The STEC O26:H11 outbreak sickened 40 people and resulted in 19 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in children. Dried fruit was the probable vehicle of illness. Researchers underlined the importance of a weight-of-evidence approach in the outbreak investigation.
A high proportion of Campylobacter and Salmonella from food-producing animals across Europe are resistant to antimicrobials that are important to human medicine. Escherichia coli resistance to last-resort carbapenems is growing.
With the hope of developing a user-friendly model, a Center for Produce Safety-funded study is investigating factors that influence Escherichia coli contamination risks posed by concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) near produce growing fields.
The top ten food safety research projects that excited Food Safety Magazine’s audience the most in 2025 covered Listeria monocytogenes (especially related to biofilms), microplastics, Escherichia coli, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), avian influenza in dairy, microbial threats in irrigation water, and food allergens.
University of Georgia researchers conducted a review to compile and communicate best practices for reducing the spread of foodborne pathogens among beef cattle herds prior to processing, with a focus on Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.
According to the newly published European Union One Health 2024 Zoonoses Report, the number of foodborne illnesses and outbreaks reported in the EU are on an upward trend. Notably, listeriosis cases with severe outcomes have risen.
An ongoing outbreak of foodborne enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O45:H2 infections is sweeping Germany. More than 400 confirmed and possible cases have been reported, with three associated deaths. The vehicle of illness is likely foodborne, but has not yet been identified.
A UK-based study, led by Quadram Institute researchers, underscores the limitations of traditional enumeration methods for foodborne pathogen surveillance and highlights the need for whole genome sequencing (WGS) to better assess the food safety risk posed by commensal or opportunistic Escherichia coli lineages.
A German outbreak of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O45:H2 infections has caused 183 confirmed cases of illness (351 including probable and possible cases), 48 cases of HUS, and three deaths (two confirmed one probable). Contaminated meat or sausage products are the likely vehicle of illness, but plant-based foods have not yet been ruled out.
An ongoing Center for Produce Safety-funded study is investigating the factors contributing to the persistence of a reoccurring, emerging, and persisting (REP) Escherichia coli O157:H7 subtype associated with leafy greens foodborne illness outbreaks, with the goal of developing a risk assessment tool for growers.
