Almond and
peanut butter manufactured by nSpired Natural Foods, Inc. is the likely source
of this outbreak
Public
health investigators are using the PulseNet system to identify cases of illness
that may be part of this outbreak. PulseNet, the national subtyping network of
public health and food regulatory agency laboratories coordinated by CDC,
receives DNA "fingerprints" of Salmonella bacteria obtained through
diagnostic testing using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, or PFGE. Whole
genome sequencing, a highly discriminatory subtyping method, was also used to
define the outbreak strain. Whole genome sequencing helped clarify which
illnesses were related to the outbreak.
A total of
four ill persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Braenderup have been reported from four states since
January 1, 2014. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as
follows: Connecticut (1), Iowa (1), Tennessee (1), and Texas (1).
Illness
onset dates range from January 22, 2014, to May 16, 2014. Ill persons range in
age from 3 years to 83 years, with a median age of 36 years. Seventy-five
percent of ill persons are female. Among three ill persons with available
information, one (33%) reported being hospitalized. No deaths have been
reported.
This
outbreak can be visually described with a chart showing the number of persons
who became ill each day. This chart is called an epidemic curve or epi curve.
Illnesses that occurred after July 30, 2014 might not yet be reported due to
the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is
reported. This takes an average of 2 to 4 weeks. The recalled peanut and almond
butter products have a long shelf life and may still be in people’s homes, and
illnesses may continue to be reported. Please see the Timeline for Reporting
Cases of Salmonella Infection for more details.
Investigation of the Outbreak: During routine inspections at an
nSpired Natural Foods facility in Ashland, Oregon, in January and July 2014,
FDA isolated Salmonella Braenderup
from environmental samples. PFGE and whole genome sequencing were performed on
the environmental isolates by FDA to further characterize the bacteria.
A
subsequent search of the PulseNet database identified ill persons with the same
PFGE “fingerprint” of Salmonella
Braenderup. CDC performed whole genome sequencing on these clinical
isolates and determined that the bacteria from the ill persons were related to
the environmental isolates taken from the firm.
To date,
three of the four ill persons were reported eating a brand of peanut or almond
butter produced by nSpired Natural Foods, Inc. CDC and state and local public health partners
are continuing laboratory surveillance through PulseNet to identify additional
ill persons and to interview ill persons about foods eaten before becoming ill.
FDA is continuing to work closely with CDC and state partners in this
investigation.
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/braenderup-08-14/index.html
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