Foodborne and Waterborne Disease in Canada – 1979 Annual Summary

1985 ◽  
Vol 48 (12) ◽  
pp. 1071-1078 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. C. D. TODD
Keyword(s):  
Monosodium Glutamate ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning ◽  
Mushroom Poisoning ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Shellfish Poisoning ◽  
Salmonella Spp ◽  
Waterborne Disease ◽  
Paralytic Shellfish ◽  
Mold And Yeast

Data on foodborne disease in Canada in 1979 are compared with data for 1978. A total of 825 incidents, comprising 650 outbreaks and 175 single cases, causing illness in 5503 persons was reported for 1979. The number of incidents and cases decreased by 1.3% and 7.7%, respectively, from 1978 to 1979. Like the previous year, Salmonella spp. were responsible for more incidents (62) and cases (1754) than any other agent. Other incidents were caused by Staphylococcus aureus (29), suspect mold and yeast (18), Bacillus cereus (16), Clostridium perfringens (11), Bacillus subtilis (1) and Hafnia alvei (1). No Clostridium botulinum cases were reported. Five incidents of trichinosis, three of paralytic shellfish poisoning, two involving insect infestation and one each of scombroid, lupin alkaloid and broom tea poisoning and an allergic reaction from beef adulterated with pork were reported. Chemicals implicated in causing illness included tin, rancid compounds, monosodium glutamate and extraneous matter. The deaths of three persons were attributed to salmonellosis and probable mushroom poisoning. About 33% of incidents and 38% of cases were associated with meat and poultry. Vegetables, fruits, bakery products and marine products were also important vehicles in causing foodborne disease. Mishandling of food took place mainly in foodservice establishments (38.9% of incidents, 59.3% of cases) and homes (13.3% of incidents, 7.0% of cases). However, mishandling by manufacturers caused some problems including salmonellosis from a cake and staphylococcal intoxication from canned fish and sausages. Over 53% of reported foodborne disease incidents occurred in Ontario and more than 18% in British Columbia, but the number of incidents per 100,000 population was highest in the Northwest Territories. Narrative reports of selected foodborne incidents are presented. Four waterborne disease outbreaks were reported in 1979 with a total of 73 cases. Lack of adequate water treatment led to the illnesses in at least three of the outbreaks.

Foodborne and Waterborne Disease in Canada - 1977 Annual Summary

1982 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 865-873 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. C. D. TODD
Keyword(s):  
Clostridium Botulinum ◽  
Starter Culture ◽  
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning ◽  
Bakery Products ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Shellfish Poisoning ◽  
Salmonella Spp ◽  
Paralytic Shellfish ◽  
Bacillus Spp ◽  
Mold And Yeast

Data on foodborne disease in Canada in 1977 were compared with data for 1976. A total of 777 incidents, comprising 660 outbreaks and 117 single cases, causing illness in 4810 persons was reported for 1977. The number of incidents and cases decreased by 9.7% and 10.4%, respectively, from 1976 to 1977. Unlike previous years, Salmonella spp. were responsible for more incidents (32) and cases (763) than any other agent. Other incidents were caused by Staphylococcus aureus (23), Clostridium perfringens (14), suspect mold and yeast (13), Bacillus spp. (11), Clostridium botulinum (5), Shigella sonnei (1) and suspect Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1). Three incidents of trichinosis, and two each of mushroom and paralytic shellfish poisoning occurred. Chemicals implicated in causing illness included tin, rancid compounds and extraneous matter. The deaths of two persons were attributed to foodborne disease. About 32% of incidents and 48% of cases were associated with meat and poultry. Bakery products, vegetables, fruits and Chinese food continued to play a prominent role in the spread of foodborne disease, as in previous years. Mishandling of food took place mainly in foodservice establishments (31.0% of incidents, 60.2% of cases) and homes (15.1% of incidents, 9.2% of cases). However, mishandling by the manufacturer caused some problems, including salmonellosis from cakes made with cracked eggs and staphylococcal intoxication from cheese prepared from a contaminated starter culture. More than 61% of reported foodborne disease incidents occurred in Ontario and over 16% in British Columbia, but the number of incidents per 100,000 population was highest in Northwest Territories and the Yukon. Relatively few illnesses resulted from the ingestion of water and none through contact with water with a total of 9 incidents and 305 cases. Narrative reports of foodborne and waterborne incidents are presented.

