China - Undercooked kidney beans sicken 248 Students
28 Dec 2007
CRI Online - Xinhua [edited]
A Fuyuan County government spokesman was cited as saying Friday that a food-poisoning outbreak at a school in southwest China's Yunnan Province sickened 81 students and sent another 167 to hospital over mass hysteria. The story says that the 248 students, from a High School in Fuyuan County, complained of vomiting and nausea after eating undercooked kidney beans for lunch on Thursday. Currently, 39 students remained hospitalized with symptoms of head and stomach aches, while the others were discharged by Friday noon, the spokesman said. Health officials were further cited as saying that kidney beans contain lectin, a toxic agent that can cause diarrhea if the beans aren't heated thoroughly.
Related stories
30 Dec 2007 - Yunnan students leave hospital after treatment for food poisoning
Xinhua News Agency (China) [edited]
Local health authorities were cited as saying that 39 students hospitalized for food poisoning in a school canteen in southwest Yunnan province three days ago were discharged from the hospital on Sunday. These students were among 81 who fell ill after eating under-cooked kidney beans in the facility. The 39 students, suffering from headaches and abdominal pain, were advised to stay in the hospital for observation, while the others were sent home after their symptoms cleared up.

Hong-Kong - 36 ill in gastroenteritis outbreak
27 Dec 2007 [edited]
Hong Kong Health and Community
The Centre for Health Protection was cited as confirming a gastroenteritis outbreak caused by Norovirus infection, involving 34 Kowloon City elderly home residents and two staff members. According to this story, the 15 men and 21 women aged 46 to 97 came down with diarrhoea and vomiting between December 19 and 27. Of them, 34 consulted general practitioners and general out-patient clinics while one attended Kwong Wah Hospital accident and emergency department. None of them was admitted. All the affected are in stable condition. Preliminary tests showed one stool sample positive for Norovirus, a common cause of viral gastroenteritis.

Taiwan - Dysentery, amoebic, institution (Kaohsiung)
26 Dec 2007 [edited]
Health officials of the Kaohsiung county government said yesterday [25 Dec 2007] 14 patients in a mental institution in the southern Taiwan county of Kaohsiung are suspected to have been infected with amoebic dysentery. The officials said that they were informed 19 Dec 2007 by Hualien County that 9 patients from Kaohsiung's Liang Jen Hospital who were recently transferred to a Yuli sanatorium in the county had a high level of Entamoeba histolytica antibodies in their blood. Further tests showed that 3 out of the 9 have been infected with the disease. The officials said that they immediately began disinfection work at Liang Jen Hospital and conducted tests on 105 patients. 14 of the patients were suspected to have been infected, although they have shown no symptoms of diarrhoea.

Australia - Raw eggs linked to Salmonella outbreak
26 Dec 2007
The Age [edited]
Improper use of raw eggs has, according to this story, been blamed for 50 cases of food poisoning in New South Wales in the past three weeks. The story says that a group of 35 people fell ill, probably from Salmonella, after eating homemade fried ice cream with a coating made of raw egg batter at a party. There were also 11 cases from another gathering where raw egg was used in Caesar salad dressing and chocolate mousse. The NSW Food Authority director-general was cited as saying that three children also became ill after drinking affected eggnog.
Related stories
27 Dec 2007 - Australia – Salmonellosis
Sydney Morning Herald [edited]
According to this story, the NSW [New South Wales] Health and the NSW Food Authority hopes to introduce regulations in 2008 making NSW the 2nd state, after Queensland, requiring individuals’ eggs to be stamped so they can be easily traced to their farms, thus making producers more accountable for quality.

Singapore - 16 people fall ill with food poisoning at Sentosa Golf Club
22 Dec 2007
Yahoo News [edited]
According to this story, sixteen people fell ill with food poisoning after participating in a seminar at the Sentosa Golf Club on Tuesday and subsequently tested positive for Salmonella strain D. The story says that Sentosa Golf Club then arranged for full medical checks on eight food handlers involved in the event. Among them, a chef was found to be carrying the bacteria, Salmonella strain C.

Australia - Probe after kids fall ill with suspected food poisoning
20 Dec 2007
The Herald Sun - Carly Crawford [edited]
Health officials have, according to this story, launched a major investigation of a Chinese restaurant after 48 primary school children were struck down with suspected food poisoning on a school excursion. The story says that the students, most aged 10 and 11, collapsed into fits of vomiting and diarrhoea following their yum cha lunch at a restaurant in Chinatown on Friday.

