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Published Date: 2009-02-10 18:00:45
Subject: PRO/EDR> Salmonellosis, serotype Typhimurium - USA (11): peanut butter
Archive Number: 20090210.0606

SALMONELLOSIS, SEROTYPE TYPHIMURIUM - USA (11): PEANUT BUTTER
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A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

In this update:
[1] CDC: updated statistics
[2] timeline of events
[3] FDA recalls

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[1] CDC: Updated statistics
Date: Mon 9 Feb 2009
Source: CDC [edited]
<http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/typhimurium/update.html>

As of 9PM EDT, Sun 8 Feb 2009, 600 persons infected with the outbreak
strain of _Salmonella_ Typhimurium have been reported from 44 states. The
number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (2),
Arizona (13), Arkansas (6), California (74), Colorado (15), Connecticut
(10), Florida (1), Georgia (6), Hawaii (4), Idaho (15), Illinois (6),
Indiana (9), Iowa (3), Kansas (2), Kentucky (3), Maine (4), Maryland (8),
Massachusetts (48), Michigan (35), Minnesota (39), Missouri (12),
Mississippi (7), Nebraska (1), New Hampshire (12), New Jersey (23), New
York (22), Nevada (6), North Carolina (6), North Dakota (13), Ohio (80),
Oklahoma (3), Oregon (12), Pennsylvania (17), Rhode Island (4), South
Dakota (4), Tennessee (12), Texas (7), Utah (5), Vermont (4), Virginia
(21), Washington (18), West Virginia (2), Wisconsin (4), and Wyoming (2).
In addition, 1 ill person was reported from Canada.

Among the persons with confirmed, reported dates available, illnesses began
between 1 Sep 2008 and 23 Jan 2009. Patients range in age from less than 1
to 98 years. The median age of patients is 16 years, which means that half
of ill persons are younger than 16 years. 21 per cent are aged less than 5
years, 15 per cent are less than 59 years. 48 per cent of patients are
female. Among persons with available information, 23 per cent reported
being hospitalized. Infection may have contributed to 8 deaths: Idaho (1),
Minnesota (3), North Carolina (1), Ohio (1), and Virginia (2).

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[Since ProMED-mail's last posting on this still growing outbreak of
salmonellosis on 3 Feb 2009, there have been 50 new cases linked to the
epidemic strain and cases have been found beginning symptoms a week later.
- Mod.LL]

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[2] Timeline of events
Date: Mon 9 Feb 2009
Source: Associated Press [edited]
<http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gQYuCheM8PNFc_4o2Opa_qnDdoMgD967VB080>

A timeline of important events in the salmonella outbreak linked to tainted
peanuts at a Blakely, GA, plant.