Foodborne and Waterborne Disease in Canada - 1978 Annual Summary

1985 ◽  
Vol 48 (11) ◽  
pp. 990-996 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. C. D. TODD
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Clostridium Botulinum ◽  
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning ◽  
Bakery Products ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Shellfish Poisoning ◽  
Salmonella Spp ◽  
Paralytic Shellfish ◽  
Marine Products ◽  
Mold And Yeast

Data on foodborne disease in Canada in 1978 are compared with data for 1977. A total of 836 incidents, comprising 642 outbreaks and 194 single cases, causing illness in 5960 persons was reported for 1978. The number of incidents and cases increased by 7.5% and 23.9%, respectively, from 1977 to 1978. Like the previous year, Salmonella spp. were responsible for more incidents (67) and cases (2171) than any other agent. Other incidents were caused by Staphylococcus aureus (31), suspect mold and yeast (17), Bacillus cereus (9), Clostridium perfringens (7), Clostridium botulinum (6), and Shigelli sonnet (1). Four incidents of trichinosis, and two each of mushroom, lupin alkaloid and paralytic shellfish poisoning occurred. One scombroid poisoning outbreak was reported. Chemicals implicated in causing illness included tin, rancid compounds and extraneous matter. The deaths of five persons were attributed to foodborne disease. About 32% of incidents and 39% of cases were associated with meat and poultry. Vegetables, fruits, bakery products and marine products were also important vehicles in causing foodborne disease. Mishandling of food took place mainly in foodservice establishments (25.6% of incidents, 56.1% of cases) and homes (12.4% of incidents, 6.4% of cases). However, mishandling by manufacturers caused some problems including salmonellosis from iced cakes made with cracked eggs and staphylococcal intoxication from ham, sausage, chicken and canned salmon. Over 54% of reported foodborne disease incidents occurred in Ontario and more than 18% in British Columbia, but the number of incidents per 100,000 population was highest in the Northwest Territories. Narrative reports of selected foodborne incidents are presented.

Foodborne and Waterborne Disease in Canada — 1980 Annual Summary

1987 ◽  
Vol 50 (5) ◽  
pp. 420-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. C. D. TODD
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Food Processing ◽  
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Shellfish Poisoning ◽  
Waterborne Disease ◽  
Paralytic Shellfish ◽  
Uremic Syndrome ◽  
Marine Food ◽  
First Time

Data on foodborne disease in Canada in 1980 are compared with those for 1979. A total of 759 incidents, comprising 621 outbreaks and 138 single cases, caused illnesses in 7,122 persons in 1980. Compared with 1979, fewer incidents but more cases occurred. Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens and Bacillus cereus caused most illnesses. The main Salmonella serovars involved were S. typhimurium, S. heidelberg and S. enteritidis. Campylobacter and Citrobacter infections were reported for the first time. Seven episodes of paralytic shellfish poisoning occurred, more than twice the number in 1979. There were also 53 incidents and 100 cases of chemical origin; rancid compounds, extraneous matter and metals were the main chemicals involved. Unusual chemical problems included turkey contaminated with calcium chloride brine, antimony deliberately added to a beverage to induce sickness, ammonia-soaked frozen potato puffs, chocolates contaminated with phenol disinfectant and toluene in popcorn twists. There were nine deaths from salmonellosis, paralytic shellfish poisonings and hemolytic uremic syndrome. About 34% of incidents and 51% of cases were associated with meat and poultry. Vegetables, fruits, Chinese food, marine food and bakery products were also vehicles that contributed significantly to foodborne disease. Mishandling of food took place mainly in foodservice establishments (41.2% of incidents, 74.3% of cases), homes (15.8% of incidents, 6.0% of cases) and food processing establishments (10.1% of incidents, 8.7% of cases). Food processors were responsible for salmonellosis from turkey rolls (440 cases) and staphylococcal intoxication from cheese curds (62 cases) and many small outbreaks and single cases. Most incidents occurred in Ontario (43.9%) and British Columbia (21.7%), but on a 100,000 population basis, British Columbia recorded more incidents (6.2) than Nova Scotia and Yukon (both 4.5) and Ontario (3.9). Narrative reports of seven foodborne disease incidents are presented. Four incidents of waterborne disease were documented in 1980, the same number as in 1979. All were caused by bacterial agents, with Campylobacter and Salmonella responsible for most cases. Pseudomonas aeruginosa infected the skin of 10 persons in a whirlpool bath.