China - 23 fall ill from food poisoning in South West China
20 Dec 2007
Xinhua News Agency (China) [edited]
Local government sources were cited as reporting on Thursday that 23 people were confirmed sick, including three seriously, from food poisoning on Monday in southwest China's Yunnan Province, after eating "tangyuan", a rice dumpling soup, for breakfast in Wanyaoshu Village of Luxi County. According to this story, the 23 people were a middle-aged villager and his family and friends, who were preparing for a funeral ceremony. The poisoned were rushed to the county hospital, where three are in a critical condition. Officials from the provincial disease control center collected samples of the soup and found the food poisoning had been caused by a toxic pesticide known as "Leguo". They are investigating how it managed to get into the soup but details have not been released. On November 11, six people were killed and two others hospitalized in a similar food poisoning case in central China's Hubei Province. They also ate "tangyuan" but in this case the cook mistook rat poison for flour.

China - Farming fish in toxic waters
15 Dec 2007
N.Y. Times - David Barboza [edited]
According to this story, ****** is one of the centers of the sea food industry in China but its growth is threatened by acute water shortages and water supplies contaminated by sewage, industrial waste and agricultural runoff that includes pesticides.

China – Nitruforan contaminated meat - Halts Exports of Maling Canned Meat
7 Dec 2007
Associated Press, Google news [edited]
According to this story, exports from one of China's best-known food makers were stopped Friday [7 Dec 2007] after Hong Kong authorities said they found unsafe chemicals in canned luncheon meat. It is also reported that the company issued a statement Friday saying it had sent top executives to Hong Kong to assist with an investigation into allegations that a shipment of its meat was contaminated with the antibiotic nitrofurans.

China - Dried noodles kill four children
05 Dec 2007
One News [edited]
A local newspaper was cited as reporting that four Chinese children died after eating a dried-noodle snack in the poor southern province of Yunnan. Local officials were investigating all stores selling non-staple foods in the area, the newspaper said. There was no suggestion the poisoning was deliberate, it added.

Viet Nam - Cholera, diarrhea
5 Dec 2007
Thanh Nien News [edited]
Concern over the epidemic of serious gastric illness and diarrhea in the provinces surrounding Hanoi has abated, with no new cases in the past 7 days, a health official said this week [3-9 Dec 2007]. The National Institute of Infectious and Tropical Diseases head said all samples of water and food in Hanoi and Ha Tay Province tested negative. The Department of Preventative Healthcare head said nearly 2000 cases of serious diarrhea were reported over 40 days. 293 cases were cholera.

Singapore - Prima Deli chocolate cakes likely cause of food poisoning
03 Dec 2007
Channel News Asia [edited]
The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).were cited as saying that chocolate cakes from a bakery chain are likely to contain a bacteria called Salmonella enteriditis, which has caused some people to get food poisoning. The story says that 106 people have so far reported getting food poisoning after eating the cakes. Six had to be hospitalised, but have since been discharged. They tested positive for Salmonella enteritidis. The onset of illness for the last case was on 26 November.
Related stories
04 Dec 2007 - Singapore - Have your cake? Better not eat it
Straits Times - Diana Othman

November 2007

New Zealand - Savs blamed for disease hitting six children
28 Nov 2007
Yahoo!xtra News [edited]
According to this story, an investigation by Canterbury District Health Board's Community and Public Health division has found that six children under five in the South Christchurch area had been affected by an infection called yersiniosis, which is caused by uncooked cocktail sausages.

Australia - Gastro outbreak: seven fall sick from rare bug
28 Nov 2007
Sydney Morning Herald - Kate Benson [edited]
The director of communicable diseases at NSW Health, was cited as saying yesterday that five people from Newcastle and Tamworth and two from Sydney -- including three children -- had been diagnosed with Shiga toxigenic E. coli. The Director as further cited as saying that no link has been found between the seven cases, which were all diagnosed in the past month, but that the disease usually only affected about 15 people a year.