- 2006: 4 inspections by the Georgia Department of Agriculture cite
numerous, repeated violations at the Blakely, GA, plant of the Peanut Corp.
of America (PCA), a peanut processing company and maker of peanut butter
for bulk distribution to institutions, food service industries, and private
label food companies. The violations include food residue buildup, storage
on floors and the improper use of duct tape.
- Aug 2007: 3 samples taken at PCA by the Georgia Department of Agriculture
test negative for salmonella and pesticides.
- 2008: 7 tests performed for the company are positive for _Salmonella_. In
each case, after a retest is negative, the product is shipped.
- 8 Sep 2008: The 1st reported illnesses begin, according to CDC.
- 25 Nov 2008: CDC, working with state and local partners, begins an
epidemiological assessment of a cluster of salmonella cases reported from
12 different states.
- 8 Jan 2009: The FDA visits an Ohio distributor for Peanut Corp. of America.
- 9 Jan 2009: The FDA and the Georgia Department of Agriculture initiate an
environmental investigation at the PCA plant.
- 9 Jan 2009: PCA voluntarily stops production of peanut butter and peanut
paste at the Blakely, GA, plant.
- 10 Jan 2009: King Nut announces a recall of peanut butter manufactured by
PCA and distributed under the King Nut label.
- 10 Jan 2009: The Minnesota Departments of Agriculture and Health confirm
that laboratory analyses show a genetic match between the strains of
_Salmonella_ bacteria found in a container of King Nut brand creamy peanut
butter and the strains of bacteria associated with 30 illnesses in
Minnesota and nearly 400 illnesses around the country.
- 13 Jan 2009: PCA announces a voluntary recall of peanut butter produced
in its Blakely, GA, processing plant on or after 1 Jul 2008, because of
possible salmonella contamination.
- 16 Jan 2009: Food inspectors confirm the presence of salmonellae in an
unopened 5 pound tub of peanut butter found at a Connecticut food distributor.
- 16 Jan 2009: PCA announces an expanded recall of peanut butter produced
on or after 8 Aug 2008, in its Blakely, GA, processing plant as well as the
voluntary recall of peanut paste produced in the same plant on or after 26
Sep 2008, because of possible salmonella contamination.
- 18 Jan 2009: PCA expands the recall of peanut butter and voluntarily
recalls peanut paste made at its Blakely, GA, plant on or after 1 Jul 2008.
- 27 Jan 2009: The FDA finishes its investigation of the PCA plant and
reports on its inspection. A list of problems observed by FDA investigators
during their inspection is available at this link:
<http://www.fda.gov/ora/frequent/default.htm>.
- 27 Jan 2009: Federal officials say PCA failed to tell inspectors that
after samples sent to a contract lab for testing in 2007 and 2008 tested
positive for salmonellae, the company got a 2nd opinion from another lab
and sold the food after the secondary tests came back negative.
- 28 Jan 2009: PCA voluntarily recalls all peanuts and peanut products
processed in its Blakely, GA, plant since 1 Jan 2007. The expanded recall
includes all dry- and oil-roasted peanuts, granulated peanuts, peanut meal,
peanut butter and peanut paste. The company stops producing all peanut
products at the Blakely plant.
- 28 Jan 2009: At least 431 peanut butter-containing products are recalled
by 54 companies using ingredients produced by the PCA facility after 1 Jul
2008.
- 29 Jan 2009: A combination of epidemiological analysis and laboratory
testing by state officials in Minnesota and Connecticut, the FDA, and the
CDC enable the FDA to confirm that the sources of the salmonella outbreak
are peanut butter and peanut paste produced by the PCA at its Blakely, GA,
processing plant.
- 29 Jan 2009: The Ohio Department of Health says 2 containers of peanut
butter taken from a central Ohio nursing home have tested positive for
salmonella.
- 30 Jan 2009: Stephen Sundlof, head of the FDA's food safety center, says
the Justice Department will investigate possible criminal violations by the
PCA processing plant, assisted by FDA investigators.
- 2 Feb 2009: President Barack Obama promises a comprehensive review of the
FDA.
- 2 Feb 2009: The outbreak prompts voluntary recalls by makers of more than
800 products. The recalls reach into Canada and Europe.
- 3 Feb 2009: The Associated Press learns that a peanut processing plant in
Plainview, TX, run by the PCA has operated for years uninspected and
unlicensed by government health officials.
- 5 Feb 2009: The American Agriculture Department suspends PCA from
participating in government contract programs for at least a year.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack removes Stewart Parnell, PCA president,
from the USDA's Peanut Standards Board.
- 5 Feb 2009: Federal officials say that nearly 168 000 emergency meal kits
sent to Kentucky after an ice storm were recalled more than 2 weeks earlier.
- 6 Feb 2009: The Agriculture Department says that it shipped possibly
contaminated peanut butter and other foods to free school-lunch programs in
California, Minnesota and Idaho in 2007 under a contract with PCA.
- 6 Feb 2009: Corpus Christi Catholic School in Colorado Springs, CO,
closes early after a student is diagnosed with salmonella poisoning.

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[3] FDA recalls
Date: Mon 9 Feb 2009
Source: FDA [edited]
<http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm>

[Currently 1844 products are on the list and can be found at the above URL
which is updated frequently. - Mod.LL]

See Also