I usually sneak in and out of towns as I give food safety speeches. Apparently, however, River Falls had a slow news day when they reported on the Symposiun – Current Concepts In
Foodborne Pathogens and
Rapid and Automated Methods
in Food Microbiology. They also noted (ABA, please take note):
Keynote speaker for
One of the first Salmonella outbreaks that I was involved with was the Schwan’s Salmonella outbreak when I was appointed as a guardian for a young woman who lost her kidneys in 1994 after consuming ice cream.
Salmonella is one of the most common enteric (intestinal) infections in the United States. Salmonellosis (the disease caused by Salmonella) is the second most common foodborne illness after Campylobacter infection. It is estimated that 1.4 million cases of salmonellosis occur each year in the U.S.; 95% of those cases are foodborne-related. Approximately 220 of each 1000 cases result in hospitalization and eight of every 1000 cases result in death. About 500 to 1,000 or 31% of all food-related deaths are caused by Salmonella infections each year. Salmonellosis is more common in the warmer months of the year. Reactive Arthritis or Reiter’s Syndrome as well as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) are known complications.
Salmonella infection occurs when the bacteria are ingested, typically from food derived from infected food-animals, but it can also occur by ingesting the feces of an infected animal or person. Food sources include raw or undercooked eggs/egg products, raw milk or raw milk products, contaminated water, meat and meat products, and poultry. Raw fruits and vegetables contaminated during slicing have been implicated in several foodborne outbreaks. We have been involved in representing families of children who have suffered from this bacterium in the following outbreaks:
Continue Reading The History of Salmonella Outbreak Litigation
E. coli O157:H7 was identified for the first time at the CDC in 1975, but it was not until seven years later, in 1982, that E. coli O157:H7 was conclusively determined to be a cause of enteric disease. Following outbreaks of foodborne illness that involved several cases of bloody diarrhea, E. coli O157:H7 was firmly associated with hemorrhagic colitis.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated in 1999 that 73,000 cases of E. coli O157:H7 occur each year in the United States. Approximately 2,000 people are hospitalized, and 60 people die as a direct result of E. coli O157:H7 infections and complications. The majority of infections are thought to be foodborne-related, although E. coli O157:H7 accounts for less than 1% of all foodborne illness. The CDC also estimates that non-O157 STECs (like O26, O45, 0103, O111, O121, and O145) cause another 36,700 illnesses, 1,100 hospitalizations and 30 deaths in America each year. E. coli is the leading cause of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS).
While the majority of foodborne illness outbreaks associated with E. coli O157:H7 have involved ground beef, such outbreaks have also involved unpasteurized apple and orange juice, unpasteurized milk, alfalfa sprouts, lettuce, spinach and water. An outbreak can also be caused by person-to-person transmission of the bacteria in homes and in settings like daycare centers, hospitals, and nursing homes. We have been involved in representing families of children who have suffered from this bacterium in the following cases:
Continue Reading E. coli Outbreak Litigation – $500,000,000 Recovered in 18 Years
We have been working over the last several months updating and expanding our about websites. Here is the content for our most recent work
What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of a spectrum of common functional gastrointestinal disorders. Symptoms of IBS can include constipation, diarrhea, alternating diarrhea and constipation, abdominal pain, urgency, bloating, straining at stools, and a sense of incomplete evacuation. The Rome III definition for IBS, which is widely accepted in the medical community, is recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort at least three days per month for at least a three month period, with at least two of the following symptoms also present: improvement of the pain or discomfort with defecation, a change in frequency of stools, and/or a change also in the form or appearance of stool.
The symptoms of IBS are usually long term, and, although they can cause daily gastrointestinal symptoms, are frequently episodic, meaning that they do not occur on a daily or regular basis. Symptoms may be triggered by specific foods or by stress but often no specific triggers can be identified
IBS is much more common in women than men; and the onset of idiopathic IBS symptoms is usually in the teens or young adulthood. Symptoms of IBS can occur as a result of intestinal infection or can be precipitated by major life events.
It is estimated that 10-20 % of the Western population has symptoms consistent with IBS, although most (75-80%) never seek medical care. IBS symptoms do account for about 10% of visits to primary care providers, and for 25-50% of referrals to gastroenterologists.
What causes IBS?Continue Reading What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?
If anyone had a doubt at how deadly and dangerous certain non-E. coli O157:H7’s can be, read on:
Emily W. Piercefield, MD, DVM, MS, MPH; Kristy K. Bradley, DVM, MPH; Rebecca L. Coffman, RN, MPH; Sue M. Mallonee, RN, MPH
Arch Intern Med. 2010;170(18):1656-1663. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2010.346
Background: In August 2008, the largest known US serotype 1
As those who follow my blog (and can stand the too frequent updates) know, the CDC estimates that “non-O157 STECs (like O26, O45, 0103, O111, O121, and O145) cause 36,700 illnesses, 1,100 hospitalizations and 30 deaths in America each year.” And, with the outbreak of E. coli O26 in Cargill hamburger that was announced a
Or, is this a way to get me more clients?
The researchers in the Ag Department at The Ohio State University posted a press release last week – “Volunteers Needed for Milk Study in Columbus, Wooster.” Apparently, the researchers believe that “[m]ore people are choosing to drink raw milk these days, and Ohio State University
Although we may not have every foodborne or food poisoning outbreak that has happened listed, we do have those (since 1984) that produced a report or press release from a local, state or federal health department.
We continue to ask for things we missed or comments of any kind.
I am not sure who coined the phrase originally, but a friend of mine says it is on a sign that hangs over the entrance of the pool where his daughter swam during high school. I thought of it again while I was visiting Linda and Richard Rivera in San Francisco, where Linda remains in
In September 2008 236 people who ate raw Mahogany clams at Hinderwadel’s Grove between September 4 and September 16 developed a gastrointestinal illness. Lab results from the Onondaga County Health Department provided “overwhelming evidence” the clams caused the illnesses.
The clams were contaminated with Campylobacter, a bacteria that causes diarrhea, and Vibrio, a bacterium