Taiwan - Dysentery, school
23 Nov 2007
Taiwan Headlines [edited]
The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has confirmed a cluster of bacillary dysentery cases at an Elementary School in the central city of Taichung and has taken preventive measures in collaboration with local heath and educational authorities, a CDC official said Fri 23 Nov 2007. The deputy director of the CDC under the Cabinet-level Department of Health, made the remarks after the elementary school reported a new case of bacillary dysentery the day before [22 Nov 2007]. As of 16 Nov 2007, a total of 11 confirmed cases of the disease had been reported from the school since the 1st case was reported on 3 Nov 2007, he said, adding that to date, more than 100 students have showed diarrhea and other suspected symptoms and 200-plus samples have been sent for analysis. Contaminated water is suspected as the source of infection, the deputy director said, citing a preliminarily investigation showing a ground water supply system at the school was contaminated and the system lacks the chlorine equipment necessary to disinfect the water. [Editors note: According to an update from the China Post on 27 November, officials from the Center for Disease Control said the number of confirmed cases has increased to 38, but the situation is under control and denied that the outbreak was spreading to neighboring communities. There are 114 stool samples from children that must be verified but no new students have come forward with signs of dysentery. See the China Post for complete article.]

Philippines - Diarrhea (Benguet)
15 Nov 2007
GMA News [edited]
At least one person died while 45 others were hospitalized after cases of diarrhea rose significantly in Itogon town in Benguet province, a local radio reported Thursday morning [15 Nov 2007]. Citing initial reports from the Cordillera regional health department, the report said authorities suspect "half-cooked" pork and carabao meat as well as contaminated water may have caused the latest diarrhea cases. Health officials said that as of Thursday morning [15 Nov 2007], 11 of the hospitalized remained confined at the hospital while the other 34 were allowed to go home.

China - Cholera
14 Nov 2007
News.gov.hk [edited]
The Centre for Health Protection has confirmed a cholera case involving a 43-year-old Eastern District woman. She was admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital on 12 Nov 2007 after traveling to India. She is in stable condition. So far 3 cholera cases, including 2 imported ones, have been reported in 2007. There was one case in 2006, 5 in 2005, 5 in 2004, 7 in 2003, and 4 in 2002.

Viet Nam - Cholera - tourists
12 Nov 2007
ChinaView, Xinhua News Agency report [edited]
A Belgian female tourist and a Japanese person have contracted cholera in Viet Nam, which has hit 202 people in the country, a local newspaper reported Mon 12 Nov 2007. According to this story, specimens from the 36-year-old tourist, who developed vomiting and had diarrhea after traveling from southern Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi capital, initially tested positive for cholera. She is now being treated at the Hanoi-based Tropical Disease Hospital. It is also reported that some foreign tourists in the same group with her have shown similar but less serious symptoms. They, after flying from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, have traveled to northern Quang Ninh province. The Japanese person, who earlier ate tofu and raw shrimp paste and drank beer in a street-side restaurant in Viet Nam, was reported to have contracted cholera. The person is now recovering. Now, specimens from the 2 foreigners are being thoroughly tested for cholera at the country's National Epidemiology and Hygiene Institute.

China - Six Chinese reportedly die after eating poison soup
12 Nov 2007
New York Times – Reuters [edited]
In this story, local media was cited as reporting on Monday that six Chinese people, including two children, died from food poisoning after eating dumpling soup and two more remained seriously ill.
Related stories
17 Nov 2007 - Misplaced rat poison blamed food poisoning incident in central China
Xinhua News Agency (China) [edited]
Public security officials in central China's Hubei Province were cited as confirming on Saturday that a mass food poisoning that killed six people last weekend was caused by misuse of a highly toxic rat poison known as "Dushuqiang". According to this story, investigation found that around midday on Nov. 11, a salvage station worker near the Qingshibei Pump Station of Qinghe Village, Ganjiachang Township of Gong'an County, was preparing lunch. it is reported that in the process, he found the rice dough he was preparing for making tangyuan, a kind of rice dumplings, was quite watery and he decided to add more rice flour. Unfortunately, he mistook rat poison that had been placed together with other condiments as flour and mixed it into the dough. Two elderly people collapsed and died about 20 minutes after having consumed the rice dumplings. Six others soon developed symptoms of poisoning and were rushed to hospital. Four later died while under care. The cook also died from poisoning.

China - Suspected food poisoning affects 157 in east CHINA over weekend
12 Nov 2007
English News Service [edited]
According to this story, suspected cases of food poisoning affected157 people in two eastern Chinese provinces over the weekend. It is reported that in Jintan City in Jiangsu Province, 83 students were hospitalized after having lunch on Friday at a Primary School. The city government announced on Monday that the pupils were taken for treatment after incidents of vomiting, nausea and diarrhoea. Ten students were still in hospital on Monday, none in serious condition. In neighboring Anhui Province, it is reported that 74 people were hospitalized in Hefei on Sunday after a birthday banquet. As of Monday, 39 were still in hospital.
Related stories
19 Nov 2007 - Pupils poisoned in EAST CHINA school canteen leave hospital
English News Service [edited]
All of the 83 pupils hospitalized by food poisoning in a school canteen in east China a week ago have been discharged, and most of them have gone back to school, local health authorities said on Monday. A preliminary investigation has revealed the food poisoning was caused by a diarrhea-inducing bacteria that contaminated the food served up at the dining hall of a Primary School in Jintan City, Jiangsu Province. But the source of the bacteria has yet to be determined, a spokesman from the city health bureau said.

