What you need to know.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic (it really is not over yet), foodborne illness outbreaks were down, and I said a few days ago, they are back – CDC Report: We are back to “Bad Normal” with foodborne illnesses as COVID wanes. Well, if the recent rash of norovirus outbreaks on
The Hawaii Department of Health notified the FDA of five people who got sick from consuming raw oyster shooters at a restaurant in Hawaii on May 10, 2023. Traceback information found that the source for the raw oysters was that shipment by Dai One Food. Samples collected from the 4/14/2022 harvest date tested positive for
The San Luis Obispo Tribune reports that an outbreak of norovirus stemming from a North County restaurant has sickened close to 100 people, according to the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department. SLO County Public Health Epidemiologist Jessie Burmester said 97 people have been reported sick as part of a confirmed norovirus outbreak earlier
I must admit, in 30 years of doing food safety, I seldom recall a health department withholding from the public the source of an outbreak – even Norovirus.
I am reminded by a story some 10 years ago – After Food Safety News broke the story that Taco Bell was the mysterious “Restaurant Chain
KDKA news reports that after at least 200 people reported getting sick from large events at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott, an inspection found two violations before the hotel passed a reinspection a couple of days later.
According to an Allegheny County Health Department report from April 5, an inspector found cleaning and sanitization violations like
Canada reports: As of April 8, 2022, there have been 328 cases of norovirus and gastrointestinal illness linked to consumption of British Columbia oysters reported in the following provinces: British Columbia (293), Alberta (3), Saskatchewan (1), Manitoba (15) and Ontario (16). Individuals became sick between mid-January and early April 2022, and no deaths have
Well, first, don’t eat British Columbia, Canada oysters for a bit.
What is the Norovirus?
Nature has created an ingenious bug in norovirus. The round blue ball structure of norovirus is actually a protein surrounding the virus’s genetic material. The virus attaches to the outside of cells lining the intestine, and then transfers its genetic
Multiple recalls of British Columbia oysters since mid-March. Illness in Canada began mid-January. Illnesses in both Seattle and Minnesota began in mid-March. 279 with Norovirus in Canada, 29 with Norovirus in Minnesota and 27 with Norovirus in Seattle. Minnesota health officials announced that they are working with “federal officials and public health agencies in other
When someone talks about having “the stomach flu,” they are probably describing acute-onset gastroenteritis caused by one of the noroviruses.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that noroviruses cause nearly 21 million cases of acute gastroenteritis annually, making noroviruses the leading cause of gastroenteritis in adults in
Two Vancouver Island oyster farms have been closed following an outbreak of norovirus associated with eating the raw shellfish.
The British Columbia Centre for Disease Control says about 40 cases of acute gastrointestinal illness have been connected to the consumption of raw oysters since March. Testing has confirmed some of the cases were norovirus.
Federal
