Diagnosis: Pathogen Not Identified

RiverStone Health is investigating a foodborne illness outbreak in Billings, Montana, after 80 St. Vincent Healthcare employees fell ill on Friday, May 12, 2023. The source of the contamination has yet to be identified, but it is possible the contaminated food was delivered to various St. Vincent... See More Health Care facilities on Wednesday as part of National Nurses Day celebrations.

Most of the symptoms reported thus far include vomiting and/or diarrhea. RiverStone Health has removed the suspected food from circulation and is working to identify the exact illness. An investigation form has been sent to all employees who have shown symptoms.

RiverStone Health is urging caution as the illness is fast-moving and could spread to others. St. Vincent Healthcare has not identified the external source of the food but did say they are partnering with RiverStone Health for the outbreak investigation.

RiverStone Health is warning the public to be vigilant and take necessary precautions to prevent any further spread of the illness.

In case you experienced vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea, report it now. It can help to detect & resolve outbreaks early and prevent others from being harmed, and it enables better surveillance. If symptoms persist, seek medical care.

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The FDA announced that is currently investigating a new outbreak where 13 illnesses have been linked to a single restaurant but the pathogen/cause of illness and products linked to these illnesses are not yet identified.

The FDA has not disclosed yet any other details about the name... See More of the restaurant or the state where it is located.

The investigation is ongoing and we will post more updates as they become available.

In case you experience vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea, report it now. It can help to detect & resolve outbreaks early and prevent others from being harmed, and it enables better surveillance. If symptoms persist, seek medical care.

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Update May 19, 2023

The FDA and the CDC are assisting Gallatin City-County Health Department and the DPHHS with an investigation of illnesses at this restaurant in Montana. As of May 15, 2023, the investigation has identified 50 ill people who ate at the restaurant between March... See More 28 and April 17, 2023, of whom 44 people reported eating morel mushrooms. There have been 3 hospitalizations and 2 deaths associated with this incident. A sample of leftover mushrooms were collected from the restaurant and laboratory analysis determined that the sampled mushrooms were true morels. Currently, no pathogen, toxin, pesticide, or heavy metal has been identified. The investigation is ongoing.

The morel mushrooms served at the restaurant were distributed to multiple states; however, at this time, this appears to be a localized issue and no illnesses have been identified outside of the single restaurant in Montana.

FDA recommends the following:
- Consumers should eat morel and other wild-type mushrooms at their own risk. Properly cooking morel mushrooms can reduce risk of illness, however there is no guarantee of safety even if cooking steps are taken prior to consumption. Anyone eating, selling, or serving morel mushrooms, or other wild-type of mushrooms, should exercise caution. There are varieties of poisonous wild mushrooms that look very similar to morel mushrooms. If you are preparing morels, you should confirm the identity of each mushroom, and consult with a knowledgeable expert as the poisonous species have been known to grow near edible species in the wild.
- If you are preparing morel or other wild-type mushrooms, you should inspect for any signs of spoilage as toxin presence and levels may be affected by freshness or lack thereof. Choose mushrooms that are dry and firm and avoid those that are bruised, discolored, or slimy.
- Mushrooms should be refrigerated at a temperature of 40° F or below, either in their original packaging or in breathable type packaging, such as a paper bag.
- Conditions in which wild-type mushrooms are packaged and stored can contribute to growth of harmful bacteria and toxins. Harvesters and manufacturers should pack mushrooms in breathable packaging to allow air flow through the container which will prevent growth of these pathogens.

Source: fda.gov

Update May 17, 2023

The Gallatin City-County Health Department, with support from the DPHHS, the CDC, and the FDA, is still investigating the outbreak linked to Dave’s Sushi in Bozeman. This investigation may not be able to identify a specific pathogen/toxin as a source of the outbreak that impacted 50 people. 3 individuals had severe outcomes, including hospitalizations, and the deaths of two individuals are being investigated after eating at the restaurant. The manner and cause of death for these two individuals will remain pending until autopsy and toxicology results are available.

The preliminary analysis strongly suggests that the morel mushrooms were the food item that caused the outbreak and that other menu items that did not contain morel mushrooms were not associated with persons becoming ill. Dave’s Sushi has removed and discarded all morel mushrooms and other food inventory and has corrected all violations from the April 18, 2023 inspection.

On May 17, 2023, the Gallatin City-County Health Officer determined that there is no longer an imminent health hazard preventing the establishment from reopening and rescinded the Closure Order, and instituted a new Health Officer Order. This new order requires specific corrective actions that Dave’s Sushi has to satisfy prior to the restaurant re-opening for food service to mitigate any future risks to public health.