Philippines - Diarrhea (Northern Samar)
9 Nov 2007
GMA News [edited]
At least one resident has died while at least 105 others were affected in a diarrhea outbreak that started in Northern Samar province 2 weeks ago. A local radio reported late Fri afternoon [9 Nov 2007] that the number of cases from Burabod village in Gamay town were a "trickle" at first, but greatly increased after 1 Nov 2007. A Provincial health officer said her staff recorded at least 106 cases since 27 Oct 2007, with the lone fatality so far being a 47-year-old woman. She said the outbreak could have stemmed from a water supply contaminated by human and animal waste, and spread by recent rains. Making matters worse, she said, was that only 3 percent of the village's 10 000 residents have toilets in their homes. The health officer said also that at least 65 of the victims remain confined at the Gamay district hospital, while 41 were classified as outpatients.
Related stories
24 Nov 2007
Philippine Information Agency [edited]
According to this story, at least 47 diarrhea cases from the same barangay [district] in Mondragon, Northern Samar, were reported by the Provincial Health Office of Northern Samar to the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council of Region 8. The dirty source of drinking water that is also prevalent in the neighboring municipalities, was pinpointed as the cause of the diarrhea cases. It is reported that several children were the victims, 13 of whom were confined at the Northern Samar Provincial Hospital in Catarman. It is also reported that open dug wells and jetmatic pumps are the source of drinking water, all of which are exposed to the elements and bacteria. More so, these sources of drinking water are not treated with chlorine. Because of the continuous rains that were experienced for several days due to typhoon Lando, the drinking water sources have been rendered unsafe for drinking. A diarrhea outbreak was also reported in the municipality of Gamay in Northern Samar in the early part of November 2007. This was caused by a dirty source of drinking water.

Malaysia - 844 food poisoning cases in Sabah school canteens
06 Nov 2007
Daily Express (East Malaysia) [edited]
Sabah is, according to this story, one of eight states identified for the 2007 State Food Safety in School Promotion Programme, given its high number of food poisoning cases. The State Health Director was cited as saying that as of September 30 this year, Sabah recorded 844 cases of food poisoning - a drastic increase of 376 per cent compared with the corresponding period last year. The Director said also that national statistics indicated 11,226 cases of food poisoning, registering an increase by 100 per cent compared with the corresponding period last year. Of the figure, 67 per cent constituted primary and secondary school students.

