Deadly US Listeria outbreak linked to fully cooked, frozen chicken
Late last week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a new Listeria outbreak connected to Tyson Foods Inc. chicken products.
So far three people have been sickened, one in Delaware and two in Texas. One patient has died from his or her infection, and all required hospitalization. The patients first started having symptoms from Apr 6 to Jun 5.
Tyson has recalled its chicken products in question, which include frozen chicken strips, cooked and diced chicken, pizza with chicken, and chicken wings. The products were sold under several brands, including Tyson, Jet's Pizza, Casey's General Store, Marco's Pizza, and Little Caesars.
In a Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recall notice, the agency wrote, "FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumer and institutional freezers. Consumers should not eat these products. Institutions should not serve these products. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase."
Listeria can cause severe illness in many people, and can be especially dangerous in those over 65 or pregnant. Symptoms of infection usually begin 1 to 4 weeks after eating contaminated food.
Jul 3 CDC outbreak notice
Jul 3 FSIS recall notice
Vietnam reports first H5N8 avian flu outbreaks in poultry
Vietnam recently reported its first highly pathogenic H5N8 avian flu outbreaks in poultry, which affected village and backyard birds in three provinces, according to a notification from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
Three outbreaks were detected in events that began on Jun 3. Locations in Hoa Binh, Cao Bang, and Quang Ninh provinces, which are all in the north, were affected. Taken together, the virus killed 1,400 of 7,355 birds. Response actions included culling and vaccination. So far, the source of the virus hasn't been determined.
China has recently reported sporadic H5N8 detections in wild birds, and in 2020, outbreaks in Russian wild birds were followed by sporadic outbreaks in poultry in other countries in Europe, as well as China, Iran, Japan, South Korea, and Africa. In February, Russia reported the first human cases involving H5N8, which turned up in workers at a poultry plant.
Jul 2 OIE report on H5N8 in Vietnam