The sequence of outbreaks and people sick in them declined in Norway in 2023, nonetheless this past year saw the nation file one in all its most severe-ever E. coli outbreaks.
Twenty-5 outbreaks had been attributable to unpleasant foodstuffs, with 518 people sick. Here’s down from 34 outbreaks and 628 cases in 2022. For eight outbreaks with 290 sufferers, the agent changed into once unknown.
The most general agent in foodborne outbreaks in 2023 changed into once norovirus on 5 times. Three had been because of Salmonella, and two each and each because of cryptosporidium and enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC).
The norovirus outbreaks sickened 105 people. Salmonella Napoli, Salmonella Kintambo, and one other serotype affected 14 people. The E. coli incidents sickened 36 people and 23 sufferers had been affected in the cryptosporidium outbreaks.
One Campylobacter outbreak had 16 cases, and one Bacillus outbreak sickened 15 people. Ten cases had been reported in an E. coli outbreak and seven in a Listeria outbreak. Two Clostridium botulinum cases had been linked to spirited Spanish omelet (tortilla de patata) in Spain.
Four outbreaks had been traced to restaurants, cafes, pubs, and fleet food outlets, and three each and each to accommodations or assorted accommodation and firm locations of work.
Greens and herb merchandise had been in the abet of 4 outbreaks with 40 cases. Ingesting water led to two outbreaks with 150 sufferers. Pork and cereal-primarily based totally merchandise had been both linked to 2 outbreaks.
Outbreak examples
A national E. coli O26:H11 outbreak affected 24 people, 9 children growing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Norwegian officers acknowledged it changed into once one in all the biggest and most severe E. coli outbreaks the nation had ever viewed.
Instances had been between 1 and 55 years used, with 15 males and 9 females. HUS is a severe complication associated to E. coli infections that causes kidney failure and can lead to mind spoil and various lifelong issues.
Nordfjord Kjøtt recalled recent and frozen burgers sold at Rema 1000 stores. The outbreak stress changed into once detected in frozen hamburgers from the alternate.
An E. coli O157 outbreak with 12 cases changed into once realized to be linked to burgers or floor (minced) meat, because of affected person interviews. Ten people had been hospitalized, nonetheless there possess been no HUS cases.
The Salmonella Kintambo outbreak with 5 cases changed into once traced to sesame seed merchandise from Syria. Three people ate such merchandise sooner than becoming sick. Product discovering out realized Salmonella Kintambo and Salmonella Amsterdam in Halva from Syria. Total genome sequencing records confirmed that Salmonella Kintambo from sufferers and a sesame seed product had been identical.
Norway has had 13 cases on this multi-nation outbreak linked to unpleasant tahini and halva since 2020. Of us possess been contaminated by Salmonella Havana, Salmonella Mbandaka, Salmonella Orion, Salmonella Kintambo, Salmonella Senftenberg, and Salmonella Amsterdam.
In mid-June 2023, one case of Listeria monocytogenes changed into once reported with the same genotype as a outdated outbreak of listeriosis in 2022 linked to smoked salmon. Between June and July, seven cases had been realized. Six people acknowledged they had eaten smoked salmon or smoked trout from one producer sooner than becoming sick.
The outbreak stress changed into once realized in two unopened packs of smoked salmon from Troll Salmon, which one affected person had at home. It changed into once later also realized in product samples taken from the producer. The company temporarily closed to effectively-organized and change some instruments.
Imported leafy greens had been suspected to be in the abet of a Salmonella Napoli outbreak with seven sufferers. Four sick people had been hospitalized.
(To affix a free subscription to Meals Security Files, click here.)