Viet Nam - Cholera
5 Nov 2007
VietNamNet Bridge [edited]
According to this story, a diarrhea epidemic has spread to 11 provinces and cities of Viet Nam and up to 15 per cent of hospitalized patients are positive for cholera. According to the Health Ministry, an additional 148 patients were brought to hospitals for diarrhea Sun, 4 Nov 2007, raising the total number to 581.Of them, 76 were positive for cholera. At present, 11 provinces and cities are on the cholera epidemic list: Hanoi, Ha Tay, Hai Phong, Vinh ****, Thai Binh, Phu Tho, Hung Yen, Bac Ninh, Hai Duong in the north, and Thanh Hoa and Nghe An in the central region. The cholera patient in Nghe An is a student who ate shrimp paste in Hanoi before returning to his hometown. Hanoi still has the highest number of diarrhea patients, 359, who come from all 14 districts of the city. The deputy director of the National Contagious and Tropical Diseases Institute said that the institute is treating 286 patients, 50 per cent of whom are in serious condition. Just 4 patients have been discharged. The hospital is now overloaded. It is also reported that the situation is the same at other hospitals in Hanoi, such as Dong Da, Military Hospital 103, Thanh Nhan and Saint Paul. So far, there have been no deaths.
Related sources :
6 Nov 2007 ChinaView, Xinhua News Agency report
9 Nov 2007 - Viet Nam - Cholera (north)
ChinaView, Xinhua News Agency report [edited]
A total of 1216 people from 13 cities and provinces in Viet Nam have been confirmed to have contracted acute diarrhea since the disease started affected the country on 23 Oct 2007, of whom 157 have been tested positive for the cholera bacterium. According to the head of the Preventive Medicine Department under the Vietnamese Health Ministry, on Thu 8 Nov 2007, alone, the country detected 165 new infection cases, including 47 from Hanoi capital, 41 from northern Ha Tay province, and 20 from northern Hung Yen province.
9 Nov 2007 VietNamNet Bridge
11 Nov 2007 - Viet Nam - Cholera, diarrhea
VietNamNet Bridge [edited]
According to this story, the epidemic of acute diarrhea is still raging in the North and creating panic in the South of Viet Nam. Yesterday [10 Nov 2007], a further 100 cases were reported in hospitals in the northern provinces. Tests carried out by the Central Institute of Epidemic Prevention reported a further 42 patients suffering from cholera, taking the total number of cholera sufferers to 201. It is reported that after 3 weeks fighting against the outbreak, the Ministry of Health is now considering further measures and may distribute vaccine to people living in high-risk and flood-stricken areas. At the same time, the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Health the task of following up and forecasting the development of the outbreak, so that appropriate warnings to relevant agencies and the public can be arranged. In related news, the Ho Chi Minh Department of Health announced that no cholera cases have been detected so far in the city.
13 Nov 2007 - Viet Nam - Cholera, diarrhea
Xinhua News Agency [edited]
Acute diarrhea has spread to 14 cities and provinces in Viet Nam, affecting 1661 people since 23 Oct 2007, a local newspaper reported Tue 13 Nov 2007. Of the total infection cases, 204 people, including 3 foreigners from the Philippines, Belgium, and Japan, contracted cholera, the paper quoted a report of the Vietnamese Health Ministry as saying. Initial tests showed that the 31-year-old Filipino woman, who is working for a company in Hanoi capital, a Japanese man, and a Belgian female tourist, have been infected with cholera. The Japanese man's health has recovered, the paper said, noting that samples from his Vietnamese interpreter were tested positive for cholera, although the interpreter has shown no signs of having contracted acute diarrhea.
20 Nov 2007 - Viet Nam - Cholera, diarrhea
VietNamNet Bridge [edited]
According to the National Institute for Contagious and Tropical Diseases, the institute received up to 42 severe cases of diarrhea, including 11 with cholera between 17 and 19 Nov 2007. 2 of them, one from Hanoi and one from Ha Tay, are in serious condition. It is also reported that in Ha Tay, the neighboring province of Hanoi, a cluster of cases occurred at a party in Chuc Son town, where 12 people developed acute diarrhea, including one with cholera. According to the Health Ministry's Acute Diarrhea Epidemic Control Steering Board, the total number of diarrhea patients in the country has increased to 1912 so far, including 257 cholera patients. Hanoi and Ha Tay are the key sites for acute diarrhea epidemics, and account for 12 of the latest 17 cholera patients in recent days. [Editors note: An update from Viet Nam News on 23 November says that, according to the Ministry of Health, there have been 8 more cases of acute diarrhea of which 4 tested positive cholera. Since the epidemic's outbreak, the country has reported 1941 cases of acute diarrhea in northern provinces, of which 261 tested positive for cholera, according to the ministry. See Viet Nam News for the complete article.

China - Report and analysis of a scarlet fever outbreak among adults through food-borne transmission in China
02 Nov 2007
Journal of Infection, Nov2007, Vol. 55 Issue 5, p419-424, 6p; Yang, Shi-Gui; Dong, Hong-Jun; Li, Fu-Rong; Xie, Shu-Yun; Cao, Hong-Cui; Xia, Shi-Chang; Yu, Zhao; Li, Lan-Juan
Scarlet fever is caused by group A beta-hemolytic streptococci (GAS). The clinical syndrome has receded in recent years, but occasionally explosive outbreaks do occur likely due to the emergence of GAS with virulence factors peculiar to this syndrome. Following the notification of an unexpectedly large number of scarlet fever cases amongst adults associated with a school in Ningbo, China, in June 2006, the epidemiological and clinical features of the outbreak were investigated. Logistic regression was conducted to investigate the risk factors of the outbreak and its transmission route. Forty five individuals suffered scarlet fever with an attack rate of 4.98% (45/904). There was a single peak in the epidemic curve, with the majority of the cases occurring during the first two days of the outbreak. The median age of cases was 35.5years (range 17–65). Most patients had fever (43/45), sore throat (40/45), scarlatinoid rash (39/45) and strawberry-like tongue (30/45). All of the cases, except for 2, had eaten the Plain Boiled Chicken (PBC) for lunch on June 6th, and teaching staff and students who had not eaten the PBC were not affected by the epidemic. The chef of the school refectory was responsible for washing, braising, cutting, and distributing the PBC, and was identified as the likely source.

