In the news

Cold-smoked trout and salmon produced in Estonia was found to be the source of the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak which has affected 22 people in five countries (Denmark (9 cases), Estonia (6), Finland (2), France (1), and Sweden (4)) since 2014. Five patients have died as a result. The first case had symptom onset in July 2014 in Estonia, and the most recent case occurred in Denmark in February 2019. L. monocytogenes isolates, matching the outbreak strain were detected at the wholesale and retail level in four countries (i.e. France, Denmark, Italy, and Sweden). Traceability information of the contaminated batches pointed to the Estonian processing Company as the single common manufacturer of these fish products. The raw fish was received from suppliers in Norway and Finland. Environmental samples of the Estonian plant demonstrated the presence of L. monocytogenes that matched the outbreak strain in two samples. The presence of L. monocytogenes strains matching the outbreak strain over several years suggests the persistence of the microorganism at the Estonian company’s premises. @ https://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/scientific_output/EN-1665-FINAL.pdf

Air France has issued an urgent warning after a routine quality test found that tuna sandwiches served on flights international destinations might be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The sandwiches were served is a self-serve buffet in Air France’s Economy and Premium Economy cabin’s between 21st and 24th. Air France says it has already informed potentially affected passengers via email and believes the potentially Listeria-contaminated foods were served on just nine flights departing from Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris. Air France says it has not received any reports of customers who may have been infected with Listeriosis. Air France says the sandwiches had the potential risk that they were left out in a un-refrigerated area for too long. The contamination probably happened at the catering facility. @ https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2019/06/02/air-france-may-have-served-sandwiches-contaminated-with-the-deadly-listeria-bacteria/#.XPVtj4hKiM8

The CDC announced that of May 30, 2019, 27 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium have been reported from 17 states (California(2), Colorado(1), Indiana(2), Iowa(1), Kansas (1), Maine (1), Michigan (1), Minnesota (5), Mississippi (1), Missouri (3), Nebraska (1), Oregon (1), Tennessee (1), Texas (1), Virginia (2), Washington (1), Wyoming (2)). Two people were hospitalized, and no death reported. No deaths have been reported. 42% of the ill people are children younger than 13. Of 20 people interviewed, 18 (90%) reported contact with hedgehogs before becoming ill. Ill people reported buying hedgehogs from various sources, including pet stores, breeders, or online. The outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium was identified in samples collected from 10 hedgehogs in Minnesota, including 5 hedgehogs from the homes of five ill patients. @ https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/typhimurium-01-19/index.html

As part of a plan by Secretary Sonny Perdue to cut costs in the federal bureaucracy he plans to relocate the Economic Research Service (ERS), which provides research and statistical analysis for lawmakers, and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which oversees the allocation of federal funding for primarily academic research across the country outside of Washington DC. He is planning to move the roughly 300from the research unit, along with another division, NIFA, out of Washington and closer to America’s farmers. The potential locations include Indiana, Kansas City or North Carolina’s Research Triangle. Perdue believes that the move will save money and make research more relevant. @ https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/30/us/politics/agriculture-department-economists.html