia coli O157:H7. and linked it to multiple foodborne illness outbreaks. The strain, REPEXH01, is classified as “persistent” because it has already been linked to numerous outbreaks and cases of foodborne disease in the United States. The majority…

Swine erysipelas kills over 200 pigs in Rwanda

Feb 24, 2023Feb 28, 2023

RWANDA – The Rwanda Agricultural and Animal Resources Board (RAB) has issued a warning to Musanze locals against eating pork following the discovery of the “swine erysipelas” disease in Muko Sector. The infectious disease known as Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, which causes swine erysipelas, is frequently characterized by fever, skin lesions on pigs, and abrupt death. It is one of the oldest known…

Lactalis sued over 2017 Salmonella outbreak linked to its infant formula

Feb 20, 2023Feb 21, 2023

FRANCE – Dairy giant Lactalis is facing criminal charges in France in relation to a Salmonella outbreak in 2017 linked to its infant formula. The dairy company confirmed it was under criminal investigation and said it would cooperate with authorities. Prosecutors brought charges for fraud, a failure to carry out a product withdrawal and recall, and involuntary bodily harm. The firm’s subsidiary…

UK records dramatic rise in norovirus cases

Feb 14, 2023Feb 14, 2023

UK – The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has reported a dramatic rise in confirmed norovirus cases, registering a 66 percent rise higher than the seasonal norm. The total number of lab reports for weeks 3 and 4 of the 2022–2023 norovirus season was 527, which is more than the 318 reports seen on average during the previous five seasons…

Listeria reduction strategies prove ineffective in Denmark

Feb 10, 2023Feb 14, 2023

DENMARK – The prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in high-risk RTE facilities remained essentially unchanged between 2016 and 2020, indicating that a Danish initiative to combat Listeria following a big outbreak has proven to be ineffective. The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (Foedevarestyrelsen) launched a Listeria awareness campaign in 2015–2016 with informational and educational activities directed at manufacturers of high-risk products, food inspectors, and the…

Kerry acknowledges guilt in 2018 Salmonella poisoning outbreak, consents to forfeit U.S$19.228 million

Feb 6, 2023Feb 6, 2023

U.S – Kerry Inc., a firm that produces food and ingredients, has pleaded guilty to a charge that it produced breakfast cereal in an unclean environment at a Gridley, Illinois, factory that was connected to a salmonellosis epidemic in 2018. Kerry pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of distributing contaminated cereal advertised as Kellogg’s Honey Smacks in accordance with a…

FDA traceback shows hygiene issues at Big Olaf Creamery

Feb 6, 2023Feb 6, 2023

U.S – According to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) probe, employees at Big Olaf Creamery, the Florida-based creamery responsible for a multistate Listeria outbreak last year, had no place to wash their hands before going into the production room. The outbreak which affected 11 states, left at least one person dead and 27 others hospitalized. “It was observed that there was…

bioMérieux develops kit to simultaneously detect Listeria, Salmonella

Feb 3, 2023Feb 5, 2023

U.S – bioMérieux, a global pioneer in in-vitro diagnostics, has developed a first-of-its-kind testing kit that simultaneously detects Listeria and Salmonella from environmental swabs, with PCR confirmation. The technology reduces laboratory waste, lowers costs, and streamlines the workflow to enable quick and accurate quality decisions. Separate enrichments are used in the market-available processes and tests for Salmonella and Listeria. With the help of GENE-UP ENVIROPRO, users…

Daniele International LLC recalls Listeria-contaminated sausages

Feb 1, 2023Feb 1, 2023

U.S – Daniele International LLC, an American maker of Italian-style foods, has issued a recall for more than 50,000 pounds of sausage that is often used to make charcuterie boards due to probable listeria contamination. The meat was sold under the brand names Del EL Duca’s Sopressata, Coppa & Genoa Salami; Calabrese, Prosciutto & Coppa; and Salami, Uncured Pepperoni &…

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