Question

When two or more people get the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink, the event is called a foodborne disease outbreak.

In this posting, I would like you to find one case of foodborne disease outbreak (in the nation OR global) in the past FOUR years and write a short summary of 200 - 300 words about that incidence.

Remember to include- location of the illness, year, kind of foodborne illness and symptoms, causal agent, its effect on the population, remedy, future actions (if addressed) to prevent the disease.

REMEMBER-

Once an incidence of foodborne disease outbreak is listed, you cannot use that.

Include source REFERENCE - 2.5 out of the 10 points is for Reference

You will use APA format for reference.

Answer 1

FOODBORNE DISEASE 1

Foodborne outbreaks in Denmark 2014

Food- and waterborne outbreaks in Denmark are reported in the Food- and waterborne Outbreak Database (FUD).

In total 60 foodborne outbreaks were reported to FUD in 2014, which is decrease from 2013.

  T he largest national outbreak was caused by Listeria monocytogenes, MLST224 (outbreak number in FUD: FUD1373). In total, the number of persons affected by foodborne outbreaks was 2,209, with a median of 11 persons per outbreak (range 2 – 430). The largest outbreak involving 430 persons was an outbreak caused by Norovirus (NoV) in a canteen serving a buffet meal.

OUTBREAK WITH LISTERIA:-

The most severe foodborne outbreak in 2014 was caused by Listeria monocytogenes (FUD1373). with a total of 41 cases reported. Seventeen cases died within 30 days from the laboratory sample date. The outbreak vehicle was identified as ”rullepølse” – a Danish cold cut ready-to-eat speciality made from pork. Apart from this outbreak, listeriosis has been in focus in 2014, where the implementation of new laboratory methods with whole-genome sequencing (WGS) have improved identification and comparison of clusters over long periods of time.

* On the 26th of June 2014 a cluster of three recent Listeria monocytogenes ST224 patients similar to four known patients from 2013 was detected by WGS. An outbreak investigation was initiated to reveal the source in order to stop the outbreak. As part of a project initiated in 2013, all listeriosis patients were routinely followed up with extensive contact to the hospitals for further clinical information and, if possible, patients or relatives were interviewed with a trawling questionnaire on symptoms, food intake in the 30 days prior to disease onset, place of food purchase and food handling habits at home.

In total 41 patients were reported. Most of them were men aging from 43-90 years.Clinical information was obtained for all patients, and interviews were possible for 25 patients. The place of exposure could be established for 35 patients and showed, that five patients had been exposed in hospital/ elderly home, 14 in private homes and 16 in either one of these. All patients had underlying diseases, in particular cancers and haematological diseases, and many were in treatment with immunosuppressive drugs rendering them more susceptible to listeriosis.

* As a consequence of this large outbreak, the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries initiated a critical review of the Danish efforts against L. monocytogenes which resulted in several recommendations for initiatives to improve the control of Listeria in Denmark. These included increased knowledge on Listeria risk in food handlers preparing food to vulnerable groups, e.g. in hospitals, and increased information on Listeria to risk groups, increased knowledge on Listeria risk in food companies and in the food control, and optimized procedures for sampling and source tracing.

# INITIATIVES ON LISTERIAL

  Following the large outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes during the summer 2014 the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries initiated a critical review of the Danish L. monocytogenes effort. The critical review was initiated in order to evaluate and improve current efforts and initiatives as well as to identify future focus areas relevant to L. monocytogenes. National and international experts took part in the evaluation and critical assessment of the Danish effort including representatives from Danish research institutes and universities, the food industry, the Danish consumer council, the authorities and two international experts from Belgium and Austria. The critical review was based on an initial workshop followed by comprehensive assessment of identified focus areas

# It is necessary to continuously increase the knowledge, both within to the food control and the food businesses, on how to manage and control Listeria in the food production. Consequently the existing guidance material on Listeria will be adjusted and extended, i. e. with practical tools, to better match the needs of the food businesses and the food control. The elaboration of online guidance material will be based on the results of a communication project, which will be conducted to obtain insight and information on how to ensure efficient distribution, communication and design of written material. The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration will also convene specialization courses for the food control inspectors and establish a group of specialists within the food control.

INITIATIVE BY FOOD INDUSTRY

A number of initiatives will be conducted by the food industry, including cross-disciplinary development of tools and practical guides for the food businesses, evaluation and if necessary adjustment of the labour market training courses to ensure, that the education of the food handlers sufficiently covers the subject of L. monocytogenes, more focus on L. monocytogenes in the collaboration with the production equipment industry, and more focus on L. monocytogenes at the annual seminars between the food industry and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration

REFERENCES

1. Ragon M, Wirth T, Lavenir R, Lecuit M. A new perspective on Listorica monocytogenes Evolution.

2. Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries (2015). Rapport om kritisk eftersyn af Listeria-indsats.