Tag Archives: international outbreak museum

Venison Jerky

Outbreak: Venison Jerky
Product: Venison JerkyInvestigation Start Date: 11/20/1995
Location: Benton County, OregonEtiology: E. coli (STEC) O157:H7
Earliest known case onset date: 11/13/1995Latest case onset date: 11/20/1995
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 6 / 5Positive Samples (Food / Environmental / Water): 2 / 2 / 0
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:

At a time when ground beef was thought to be the source of all foodborne E. coli O157 infections, this was the first documentation of venison-associated E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. Epidemiologists showed that deer can be colonized by E. coli O157:H7 and ultimately be a source of human infections. … Continue Reading ››

Foundation Farm Raw Milk

Outbreak: Foundation Farm Raw Milk
Product: Foundation Farm Raw MilkInvestigation Start Date: 04/10/2012
Location: Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties, OregonEtiology: E. coli (STEC) O157:H7
Earliest known case onset date: 04/01/2012Latest case onset date: 04/14/2012
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 11 / 5Positive Samples (Food / Environmental): 2 / 13
Hospitalizations: 4Deaths: 0
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:

This outbreak highlighted the persistent hazard of raw milk consumption, already well documented in the medical literature. Four of the 11 cases were hospitalized — some critically ill and all with hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), subsequently shown to have been caused by E. coli O157:H7. Although most sales of raw … Continue Reading ››

Berry Stand Strawberries

Outbreak: Berry Stand Strawberries
Product: StrawberriesInvestigation Start Date: 08/03/2011
Location: Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington, Clatsop, & Yamhill Counties, OregonEtiology: E. coli (STEC) O157:H7
Earliest known case onset date: 07/01/2011Latest case onset date: 07/29/2011
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 14 / 1Positive Samples (Food / Environmental): 4 / 100
Hospitalizations: 6Deaths: 2
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:

This investigation implicated a novel vehicle—strawberries—as the cause of an outbreak of E. coli O157 infections. An association with locally produced strawberries quickly became apparent as cases were interviewed; but the fact that almost all had purchased them at roadside stands and farmer’s markets led to concern about potential … Continue Reading ››

Milk Crates, Cartons, & Jugs

Outbreak: Milk Crates, Cartons, & Jugs
Product: Milk Crates, Cartons, & JugsInvestigation Start Date: 01/27/2010
Location: Roseburg, OregonEtiology: Salmonella Braenderup
Earliest known case onset date: 10/21/2009Latest case onset date: 10/01/2010
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 25 / 0Positive Samples (Food / Environmental): 15 / 500
Hospitalizations: 0Deaths: 0
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:

This outbreak illustrates the value of descriptive epidemiology and the virtue of epidemiologist persistence! Over a 12-month period during 2009–2010, a total of 25 infections by Salmonella Braenderup with matching PFGE patterns were reported—no more than 4 in any given month. After 3 scattered cases over 3 months, the … Continue Reading ››

Lian How White Pepper

Outbreak: Lian How White Pepper
Product: White PepperInvestigation Start Date: 03/02/2009
Location: Multi-state outbreak–OR, CA, NV, WAEtiology: Salmonella Rissen
Earliest known case onset date: 11/01/2008Latest case onset date: 05/27/2009
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 87 / 0Positive Samples (Food): 33
Hospitalizations: 8Deaths: 0
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:

Salmonella Rissen is a very rare serotype in the US. When Oregon, California, and Nevada all reported it within days of each other, it began a coordinated investigation between those states (later to be joined by Washington and Idaho). This outbreak focused FDA attention on the role spices may … Continue Reading ››

Bagged Spinach

Outbreak: Bagged Spinach
Product: SpinachInvestigation Start Date: 09/08/2006
Location: Multi-StateEtiology: E. coli (STEC) O157:H7
Earliest known case onset date: 08/25/2006Latest case onset date: 09/13/2006
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 5 / 0Positive Samples (Food / Environmental / Water): 0 / 0 / 0
Hospitalizations: 98Deaths: 3
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:

This outbreak highlighted Inter-state health department cooperation. Oregon epidemiologists identified that 4 out of 5 cases in Oregon consumed bagged spinach using their homegrown "Shotgun" hypothesis-generating questionnaire. Contact with WI and NM showed cases already underway with spinach showing signs of being the culprit. Contact with Utah allowed them … Continue Reading ››

Paramount & Raw Almonds

Outbreak: Paramount & Raw Almonds
Product: Paramount & Raw AlmondsInvestigation Start Date: 02/23/2004
Location: Multi-state outbreakEtiology: Salmonella Enteritidis
Earliest known case onset date: 02/01/2004Latest case onset date: 04/17/04
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 7 / 0Positive Samples (Food / Environmental / Water): 1 / Lots / 0
Hospitalizations: 7Deaths: 0
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:

This investigation was rapidly solved by the use of Oregon's "Shotgun" hypothesis-generating questionnaire, a detailed food history interview tool that asks about over 400 different foods and places to eat. A single interviewer at the Oregon state health department used this standardized questionnaire to interview all 5 … Continue Reading ››

Hydro-Harvest alfalfa sprouts

Outbreak: Hydro-Harvest alfalfa sprouts
Product: Alfalfa sproutsInvestigation Start Date: 02/01/1999
Location: Multi-State: OR, WA, ID.Etiology: Salmonella Mbandaka
Earliest known case onset date: 01/09/1999Latest case onset date: 06/12/1999
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 43 / 0Positive Samples (Food / Environmental / Water) 12 / 0 / 0
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:

The increasing popularity of sprouts as health foods was sharply followed by the epidemiologic discovery that sprouts are prone to transmitting foodborne pathogens like Salmonella. This was the largest "sproutbreak" of foodborne salmonellosis in Oregon since the multistate and multinational outbreak of Salmonella Newport infection in 1996, in which … Continue Reading ››

Cal-Farms Parsley

Outbreak: Cal-Farms Parsley
Product: ParsleyInvestigation Start Date: 10/20/2005
Location: Deschutes County, OREtiology: E. coli (STEC) O157:H7
Earliest known case onset date: 10/08/2005Latest case onset date: 10/27/2005
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 3 / 61Positive Samples (Environmental / Water) 10 / 2
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:

This 2005 McGrath's Fish House outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections was traced back to parsley from Cal-Farms. The journey to finding the source was interesting: 206 people interviewed, 64 ill people, extremely muddy field conditions, cattle near the flooded parsley fields, and even evidence of heavy deer presence.