Source: healthygallatin.org

Update May 03, 2023

The Gallatin City-County Health Department, the DPHHS, other local health departments, and federal agencies continue to investigate the foodborne illness outbreak linked to eating food at Dave’s Sushi in Bozeman. To date, the investigation has identified at least 30 individuals associated with this outbreak who ate at the restaurant between March 31 and April 17, 2023. Three individuals had severe outcomes, including hospitalizations, and the deaths of 2 individuals are being investigated after eating at the restaurant. The manner and cause of death for these two individuals will remain pending until autopsy and toxicology results are available.

The pattern of illness identified through case investigation, to date, indicates individuals became sick within 30 minutes to 4.5 hours after their meal. Preliminary investigative findings indicate that food containing morel mushrooms may be the exposure of concern. Currently, no pathogen/toxin has been identified, and both state and federal partners continue to test clinical and food samples.

The DPHHS investigation has determined that the morel mushrooms served at the restaurant were not distributed to any other restaurants or businesses in Montana. The mushrooms were cultivated in China, shipped to a distributor in California, and subsequently sent to multiple states. There are no known associated illnesses in other states identified at this time.

The investigation is ongoing.

Source: dphhs.mt.gov

April 21, 2023

The Gallatin City-County Health Department is investigating a possible foodborne illness outbreak linked to Dave’s Sushi restaurant located at 115 N Bozeman Ave, Bozeman, MT 59715. The health department indicated that the illnesses have been linked to eating at this restaurant on the afternoon of April 17, as well as April 1, April 8, April 9, and April 10. At this time, it is unclear what pathogen caused the illness. The investigation is ongoing.

On April 18, the health department performed an inspection and reportedly found Dave’s Sushi with four violations. Dave’s Sushi will remain closed until further notice.

According to the news, Dave's Sushi provided the following information:
"We understand that several of our customers who dined with us on Monday, April 17, 2023 became ill. We believe that the common ingredient that may have been consumed was FDA-approved, cultured, morel mushrooms used in Monday’s special roll. We promptly contacted the Gallatin County Health Department and have voluntarily closed while the health department conducts their investigation. We will remain temporarily closed until we get more information."

In case you experience vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea, report it now. It can help to detect & resolve outbreaks early and prevent others from being harmed, and it enables better surveillance. If symptoms persist, seek medical care.

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On January 19, 2023, a group of 70 participants gathered in Valencia's aquarium Oceanogràfic for a test recording of the Spanish television show MasterChef. Unfortunately, 44 of the participants ended up contracting food poisoning. This was confirmed by the Ministry of Health of the Region of Valencia... See More last Tuesday.

The participants were expecting to taste the dishes prepared by the competing chefs on the show, but instead suffered from food poisoning. One of the participants reported on Twitter that she had contracted symptoms of gastroenteritis, and had to go to the emergency room. She also reported that she lost 10 pounds in three days.

The producer of the show, Shine Iberia, issued a statement saying they are sorry for what happened. They said that this is an “absolutely exceptional case in these 11 years of MasterChef in Spain” and that “the food has been analyzed back to the source with positive results.”

The menu served to the participants included an Indian starter with Valencian clotxina, oyster, mussel, romesco sauce, pesto based on algae, a Thai sea bass Suquet, and a Japanese cheesecake with seaweed.

The incident has provoked outrage among the participants, who have not yet received an apology from the company. The Ministry of Health of the Region of Valencia is currently investigating the source of the food poisoning.

In case you experience vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea, report it now. It can help to detect & resolve outbreaks early and prevent others from being harmed, and it enables better surveillance. If symptoms persist, seek medical care.

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The Jackson County Health Department (JACOHD) is investigating an outbreak of an unidentified gastrointestinal illness among attendees at a robotics competition held at Lee’s Summit North High School from March 29th - April 1st. The announcement was made on Monday after JACOHD received the first reports of... See More sick attendees. So far, more than seventy cases have been reported, with no diagnosis included, and the majority of these cases are from the metro area.

The competition involved teams from schools outside of Jackson County, including Kansas, Oklahoma, and Brazil, prompting JACOHD to coordinate with the local health departments of the respective areas in order to properly investigate the reports. The risk to the general public is currently low, with reported symptoms being mild and including chills, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, and a low-grade fever.

The health department has reached out to attendees with a survey to gather more information about those who have been affected or who may have been exposed in order to help with the investigation. Those who are still experiencing symptoms are encouraged to contact their local health department for more information about available testing resources.

At this time, the cause of transmission and the exact nature of the illness remains unknown and the investigation is ongoing. JACOHD encourages participants to complete the survey in a timely fashion to assist with the investigation.

In case you or a loved one experience vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea, after attending this event, it's important to report it now. It can help to detect & resolve outbreaks early and prevent others from being harmed, and it enables better surveillance. If symptoms persist, seek medical care.

