October 2013

Well, it is that time of the year – Pumpkin Patches and Petting small animals.

Three Minnesota residents have become ill with confirmed E. coli O157:H7 infections after contact with animals at Dehn’s Pumpkins in Dayton, MN, the Minnesota Department of Health reported today.

The three cases were all children, ranging in age from 15

The Fargo Catholic Diocese’s new bishop, John Folda, may have exposed hundreds of church members to the hepatitis A virus in late September and early October. The state Health Department has issued an advisory of exposure for anyone who was served communion at services attended by Bishop John Folda at four churches in Fargo and

As of September 20, 2013 (5pm EDT), CDC has been notified of 643 ill persons with of Cyclospora infection from 25 states: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York (including New York City), Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and

Costco, in Coon Rapids, Minn., is recalling an undetermined amount of lean fresh ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The product subject to recall is 383 units of 88% lean fresh ground beef (88/12). It bears the

Costco’s El Camino Real store in San Francisco, Calif., is recalling an additional 14,093 units of rotisserie chicken products that may be contaminated with a strain of Salmonella, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. This is in addition to the 9,043 units that were recalled on Oct.

As of October 17, 2013, a total of 338 persons infected with seven outbreak strains of Salmonella Heidelberg have been reported from 20 states and Puerto Rico.

40% of ill persons have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.

Most ill persons (75%) have been reported from California.

Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback investigations conducted