October 2007

Japan - Japan's food safety scandal hits Mister Donut
31 Oct 2007
International Herald Tribune - Associated Press [edited]
In this story, Mister Donut was cited as acknowledging Wednesday that it used out-of-date syrups in some of its drinks in Japan earlier this year.

Viet Nam - Cholera (northern provinces)
31 Oct 2007
VietNamNet Bridge [edited]
The Ministry of Health announced Tue 30 Oct 2007, that a dangerous acute diarrhea epidemic has been reported in the capital city of Hanoi and some northern provinces. The fatality rate of which may reach 50 per cent without timely treatments. The Deputy Minister of Health said that since 23 Oct 2007, many patients have been hospitalized with the identical symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, and water exhaustion. Most of them were cured at private consulting rooms or grassroots health stations but when transferred to central hospitals in Hanoi, they were diagnosed with dangerous acute diarrhea. The number of patients is reportedly 33 so far, who come from 11 districts in Hanoi and some from the provinces of Ha Tay and Vinh ****. They are being treated in the Hanoi-based hospitals of Tropical and Contagious Diseases, Bach Mai, Dong Da and 198. According to the Hanoi Department of Health, up to 90 per cent of these people ate raw food, such as mam tom (shrimp paste). If they are not treated soon, 40-50 per cent patients may die due to cardiac collapse. The agent now resists some antibiotics like tetracycline and chloramphenicol. The major treatment method is still water and electrolyte replacement. The Hanoi People's Committee has banned the use of shrimp paste at restaurants.
Other source :
2 Nov 2007 VietNamNet Bridge

Malaysia - Food poisoning cases increase by 100%
28 Oct 2007
The Star - C.A. Zulkifle [edited]
Food poisoning in Malaysia has, according to this story, increased 100% from last year for the period of January till Sept 15, with 67% of such cases confined to primary and secondary school students. The story says there were 11,226 cases from January till Sept 15 this year, a 100% increase compared to the same period last year. The Health Ministry's Health Education Division director was cited as saying Selangor had the highest number of food poisoning cases, followed by Perak, Terengganu and Kelantan, adding that the alarming concern is that 67% out of 11,226 victims of food poisoning were schoolchildren.

Taiwan – Chinese shrimp shipment was tainted: officials
26 Oct 2007
Taipei Times [edited]
A shipment of frozen white shrimp imported from China in June has been found to contain enrofloxacin, an antimicrobial that is not approved for use in fish farming, with much of the shipment believed to have been sold to consumers, a Department of Health official said yesterday. The director-general of the department's Bureau of Food Sanitation was cited as saying the problematic 20 tonne shrimp shipment was imported by a company in Taoyuan County. The bureau has requested that the Taoyuan County Government attempt to recall the shrimp.

Japan - Young girl dies from E. coli O157 infection
19 Oct 2007
GaijinPot [edited]
The Fukuoka Municipal Government was cited as saying that a 4-year-old girl has died after being infected with the O-157 strain of the E. coli bacteria. The story says this year has seen a number of E. coli bacterium infection cases breaking out across the nation, reaching as high as 3,151 cases as of Sept. 20. The figure is the second highest since the same period in 2001 and among statistics taken since 2000.

Philippines/China/Indonesia – Formaldehyde contamination
17 Oct 2007
A ProMED-mail post
China is not the only Asia country to have a problem with the illegal use of formaldehyde as a food preservative. For example, in Indonesia, the most serious examples are reportedly in street vendors or food intended for local consumption rather than in food intended for export. News stories have reported on the use of formaldehyde to prolong the fresh appearance of fish. Apparently, it even keeps the eye of fish appearing "clear and fresh." Other news reports speak of using formaldehyde on chicken carcasses and in tofu. [The identity of this informed source is known to ProMED-mail. - Ed.LM]

Philippines - Diarrhea - (Cavite)
14 Oct 2007
ABS-CBN News [edited]
According to this story, the number of residents affected by diarrhea in a barangay [village] in Gen. Trias town in Cavite continues to rise. From 315 cases reported on Fri 12 Oct 2007, the number of residents in Barangay Panungyanan affected by diarrhea rose to 359 cases on Sat 13 Oct 2007. A municipal health officer said that residents downed by diarrhea may have drank "stock water" which may have been contaminated water. It is also reported that health authorities warned that contraction of diarrhea by other residents may continue even if the water supply has been fixed since diarrhea may be communicated to others. They said this was proven when some residents were affected even if they did not drink from the contaminated water lines.