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The CDC is investigating a gastrointestinal illness outbreak linked to the Ruby Princess cruise ship with Voyage Dates: February 26–March 5, 2023 and Voyage Number: RU305P. 284 passengers have reported being ill during the voyage out of a total of 2881 (9.9%) passengers onboard. Of the 1159... See More crew members, 34 have reported being ill during the voyage, that is 2.9% of all crew. The predominant symptoms are vomiting and diarrhea. The causative agent is unknown at this time.

In response to the outbreak, Princess Cruises and the crew aboard the ship reported the following actions:
- Increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to the ship’s outbreak prevention and response plan.
- Collected stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases to send to the CDC lab for pathogenic identification.
- Distributed notifications and made ship announcements to embarking guests informing them of increased number of illness cases onboard the previous voyage.

In case you experience vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea, report it now. It can help to detect & resolve outbreaks early and prevent others from being harmed, and it enables better surveillance. If symptoms persist, seek medical care.

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A new health update has been released regarding cases of acute diarrhea in Berazategui. The first three weeks of January 2023 saw 4 adults hospitalized for the illness, leading to a study on the suspicion of an outbreak of food origin. After analyzing relevant samples, it has... See More been confirmed that two of the reported cases had a common history of consuming meat and derivatives from the same butcher shop. Unfortunately, two people have died due to the acute diarrhea cases and one is still hospitalized. The other case has been discharged.

The National Food Institute (INAL) of the National Administration of Medicines, Food and Medical Technology (ANMAT) seized the food from the identified butcher’s shop and the distributor transport (offal) and analyzed the samples, reporting the absence of Salmonella and Escherichia coli.

It was also confirmed last week that two of the cases had leptospirosis. These cases included a 48-year-old male who died on 1/12 and a 36-year-old male who died on 1/17. The other two cases included a 40-year-old man who was discharged on 1/30 with good development and a 47-year-old male who was admitted to hospital with septic shock on 1/20, who presented a good evolution, also confirmed to have leptospirosis. The two people who died have been confirmed to have Salmonella and Shigella in their fecal matter, with no pathogenic bacteria isolated in the fecal matter of the other two cases.

In the homes of the two cases diagnosed with leptospirosis, rodent control was carried out through the placement of rodent baits at strategic points in the house and home, and serological analyzes were also performed on 3 dogs belonging to the household.

In case you experience vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea, report it now. It can help to detect & resolve outbreaks early and prevent others from being harmed, and it enables better surveillance. If symptoms persist, seek medical care.

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The Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) is investigating the cause of the gastrointestinal illnesses reported by more than 130 students at Wayne N. Tanaka Elementary School in Las Vegas on Jan. 27.

According to the news, a spokesperson for the SNHD said “during a foodborne illness outbreak,... See More people are interviewed about what they ate before they got sick when possible food contamination is confirmed using epidemiological and laboratory information," adding, “Gastrointestinal illnesses can have many causes.”

The school sent out an email to parents on Monday informing them of the SNHD’s investigation and warned sick people not to prepare food or care for others.

In case you experience vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea, report it now. It can help to detect & resolve outbreaks early and prevent others from being harmed, and it enables better surveillance. If symptoms persist, seek medical care.

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The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has issued a recall of all oysters harvested in the TX 1 area of southeastern Galveston Bay after reports of a few dozen cases of gastrointestinal illness among people who ate oysters from those waters. The recall includes oysters... See More in the shell and shucked oysters harvested in the area from Nov. 17 through Dec. 7. No hospitalizations have been reported at this time.

DSHS advises consumers who purchased Texas oysters since Nov. 17 should check the packaging to see if they were harvested in TX 1. If the oysters were unpackaged, contact the seller to find the source. Restaurants should contact their distributor for information on the source of their oysters. Any oysters from TX 1 should be thrown away. No other species of seafood is affected by this recall.

The TX 1 area was closed to harvesting by DSHS on Dec. 8 after receiving reports from health departments in Southeast Texas and Florida that people who had consumed oysters from the area had gotten sick.

Reported symptoms include fever, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, chills, and headache. If you are experiencing these symptoms after eating oysters it is important to report it. It can help to detect & resolve outbreaks early and prevent others from being harmed, and it enables better surveillance. If symptoms persist seek medical attention.

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The Tazewell County Health Department is investigating a foodborne illness outbreak linked to Monical’s Pizza restaurant located at 6 Cherry Tree Shopping Center, Washington, IL 61571. As of Monday afternoon, 155 people had reported symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, stomachaches, and body aches after dining at this place.... See More The first cases happened early last week.

Monical's Pizza restaurant was temporarily closed Saturday on the health department's recommendation. State health officials are currently working with the Tazewell County Health Department to identify the source.

In case you experience vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea, report it now. It can help to detect & resolve outbreaks early and prevent others from being harmed, and it enables better surveillance. If symptoms persist, seek medical care.

Source: wcbu.org  | Symptoms: Diarrhea, Vomiting, Stomach Pain, Body Ache See Less

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