The Buncombe County Department of Health (BCDOH) is currently investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Paratyphi B infection in Buncombe County. Communicable Disease Nurses and Environmental Health Specialists are conducting interviews with people who currently have or have had the infection, reviewing laboratory reports and inspecting food sources that may be linked to the outbreak. Communicable […]
Last years Listeria Cantaloupe Outbreak is still claiming lives. December 2011 official CDC report counted a total of 146 persons infected with any of the four outbreak-associated strains of Listeria monocytogenes from 28 states. However, the CDC still only counts thirty deaths as being reported in addition to one woman pregnant at the time of […]
The beef idustry has been having a bad month – “Pink Slime,” “Mad Cow” and now “Meat Glue.”
Are there 5,860 Sickened by Salmonella Sushi? The CDC’s recent estimates that for every case counted, 29.3 cases go unreported and therefore uncounted. See Table 2 – (http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/17/1/p1-1101-t2.htm) in this citation: Scallan E, Hoekstra RM, Angulo FJ, Tauxe RV, Widdowson M-A, Roy SL, et al. Foodborne illness acquired in the United States—major pathogens. Emerg Infect […]
Alfa Sprouts Inc. of Honeoye Falls, NY is recalling approx. 100 lbs of Springwater Sprouts brand Organic Alfalfa Sprouts and bulk 3# Clover Sprouts because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections to individuals with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short […]
According to media reports, Missouri State health officials confirmed that a dozen people in central Missouri are infected with E. coli O157:H7 bacteria from a common source. The counties with victims are Boone, Cooper, Howard, Jackson and Marion. The State Public Health Laboratory linked the cases through lab tests, case histories and locations. The State […]
LA Star Seafood Co. Inc., Los Angeles, CA is recalling Vobla Dry and Vobla Smoked because they have the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause life-threatening illness or death. Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled. The sale of […]
Part 3 – Long-term side effects of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) Adolescents and young adults with chronic kidney disease face a number of complications from their chronic kidney disease (Andreoli SP, Acute and Chronic Renal Failure in Children, 2009) including alterations in calcium and phosphate balance and renal osteodystrophy (softening of the bones, weak bones […]
Earlier Salmonella tuna outbreaks also appear to be related to imports too. According to the April 20, 2012 Investigation Update by the FDA, frozen, raw yellowfin tuna product from India, labeled as Nakaochi Scrape AA or AAA (AA and AAA refer to the grade of the tuna) as the likely source of the Salmonella Bareilly […]
According to Bloomberg, The first U.S. case of mad cow disease in six years has been found in a dairy cow in central California, John Clifford, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief veterinarian, told reporters today in a briefing in Washington. The cow was found at a rendering facility as part of routine testing for […]
Part 2 – Long-term consequences of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) Multiple studies have demonstrated that children with HUS who have apparently recovered will develop hypertension, urinary abnormalities and/or renal insufficiency during long-term follow-up. One of the best predictors is the duration of anuria and/or oliguria. Milford, et al, (J Pediatrics, 1991) studied the importance of […]
With E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks in Missouri and Oregon linked to raw milk consumption, and perhaps as many as five children struggling for life – and hopefully surviving the acute phase of their illnesses – the long-term risk of kidney complications for these kids is a real concern. Here is an overview of hemolytic uremic […]
A herdshare (a.k.a., cow condo) is a legal fiction created in an attempt to circumvent laws banning the sale of raw milk and laws preventing distribution of raw milk without proper licenses or food safety measures. Under the fiction, the farmer does not “sell” raw milk, but “sells” a portion of the cow. The theory […]
A young Australian girl who suffered severe brain damage and was left paralysed by Salmonella food poisoning won a $10,000,000 ($10,369,000 U.S.) judgment against Kentucky Fried Chicken. The judgment (Samaan bht Samaan v Kentucky Fried Chicken Pty Ltd [2012] NSWSC 381) was published Saturday. Monika Samaan was seven years old when she suffered salmonella encephalopathy […]
According to a Press Release from Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, four individuals who were involved in shipping more than 110,000 pounds of Mexican cheese in 2007 were indicted (See, Full Indictment PDF) on federal charges for allegedly conspiring to distribute the cheese throughout the United States despite […]