Outbreak: Cold Stone Cake Batter Ice Cream | |
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Product: Cake Batter Ice Cream | Investigation Start Date: 06/29/2005 |
Location: Multi-state | Etiology: Salmonella Typhimurium |
Earliest known case onset date: 05/21/2005 | Latest case onset date: 07/04/2005 |
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 25 / 0 | Positive Samples (Food / Environmental): 2 / 0 |
The vehicle for this outbreak was ice cream made with a contaminated cake mix ingredient. Four patients reported eating cake batter flavor ice cream from two separate outlets of Cold Stone Creamery.
- • Final outbreak questionnaire (PDF)
- • PubMed.gov publication (Center for Food Safety, University of Georgia)
Jack-in-the-Box Hamburgers
Outbreak: Jack In The Box Hamburgers | |
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Product: Hamburgers | Investigation Start Date: 01/12/1993 |
Location: Multi-State Outbreak | Etiology: E. coli O157 |
Earliest known case onset date: 11/18/1992 | Latest case onset date: 02/21/1993 |
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 503 / 229 | Positive Samples (Food / Environmental / Water): 0 / 0 / 0 |
Hospitalizations: 151 | Deaths: 3 |
This was the largest outbreak of E. coli O157 infections ever documented in the United States, and it injected this pathogen—and threats to food safety in general—into popular consciousness.
Protected: 2005-106 Spiritual Retreat Shigella
Outbreak: Spiritual Retreat Shigella | |
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Product: Never pinpointed | Investigation Start Date: 7/28/2005 |
Location: Douglas County, OR | Etiology: Shigella |
Earliest known case onset date: 07/19/2005 | Latest case onset date: 08/06/2005 |
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 262 / 18 | Positive Samples (Food / Environmental / Water): 0 / 0 / 0 |
This outbreak of shigellosis is one the largest Oregon has ever seen with at least 280 cases identified (18 of which were lab-confirmed).
A local organic farm and meditation retreat center hosted its annual 16-day retreat … Continue Reading ››
Venison Jerky
Outbreak: Venison Jerky | |
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Product: Venison Jerky | Investigation Start Date: 11/20/1995 |
Location: Benton County, Oregon | Etiology: E. coli (STEC) O157:H7 |
Earliest known case onset date: 11/13/1995 | Latest case onset date: 11/20/1995 |
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 6 / 5 | Positive Samples (Food / Environmental / Water): 2 / 2 / 0 |
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 | |
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Product: Foundation Farm Raw Milk | Investigation Start Date: 04/10/2012 |
Location: Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties, Oregon | Etiology: E. coli (STEC) O157:H7 |
Earliest known case onset date: 04/01/2012 | Latest case onset date: 04/14/2012 |
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 11 / 5 | Positive Samples (Food / Environmental): 2 / 13 |
Hospitalizations: 4 | Deaths: 0 |
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 | |
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Product: Strawberries | Investigation Start Date: 08/03/2011 |
Location: Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington, Clatsop, & Yamhill Counties, Oregon | Etiology: E. coli (STEC) O157:H7 |
Earliest known case onset date: 07/01/2011 | Latest case onset date: 07/29/2011 |
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 14 / 1 | Positive Samples (Food / Environmental): 4 / 100 |
Hospitalizations: 6 | Deaths: 2 |
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 | |
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Product: Milk Crates, Cartons, & Jugs | Investigation Start Date: 01/27/2010 |
Location: Roseburg, Oregon | Etiology: Salmonella Braenderup |
Earliest known case onset date: 10/21/2009 | Latest case onset date: 10/01/2010 |
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 25 / 0 | Positive Samples (Food / Environmental): 15 / 500 |
Hospitalizations: 0 | Deaths: 0 |
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 | |
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Product: White Pepper | Investigation Start Date: 03/02/2009 |
Location: Multi-state outbreak–OR, CA, NV, WA | Etiology: Salmonella Rissen |
Earliest known case onset date: 11/01/2008 | Latest case onset date: 05/27/2009 |
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 87 / 0 | Positive Samples (Food): 33 |
Hospitalizations: 8 | Deaths: 0 |
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 | |
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Product: Spinach | Investigation Start Date: 09/08/2006 |
Location: Multi-State | Etiology: E. coli (STEC) O157:H7 |
Earliest known case onset date: 08/25/2006 | Latest case onset date: 09/13/2006 |
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 5 / 0 | Positive Samples (Food / Environmental / Water): 0 / 0 / 0 |
Hospitalizations: 98 | Deaths: 3 |
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 | |
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Product: Paramount & Raw Almonds | Investigation Start Date: 02/23/2004 |
Location: Multi-state outbreak | Etiology: Salmonella Enteritidis |
Earliest known case onset date: 02/01/2004 | Latest case onset date: 04/17/04 |
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 7 / 0 | Positive Samples (Food / Environmental / Water): 1 / Lots / 0 |
Hospitalizations: 7 | Deaths: 0 |
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 ››