Civil Law

APHA involved in 20 E. coli and Cryptosporidium outbreaks

Seven E. coli and 13 Cryptosporidium outbreak investigations in England and Wales required APHA assistance in 2024, according to a recent report.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) was part of seven Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) investigations with two each in the first and second quarters of 2024, and three during the third quarter. There were three STEC O26 and two STEC O157 investigations epidemiologically linked to open farms; and two STEC O145 incidents traced to high-risk foods.… Read the rest

Civil Law

New Listeria outbreak detected; other outbreaks remain under investigation

Inspectors with the Food and Drug Administration are tracking a new outbreak of infections from Listeria monocytogenes.

So far there are three confirmed patients. The FDA has not reported the ages of the patients or where they live. 

There are likely many more sick people than have been confirmed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that for every patient confirmed in a Salmonella outbreak there are 29 patients who go undetected. This is because some patients do not … Read the rest

Civil Law

Legislators want the FDA to be able to test samples from feed lots during outbreaks

Two U.S. legislators have introduced a bill that would give the FDA the ability to collect microbial samples at feed lots during foodborne illness outbreaks.

Representative Rosa DeLauro, D-CT, and Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, want the Food and Drug Administration to be able to investigate foodborne illness outbreaks, or when there is a public need, involving crops that are close to concentrated animal feeding operations (CFAOs). They say the investigative tool is also needed because of the spread of bird … Read the rest