I was casually reading my copy of the Journal of Infectious Disease (I know, why not People Magazine) and found this article – “A Novel Vehicle for Transmission of Escherichia coli O157:H7 to Humans: Multistate Outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 Infections Associated With Consumption of Ready-to-Bake Commercial Prepackaged Cookie Dough—United States, 2009.” Since I lived
Note to Self – Do not Castrate Sheep with your Teeth
Germ Girl (a.k.a. Maryn McKenna) posted this dire warning yesterday. Apparently, the Wyoming Department of Health was notified of two laboratory-confirmed cases of Campylobacter jejuni enteritis among persons working at a local sheep ranch. During June, two men had reported onset of symptoms compatible with campylobacteriosis. Both patients had diarrhea, and one also had abdominal
China Dairy Farmer Sentenced to Death – California and Washington Raw Milk Farmers Count their Blessings
Or, at least they are happy not to live in China.
The AP headline out of China this morning was shocking – “China farmer gets death penalty for poisoning milk.” I am not much of a fan of the death penalty. And, there are clear dissimilarities between what happened in China and the two E.
Most Deadly Foodborne Illness Outbreaks in United States
With the CDC coming in with the final numbers for the Cantaloupe Outbreak, I thought it would be a good time to update the list:
Jensen Farms Frontera Listeria Outbreak – September 2011; Vehicle: whole cantaloupe; Number ill: 146; Deaths: 30 (31, counting miscarriages)
Jalisco’s Listeria Outbreak – January 1985; Vehicle: cheese; Number ill: 142
Deadly Listeria Cantaloupe Count – 30 Dead, 1 Miscarriage with 146 Sick
A total of 146 persons infected with any of the four outbreak-associated strains of Listeria monocytogenes were reported to CDC from 28 states. The number of infected persons identified in each state was as follows: Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), California (4), Colorado (40), Idaho (2), Illinois (4), Indiana (3), Iowa (1), Kansas (11), Louisiana (2)
First Romaine Lettuce E. coli Lawsuit to be Filed
Yesterday I spoke to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about the CDC’s announcement of the link between Romaine lettuce, 10 states and 60 ill:
A Seattle attorney who specializes in food-borne illness cases said he plans to file a lawsuit against Schnucks and other companies in the distribution chain within days on behalf of a St.
Yet Another Romaine Lettuce E. coli Outbreak
Earlier today the CDC confirmed that 60 persons infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 have been reported from 10 states linked to the consumption of romaine lettuce. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Arizona (1), Arkansas (2), Georgia (1), Illinois (9), Indiana (2), Kansas (3), Kentucky
St. Louis Schnucks and Minnesota and Missouri Universities Linked to 60 Romaine Lettuce E. coli Illnesses
As of December 4, 2011, 60 persons infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 have been reported from 10 states. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Arizona (1), Arkansas (2), Georgia (1), Illinois (9), Indiana (2), Kansas (3), Kentucky (1), Minnesota (3), Missouri (37), and Nebraska (1).
Under U.S. v. Park, why would you ever risk being a Food Company CEO?
United States v. Park 421 U.S. 658 (U.S. Sup. Ct. 1975) was decided just a few months after I graduated from High School, and long before I decided (as one food pundit coined), to become the “the Assassin in Armani” – at least to the food industry.
Park is an interesting (and seldom used) case
It is time to increase Foodborne Illness Surveillance before Terrorism comes calling
I was reading this morning yet another warning about using food as a vehicle of terrorism. This time it was Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warning of infectious disease outbreaks caused by pathogens falling into the wrong hands and into our food. She said:
“Unfortunately the ability of terrorists and other non-state actors to develop