Today the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service published its investigation findings into the Boar's Head deli meat Listeria monocytogenes outbreak, noting multiple food safety lapses at a Boar's Head facility in Jarratt, Virginia.

The outbreak occurred last summer and fall and sickened at least 61 people from 19 states. Sixty of the 61 patients were hospitalized, and 10 died. Liverwurst processed at the Jarratt plant was identified as the source of the outbreak.

During initial investigations, whole-genome sequencing identified Listeria on both ready-to-eat (RTE) liverwurst and a pallet jack (equipment used to lift and move pallets) that traveled throughout the raw and RTE areas of the plant. All products produced at the plant from May 10, 2024, to July 29, 2024, were eventually recalled—in total more than 7 million pounds of RTE meat and poultry products—and the plant was closed indefinitely on September 13.

Condensation, residue found 

Investigations into the plant operations showed several problems, including the presence of meat and fat residue from the previous day's production on equipment, multiple instances of condensation near meat products, and structural building problems, including cracks, holes and broken flooring, that could hold moisture and contribute to wet conditions.

All of these lapses can contribute to the survival of Listeria. 

Repeated instances of insanitary conditions can present opportunities for growth or sustained presence of [Listeria monocytogenes]."

"Observations by VDACS (Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services] inspection personnel documented in noncompliance records (NR) demonstrated multiple instances of noncompliance with Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures and Sanitation Performance Standards," the report states. "While sanitary conditions were required to be restored for each documented noncompliance, repeated instances of insanitary conditions can present opportunities for growth or sustained presence of [Listeria monocytogenes]."

Wisconsin officials have announced the first case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Manitowoc County, according to the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said the infected 1-year-old buck was harvested November 23 on private land less than 10 miles from borders with Calumet and Sheboygan counties in the far eastern part of the state.

The new case has prompted a baiting and feeding ban in Manitowoc, which already had local baiting and feeding restrictions, and resets baiting and feeding dates for Calumet County. It won't affect the ban in CWD-positive Sheboygan County, which expires later. 

Caused by infectious misfolded proteins

A fatal neurodegenerative disease, CWD is caused by infectious misfolded proteins called prions, which spread among cervids such as deer, elk, and moose. 

The disease isn't known to infect people, but some experts fear it could cause illness similar to another prion disease: bovine spongiform encephalopathy ("mad cow" disease). The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns against eating meat from infected animals.

An estimated 1 in 10 children in Ethiopia are infected with Salmonella or Shigella at any given time, most likely with a multidrug-resistant (MDR) strain, researchers reported last week in BMC Infectious Diseases.

In a systematic review and meta-analysis, researchers at Ethiopia's Wollo University examined 21 studies conducted from 2010 to 2024 in different regions of Ethiopia to estimate the pooled prevalence of Salmonella and Shigella species in Ethiopian children. Salmonella and Shigella are major enteric pathogens that cause significant diarrheal mortality in children under 5. The studies involved 5,318 participants and 593 reported bacterial isolates, of which 309 were Salmonella and 284 were Shigella species.

More than 80% of isolates identified as MDR

The overall pooled prevalence of Salmonella and Shigella was 10.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.96% to 12.45%), ranging from 3.8% to 17.4%, with a significant level of heterogeneity detected among studies. The overall pooled prevalence of MDR Salmonella and Shigella isolates was 81.03% (95% CI, 77.39% to 84.67%). 

The study authors say the emergence of MDR strains of Salmonella and Shigella represent a threat not only to the pediatric population in Ethiopia but also to hospital settings and the general population in the country.

"These results highlight the critical challenge posed by MDR strains of both pathogens, emphasizing the need for effective surveillance, more robust treatment strategies, and targeted public health interventions to combat the rising threat of antibiotic resistance in these common infectious agents," the study authors wrote.