Foodborne and Waterborne Disease in Canada - 1983 Annual Summary

1989 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 436-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. C. D. TODD
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis A ◽  
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning ◽  
Etiologic Agent ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Shellfish Poisoning ◽  
Waterborne Disease ◽  
Dairy Foods ◽  
Paralytic Shellfish ◽  
Foodborne Outbreaks ◽  
First Time

Data on foodborne disease in Canada in 1983 are compared with those for 1982. A total of 963 incidents, comprising 752 outbreaks and 211 single cases, caused illnesses in 5,955 persons in 1983. These figures are slightly less than for 1982, although the numbers of incidents and cases are the second highest on record. Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens and Bacillus cereus caused most of the illnesses. The main Salmonella serovars involved were S. typhimurium, S. hadar, and S. agona. The small outbreaks of hepatitis A were attributed to food served at a school cafeteria and an outdoor barbecue, respectively; viral foodborne outbreaks had not been documented before. Also, for the first time there were no records of parasitic diseases. There were no incidents of paralytic shellfish poisoning but ciguatera intoxication occurred for the first time. There were 29 incidents (36 cases) of chemical origin; extraneous matter and rancid compounds were the most frequently implicated. There were three deaths, one each from botulism, salmonellosis, and methanol in vodka. A major portion of illnesses were associated with meat and poultry (30.6% of incidents and 42.7% of cases). Bakery products, marine foods, and dairy foods were also important vehicles of foodborne disease. Mishandling of food took place mainly in foodservice establishments (38.3% of incidents), homes (25.2% of incidents), and food processing establishments (5.9% of incidents). Chemicals, such as extraneous matter and rancid compounds, were the agents associated with 33.3% of incidents caused by processors' mishandling. On a population basis, incidents were greatest in Ontario, followed by those in Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta. Details of several foodborne disease incidents are presented. In addition, two incidents of waterborne disease were documented in 1983, two fewer than in 1982. Giardia lamblia was the etiologic agent in one of them.

Foodborne and Waterborne Disease in Canada - 1981 Annual Summary

1987 ◽  
Vol 50 (11) ◽  
pp. 982-991 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. C. D. TODD
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Food Processing ◽  
Monosodium Glutamate ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Chemical Contamination ◽  
Waterborne Disease ◽  
Chemical Agents ◽  
Etiologic Agents ◽  
Paralytic Shellfish ◽  
First Time

In 1981, a total of 647 incidents, comprising 505 outbreaks and 142 single cases, caused illnesses in 4,804 persons. There were 14.8% fewer incidents and 32.5% fewer cases than recorded for 1980. Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens and Bacillus cereus were the main bacteriological agents to cause illness, but there were far fewer incidents of salmonellosis in 1981 (36) compared with 1980 (64). Etiologic agents Coxiella burnetii, Listeria monocytogenes and Taenia saginata were reported for the first time in these summaries. Animal agents: paralytic shellfish poison, scombroid poison and insects had also been documented in 1980 and previous years, but the plant agents were new - taro leaves and tablets made from Spirulina alga. The number of incidents caused by chemical agents (51), mainly extraneous matter, rancid compounds, metals and monosodium glutamate, were the same as for 1980. Some of the more unusual chemical poisonings were lead in herbal capsules, mercury in yogurt, ammonia in frog legs and laxative in a cake. Ten foodborne disease related deaths occurred mainly in infants infected by Listeria and in elderly patients with salmonellosis in a home for the aged. About 33% of incidents and 41% of cases were associated with meat and poultry. Mishandling of food took place mainly in foodservice establishments (33.1% of incidents, 62.4% of cases), homes (13.4% of incidents and 9.5% of cases) and food processing establishments (13.1% of incidents and 2.9% of cases). Food processing problems resulted mainly from chemical contamination, particularly extraneous matter. Most incidents occurred in Ontario (41.3%), British Columbia (19.6%) and Alberta (11.6%), but on a 100,000 population basis incidents were highest in British Columbia (4.6), Nova Scotia (4.4), Alberta (3.4) and Ontario (3.1). Narrative reports of seven previously unpublished foodborne disease problems are presented. Eight incidents of waterborne disease, caused by Giardia lamblia, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and an undetermined agent, are double the number recorded for both 1980 and 1979. However, the number of cases was far fewer in 1981 (178) compared with those for the previous year (1,124). The largest outbreak (46 cases) was caused by Pseudomonas infecting the skin and ears of whirlpool bathers in a motel. All the other incidents were from contaminated water obtained on camping trips (3), from Giardia-in-fected municipal water supplies, two from abroad (3) and from non-chlorinated wells contaminated with Salmonella (1).