Australia -South Australia acts on contaminated hen eggs - Salmonella
12 Oct 2007
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) [edited]
South Australia so far this year cases of salmonellosis have nearly doubled compared with 2006 and surface-contaminated eggs have contributed significantly to the increase. About 10 per cent of Salmonella outbreaks are from eggs. South Australian Health Department investigators found four Salmonella serovars associated with human cases on just three egg farms. The department became concerned that the State has no mandatory requirements for controlling Salmonella in poultry flocks, nor are there prohibitions on the sale of eggs from poultry flocks infected with the bacteria. In an effort to address this issue, the department began working with Primary Industries and Resources SA (PIRSA), the egg industry and the Australian Egg Corporation Ltd, to improve egg grading and handling on farm. The result is a comprehensive 10 point plan that aims to reduce the sale of contaminated eggs. The plan has been distributed nationally through the Egg Corporation to egg farmers. Also the Health Department has written a food industry bulletin on the safe handling of eggs and distributed it to more than 13,000 food businesses in the State. The 10 point plan provides egg producers with the minimum requirements for food safety for egg production and advises them they must strictly adhere to its points.

Vietnam - 31 die of food poisoning in Vietnam in 9 months
11 Oct 2007
Xinhua News Agency (China) [edited]
A local newspaper was cited as reporting Friday that Vietnam reported 179 food poisoning cases with nearly 5,000 victims, including 31 fatalities in the first nine months of this year. Of the total cases, over 50 percent happened at households, nearly 21.8 percent at firms, and over 14.5 percent at wedding parties, the paper quoted the head of the Department of Food Hygiene and Safety under the Vietnamese Heath Ministry as saying.

China - Rat poison incident leaves one dead, 12 hospitalized in central China
11 Oct 2007
Xinhua News Agency (China) [edited]
Twelve people fell ill and a 30-year-old man died, according to this story, after eating a breakfast contaminated with rat poison at a government unit's dining hall in central China's Hubei Province on Thursday. The victims, all employees of the tax bureau of Xiantao city, felt sick after having noodles and soybean milk at around 7:00 a.m., and were taken to hospital. Rat poison was confirmed as the cause of accident, said doctors. The poisoned workers, three in critical condition, are still receiving treatment in hospital. Police are investigating the incident.

China (Hong Kong SAR) Thailand - Cholera
6 Oct 2007
Hong Kong Information Services Department [edited]
The Centre for Health Protection is investigating a cholera case involving a 29 year old Shenzhen woman, who visited Thailand with her Hong Kong husband from 27 Sep to 1 Oct 2007. The woman came down with diarrhea and vomiting on 1 Oct 2007 and was admitted to a Shenzhen hospital the next day. She is in hospital and in a stable condition. Tests conducted yesterday [5 Oct 2007] showed she had infection with _Vibrio cholerae_ O1 El Tor Ogawa. Her close contacts in Shenzhen showed no symptoms. Her 49 year old husband, living in Hong Kong, also had diarrhea and vomiting on 1 Oct 2007, but the symptoms subsided. He was admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital for observation. As the couple joined the Thailand tour in Hong Kong, the centre is tracing the other 29 tour members and will put them under medical surveillance. Preliminary investigation showed that the other members did not have symptoms

