ProMED-mail

Most Recent Alert

Published Date: 2012-05-18 10:59:36
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Salmonellosis, serotype Bareilly - USA (10): tuna, 2nd st
Archive Number: 20120518.1137105

SALMONELLOSIS, SEROTYPE BAREILLY - USA (10): TUNA, SECOND SEROTYPE
******************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org


Date: Thu 17 May 2012
Source: CDC [edited]
http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/bareilly-04-12/index.html


A total of 316 individuals infected with the outbreak strains of _Salmonella_ Bareilly or _Salmonella_ Nchanga have been reported from 26 states and the District of Columbia. The 58 *new* cases are from Alabama (1), California (2), Colorado (1), Georgia (3), Illinois (4), Indiana (1), Louisiana (1), Maryland (3), Massachusetts (6), New Jersey (1), New York (10), North Carolina (6), Pennsylvania (5), Tennessee (2), Texas (3), Virginia (6), and Wisconsin (3).

304 (sic) persons infected with the outbreak strain of _S._ Bareilly have been reported from 26 states and the District of Columbia. The number of ill persons with the outbreak strain of _S._ Bareilly identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (3), Arkansas (1), California (4), Colorado (1), Connecticut (9), District of Columbia (2), Florida (1), Georgia (13), Illinois (27), Indiana (1), Louisiana (4), Maryland (27), Massachusetts (33), Mississippi (2), Missouri (4), Nebraska (1), New Jersey (26), New York (48), North Carolina (10), Pennsylvania (25), Rhode Island (6), South Carolina (3), Tennessee (4), Texas (7), Virginia (22), Vermont (1), and Wisconsin (19).

12 persons infected with the outbreak strain of _S._ Nchanga have been reported from 5 states. The number of ill persons with the outbreak strain of _S._ Nchanga identified in each state is as follows: Georgia (2), New Jersey (2), New York (6), Virginia (1), and Wisconsin (1).

Among 316 persons for whom information is available, illness onset dates range from 28 Jan 2012 to 3 May 2012. Ill persons range in age from less than 1 to 86 years, with a median age of 30. 59 percent of patients are female. Among 217 persons with available information, 37 (17 percent) reported being hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Illnesses that occurred after 17 Apr 2012, might not be reported yet due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported.

Investigation update
--------------------
Laboratory testing conducted by state public health laboratories in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin has isolated salmonellae from 53 (96 percent) of 55 samples taken from intact packages of frozen yellow fin tuna scrape from Moon Marine USA Corporation or from sushi prepared with the implicated scrape tuna product. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis results are available for _Salmonella_ isolates from 41 of the 53 positive samples. 36 samples yielded the outbreak strain of _S._ Bareilly, and 12 samples yielded the outbreak strain of _S._ Nchanga. 7 samples yielded the outbreak strains of both serotypes.

On 24 Apr 2012, FDA issued a document (http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/OfficeofFoods/CFSAN/CFSANFOIAElectronicReadingRoom/UCM303440.pdf) that lists observations made by the FDA Representative(s) during the inspection of a Moon Fishery (India) Pvt. Ltd facility conducted as part of this ongoing outbreak investigation.

Recall update
-------------
On 10 May 2012 Moon Fishery (India) Pvt. Ltd., the manufacturer of the frozen yellowfin tuna Nakaochi scrape recently recalled, expanded the voluntary recall to include  its 22-pound boxes of Tuna Strips, Product of India, marked as AA or AAA Grade because the product has the potential to be contaminated with salmonellae (http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/CORENetwork/ucm298741.htm#recall).

On 13 Apr 2012, Moon Marine USA Corporation (also known as MMI) of Cupertino, California, voluntarily recalled 58 828 pounds of a frozen raw yellowfin tuna product (http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm300397.htm), labeled as Nakaochi Scrape AA or AAA. Nakaochi Scrape is tuna backmeat, which is specifically scraped off from the bones, and looks like a ground product.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[The number of cases involved in this outbreak continues to increase. The following is extracted from the FDA statement regarding the manufacturing facility (http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/OfficeofFoods/CFSAN/CFSANFOIAElectronicReadingRoom/UCM303440.pdf):

"Tanks used for storage of process waters have apparent visible debris, filth, and microbiological contamination. Sand and activated carbon filter units used in manufacturing of water are not sanitized, and ventilation for tanks is not filtered to protect against contamination. There is no laboratory analysis for water used in ice manufacturing at the facility to show the water used to make ice is potable. Ice manufacturing lacks sanitary controls: ice manufacturing equipment at the Moon Fishery facility is located outside and is susceptible to adulteration from pests and the environment. Apparent bird feces were observed on the ice manufacturing equipment at Moon Fishery; insects and filth were observed in and on the equipment. Ice manufacturing equipment at your facility is rusty and situated so that the ice can not be protected against adulteration, as the ice manufacturing process is constructed into the flooring of the ice facility. Tuna processed at your facility, which is consumed raw or cooked, comes in direct contact with water and ice." - Mod.LL]

[Note: "Illnesses that occurred after 17 Apr 2012, might not be reported yet due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported."  If US states can't report outbreak cases faster than 4 weeks, FDA & CDC can't protect public health any faster either. - Mod.JW

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/1hiS.]

Latest Posts on ProMED-mail

Search the ProMED archives

Latest Posts about Plant Diseases

Latest Posts by Topic

ProMED-mail alerts on HealthMap

View Full Map »

Most Recent Alert

See Also