Assessment of a Semiquantitative Liquid Chromatography- Fluorescence Detection Method for the Determination of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning Toxin Levels in Bivalve Molluscs from Great Britain

2014 ◽  
Vol 97 (2) ◽  
pp. 492-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew D Turner ◽  
Monika Dhanji-Rapkova ◽  
Clothilde Baker ◽  
Myriam Algoet
Keyword(s):  
Great Britain ◽  
Fluorescence Detection ◽  
Detection Method ◽  
Reference Method ◽  
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning ◽  
Official Method ◽  
Shellfish Poisoning ◽  
Bivalve Molluscs ◽  
Paralytic Shellfish

Abstract AOAC Official Method 2005.06 precolumn oxidation LC-fluorescence detection method has been used for many years for the detection and quantitation of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins in bivalve molluscs. After extensive single- and multiple-laboratory validation, the method has been slowly gaining acceptance worldwide as a useful and practical tool for official control testing. In Great Britain, the method has become routine since 2008, with no requirement since then for reverting back to the bioassay reference method. Although the method has been refined to be semiautomated, faster, and more reproducible, the quantitation step can be complex and time-consuming. An alternative approach was developed to utilize the qualitative screening results for generatinga semiquantitative results assessment. Data obtained over 5 years enabled the comparison of semiquantitative and fully quantitative PSP results in over 15 000 shellfish samples comprising eight different species showed that the semiquantitative approach resulted in over-estimated paralytic shellfish toxin levels by an average factor close to two in comparison with the fully quantified levels. No temporal trends were observed in the data or relating to species type, with the exception of surf clams. The comparison suggested a semiquantitative threshold of 800 μg saxitoxin (STX) eq/kg should provide a safe limitfor the determination of samples to be forwarded to full quantitation. However, the decision was taken to halve this limit to include an additional safety factor of 2, resulting in the use of a semiquantitative threshold of 400 μg STX eq/kg. Implementation of the semiquantitative method into routine testing would result in a significant reduction in the numbers of samples requiring quantitation and have a positive impact on the overall turnaround of reported PSP results. The refined method would be appropriate for any monitoring laboratory faced with high throughput requirements.

Insects as vectors of foodborne pathogenic bacteria

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Blazar ◽  
Marc Allard ◽  
E. Kurt Lienau
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Foodborne Pathogens ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
House Fly ◽  
American Cockroach ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Salmonella Spp

AbstractFood safety is an important consideration worldwide. To maintain and improve our current knowledge of foodborne disease outbreaks, we must understand some of the more imminent issues related to food safety. A variety of agents are responsible for transmitting the estimated 76 million cases of illnesses caused by foodborne pathogens every year. This review explores why insects pose a serious health concern, in terms of worldwide food safety initiatives, by looking at evidence in published <abs>Food safety is an important consideration worldwide. To maintain and improve our current knowledge of foodborne disease outbreaks, we must understand some of the more imminent issues related to food safety. A variety of agents are responsible for transmitting the estimated 76 million cases of illnesses caused by foodborne pathogens every year. This review explores why insects pose a serious health concern, in terms of worldwide food safety initiatives, by looking at evidence in published literature. We highlight at least eleven different species of insects, including the lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer); secondary screwworm, Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius); synanthropic flies [flesh fly, Sarcophaga carnaria (L.); house fly, Musca domestica (L.); fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster (Meigen); and stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.)], American cockroach, Periplaneta americana (L.); German cockroach, Blatella germanica (L.); Oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis (L.); Pacific beetle cockroach, Diploptera punctata (Eschscholtz); and Speckled feeder cockroach, Nauphoeta cinerea (Olivier), which act as vectors for Salmonella spp. or Escherichia coli and illustrate how these insects are successful vectors of foodborne disease outbreaks. We propose that insects be considered as one of the latest issues in food safety initiatives. Not only are some insects extremely important contributors to diseases, but now we suggest that more research into insects as potential carriers of E. coli and Salmonella spp., and therefore as contributing to foodborne disease outbreaks, is granted.

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