Denmark and Australia - Outbreaks of shigellosis associated with imported baby corn, August 2007 – final summary
04 Oct 2007
Eurosurveillance HC Lewis (haw@ssi.dk), M Kirk, S Ethelberg, R Stafford, KEP Olsen, EM Nielsen, M Lisby, SB Madsen and K Mølbak
The recently reported concurrent outbreaks of Shigella sonnei infections in Denmark [1] and Australia [2] have been found to be linked to a common baby corn packing house in Thailand via trace-back of the distribution chain. Distribution records indicated that three additional countries received affected product from the implicated Thai packing house during the period of potential contamination. These countries were notified through the World Health Organization’s International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN). Associated cases of S. sonnei have not been reported in these three countries. In Denmark, 218 cases of laboratory-confirmed S. sonnei infection were reported to the Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen between 1 August and 30 September 2007. During investigations, 12 cases reported recent foreign travel, two had an alternative exposure and three were deemed to be secondary cases and were therefore excluded, leaving 201 primary domestic cases. Of the 201 primary cases, the median age was 38 years old (range 2-92 years) and 150 cases (75 %) were female. Symptom onset dates, which ranged from 6 August until 20 August, were available for 94 cases (Figure 1). The last recorded onset date (20 August) in Denmark was no more than three days after the recall of the implicated product on 17 August 2007. In Australia, a total of 12 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported, all of whom acquired their infection in the state of Queensland. This included two residents of the state of Victoria and one from New Zealand. The onset of illness among all cases was between 9 and 27 August 2007. Food analysis Microbiological examination of the suspected batches of imported baby corn in Denmark detected various serotypes of Salmonella enterica and high levels of Escherichia coli, indicating faecal contamination. Shigella spp. were not detected, suggesting that contamination levels were low. Australia was unable to test the implicated batch of corn, but did detect >100 colony forming units of E. coli per gram in 25 gram samples from other batches from the same importer. Conclusion Baby corn was implicated in the Danish outbreak following case reports of baby corn consumption and baby corn being found to be significantly associated with illness in a cohort study [1]. The possibility that the outbreaks might be linked was raised by the Australian public health authorities following the publication of the Danish outbreak strain’s antibiotic resistance pattern [1]. This was further reinforced when isolates from Denmark and Australia were found to display indistinguishable PFGE patterns. As well as the report in Eurosurveillance, international awareness of the outbreak and the outbreak strain was raised via numerous international networks, such as the Early Warning Response System (EWRS) and Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASSF) of the European Union, Enternet, Pulsenet Europe, Pulsenet US, Pulsenet Asia, and INFOSAN. This outbreak highlights the importance of timely international communications in helping to identify when a contaminated food enters international trade and results in human illness

Philippines - 28 students hospitalized due to candy consumption in Central Philippines
04 Oct 2007
All Headline News - Preciosa Dumlao [edited]
Twenty-eight Grade 4 pupils in Barangay San Agustin, Madridejos, Cebu province in central Philippines were reported hospitalized after suffering numbness, stomach cramps and vomiting after eating the 'ube' (yam) candy distributed by their classmate before 10 a.m. local time Thursday. According to the children's class adviser, the students, aged between 9 and 10 years old, from San Agustin Elementary School, started to get ill after one of their classmates distributed the candies.
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08 Oct 2007 - China may send team to PHILIPPINES over food scandal
Agence France Presse [edited]
The China Daily was cited as reporting Monday that China may send a team of food-safety experts abroad for the first time after Filipino children fell ill from eating Chinese-made milk candies.

China – Rejected shipment of frozen U.S. sardines - Salmonella
02 Oct 2007
Reuters [edited]
State media was cited as reporting on Tuesday that China has found Listeria monocytogenes in a shipment of frozen sardines prepared in the U.S. and shipped by a Japanese trading company.

September 2007

China – Hong Kong - Travellers should be vigilant against food borne disease - Typhoid fever
29 Sept 2007
Google News [edited]
Hong Kong Department Of Health urged members of the public to be on guard against food-borne infections when travelling to the Mainland following recent media reports of an outbreak of typhoid fever in Henan Province.

China - Suspected food poisoning hits 59 preschoolers in China
20 Sept 2007 [edited]
Fifty-nine preschoolers have, according to this story, been hospitalised with suspected food poisoning after eating meals in a school in northwest China's Gansu Province. The children, aged four to six, at the No. 1 Kindergarten in Wuwei city began vomiting and experienced fever and stomach-aches on Wednesday, said a spokesman with the city government. More than 100 children had received medical checks at the People's Hospital in Wuwei on Thursday. Hospital sources suspected 59 of the children suffering food poisoning. A later story said that more than 250 kindergarten children were hospitalized with suspected food poisoning after eating at a school canteen in Gansu Province.
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23 Sept 2007 - 34 kids remain hospitalized for food poisoning
China Daily.com - Xinhua News Agency Lanzhou [edited]
Thirty-four children remain hospitalized for food poisoning after they ate meals in their kindergarten on Wednesday, said health authorities of northwest China's Gansu Province on Sunday. A total of 307 children, all from the Shiyan Kindergarten in Wuwei City, showed symptoms of vomiting, fever and stomachaches after they had porridge and buns for breakfast prepared by the school eatery on Wednesday. They were sent to four local hospitals for treatment. Preliminary investigations show that the children ate the pork infected with "Shigella," a genus of bacteria that can cause sudden and severe diarrhea in humans.

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