Update 5/3/12
CDC reports that there is now close to 260 people infected with two different strains of Salmonella.
CDC Release 5/2/12
http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/bareilly-04-12/index.html
Based on an epidemiologic link and results of
laboratory testing, CDC has combined this Salmonella Bareilly investigation with an ongoing
multistate outbreak investigation of Salmonella serotype Nchanga infections. The two
associated PFGE patterns have been grouped together as the "outbreak strains."
A total of 258 persons infected with the outbreak
strains of Salmonella Bareilly (247 persons)
or Salmonella Nchanga (11 persons) have been
reported from 24 states and the District of Columbia.
- 32 ill persons have been hospitalized, and no
deaths have been reported.
4/17/12
According to the CDC, the Salmonella Bareilly that caused close to 150 illnesses has been linked to tuna used in sushi. The raw tuna served was frozen, but of course, was not cooked. While freezing will eliminate parasites, it will not eliminate Salmonella. The majority of tuna linked to this outbreak was from India. The US importer, Moon Marine, has begun recalling close to 59,000 lbs of tuna.
When producing a ready-to-eat food such as sushi grade tuna, the highest degree of sanitation and operating cleanliness must be maintained. This requires that the producer maintain tight production controls and procedures each and every day. This tuna meat, or tuna scrape, is a lower grade product and is essentially meat that was scrapped from the backbone of the tuna and had the look of a ground product.
A lawsuit has already been filed against the importer. As an importer, they have the responsibility for ensuring the processing plants they purchase from have adequate quality and safety systems in place.
Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Bareilly Infections Associated with a Raw Scraped Ground Tuna Product
http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/bareilly-04-12/index.html
CDC Release 4/17/2012
A total of 141 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Bareilly have been reported from 20 states and the District of Columbia.
The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (2), Arkansas (1), Connecticut (6), District of Columbia (2), Florida (1), Georgia (6), Illinois (13), Louisiana (3), Maryland (14), Massachusetts (9), Mississippi (2), Missouri (4), New Jersey (8), New York (28), North Carolina (2), Pennsylvania (6), Rhode Island (5), South Carolina (3), Texas (4), Virginia (8), and Wisconsin (14). 21 ill persons have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.
Collaborative investigation efforts of state, local, and federal public health agencies indicate that a frozen raw yellowfin tuna product, known as Nakaochi Scrape, from Moon Marine USA Corporation is the likely source of this outbreak of Salmonella Bareilly infections. Nakaochi Scrape is tuna backmeat that is scraped from the bones of tuna and may be used in sushi, sashimi, ceviche, and similar dishes. The product looks like raw ground tuna.
Consumers should not eat the recalled product, and retailers should not serve the recalled raw Nakaochi Scrape tuna product from Moon Marine USA Corporation.
This investigation is ongoing. CDC and state and local public health partners are continuing surveillance to identify new cases.
U.S. NEWS WSJ
Updated April 16, 2012, 6:48 p.m. ET
Tuna Blamed in Salmonella Outbreak Is Recalled
By
BILL TOMSON WSJ 4/15/12
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304299304577348030392954406.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
The Food and Drug Administration said Monday a California supplier of raw tuna used in sushi was behind a salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 100 people in 20 states.
Moon Marine USA Corp. in Cupertino, Calif., has begun recalling 58,828 pounds of raw yellowfin tuna because it may be contaminated, the FDA said. Many of the people who became ill reported eating an item known as spicy tuna, the agency said, and most of the illnesses occurred in New York.