Publications by authors named "Karen P Neil"

In 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local health and regulatory partners investigated an outbreak of serovar Oranienburg infections linked to bulb onions from Mexico, resulting in 1040 illnesses and 260 hospitalizations across 39 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

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  • An outbreak of listeriosis was linked to ice cream products from Company A, identified through a cluster of illnesses at a Kansas hospital and simultaneous product testing in South Carolina.
  • Genome sequencing revealed a connection between the illnesses of four patients who consumed the contaminated ice cream while hospitalized and isolates found in Company A's products.
  • The investigation found that the contamination may have persisted for years, spanning from 2010 to 2015, leading to a total of ten illnesses and three deaths, prompting a recall of all Company A products.
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Leafy green vegetables are a common source of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC O157) foodborne illness outbreaks. Ruminant animals, primarily cattle, are the major reservoir of STEC O157. Epidemiological, traceback and field investigations were conducted to identify potential outbreak sources.

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Background: In 2017, we conducted a multistate investigation to determine the source of an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) O157:H7 infections, which occurred primarily in children.

Methods: We defined a case as infection with an outbreak strain of STEC O157:H7 with illness onset between January 1, 2017, and April 30, 2017. Case patients were interviewed to identify common exposures.

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Background: Nontyphoidal Salmonella is the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in the United States. Meal replacement products containing raw and "superfood" ingredients have gained increasing popularity among consumers in recent years. In January 2016, we investigated a multistate outbreak of infections with a novel strain of Salmonella Virchow.

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Background: Nontyphoidal Salmonella causes ~1 million food-borne infections annually in the United States. We began investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella serotype Agona infections in April 2011.

Methods: A case was defined as infection with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Agona occurring between 1 January and 25 August 2011.

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  • - In 2016, an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections linked to contaminated flour led to an investigation that identified 56 cases across 24 states.
  • - The study showed a significant association between the outbreak and a specific brand of flour, as well as the consumption of unbaked dough, with high odds ratios indicating a strong link.
  • - Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of outbreak strains in flour samples, and whole-genome sequencing connected the clinical and food samples to a single flour production facility, highlighting the risk of raw flour as a source of foodborne illness.
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  • Investigating multistate foodborne outbreaks of Salmonella linked to chicken is difficult due to high consumption rates and numerous brands, but whole genome sequencing helps trace the genetic relationships of the pathogens involved.* -
  • In a 2014 outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg infections, whole genome sequencing identified connections among clinical and food samples, revealing that specific isolates were closely related to those of infected individuals who attended a catered party.* -
  • The findings provided strong evidence that chicken from a major producer was the source of the outbreak, demonstrating the effectiveness of combining whole genome sequencing with epidemiological methods in tracking foodborne illnesses.*
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This review identified fourteen reported illness outbreaks attributed to consumption of pathogen-contaminated spice during the period 1973-2010. Countries reporting outbreaks included Canada, Denmark, England and Wales, France, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Serbia, and the United States. Together, these outbreaks resulted in 1946 reported human illnesses, 128 hospitalizations and two deaths.

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Background: Although new pathogen-vehicle combinations are increasingly being identified in produce-related disease outbreaks, fresh produce is a rarely recognized vehicle for listeriosis. We investigated a nationwide listeriosis outbreak that occurred in the United States during 2011.

Methods: We defined an outbreak-related case as a laboratory-confirmed infection with any of five outbreak-related subtypes of Listeria monocytogenes isolated during the period from August 1 through October 31, 2011.

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Background: Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (Salmonella Typhi) causes an estimated 22 million typhoid fever cases and 216 000 deaths annually worldwide. In Africa, the lack of laboratory diagnostic capacity limits the ability to recognize endemic typhoid fever and to detect outbreaks. We report a large laboratory-confirmed outbreak of typhoid fever in Uganda with a high proportion of intestinal perforations (IPs).

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Background:  Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) associated with numerous foodborne outbreaks in the United States and is an important cause of bacterial gastrointestinal illness. In May 2009, we investigated a multistate outbreak of E.

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Investigational heptavalent botulinum antitoxin (HBAT) is now the primary antitoxin for US noninfant botulism patients. HBAT consists of equine Fab/F(ab')2 IgG fragments, which are cleared from circulation faster than whole immunoglobulins. Rebound botulism after antitoxin administration is not previously documented but occurred in our patient 10 days after HBAT administration.

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The federal ban in the United States on the sale of turtles with shell lengths <4 inches that was established in 1975 has reduced the number of turtle-associated human Salmonella infections during subsequent years, especially among children. Although numerous sporadic turtle-associated Salmonella infections in humans have been reported since the ban went into effect, outbreaks were not reported until recently. Since 2006, 3 multistate outbreaks of turtle-associated Salmonella infections have been documented in the United States.

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