OC Weekly’s report: “OC Health Care Agency’s Veil of Vomit,” focused this issue of if the public had a right to know about where confirmed E. coli outbreaks have happened.
Food Safety News kept on the issue and in today’s issue: “The Long Road to Naming Restaurant X,” names are named.
And, for why I
Clark County Public Health Washington in Vancouver today lifted the closure order for On the Border restaurant, located at 1505 SE 164th Ave. in Vancouver. The restaurant was closed on October 9th to prevent the spread of Salmonella Virchow.
According to Clark County Health officials, “All restaurant surfaces and equipment have been inspected, cleaned
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said Sunday that the E. coli investigation now includes 21 cases, including one death. The investigation includes seven adults and 14 children. Ten of those are in Cleveland County, five are in Gaston County, five are in Lincoln County, North Carolina and one is in York County, South Carolina. Authorities confirmed Saturday that two year old, Gage Lefevers, had died from complications of E. coli infection.
I penned the following op-ed in January of this year. I am sure I have missed several other outbreaks that have happened in the United States and around the world, but I think you will see my point. For more information on outbreaks and prevention measures, visit Fair-Safety.com.
Ban Petting Zoos?
I can hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth over such an un-American suggestion.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the creation of yet another multiagency task force in North Carolina “to evaluate the preventive measures that were in place during the 2011 state fair and to identify additional interventions that could be applied to prevent disease transmission in livestock exhibitions where physical contact with the public might occur.” Hmm, didn’t that happen after the 2004 North Carolina State Fair E. coli outbreak, which resulted in 187 illnesses, including 15 complicated by hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)?
This latest task force is looking into what happened at the 2011 North Carolina State Fair, held October 13-23 in Raleigh. According to the CDC, 25 cases of E. coli O157:H7 infection were identified with case-patients’ illness onsets during October 16-25; median age was 26 years (range: 1-77 years). Eight case-patients (32 percent) were hospitalized; four (16 percent) experienced HUS. Once again, the only exposure associated with illness was having visited one of the permanent structures in which sheep, goats, and pigs were housed for livestock competitions.
After decades of outbreaks, the CDC and a collection of state veterinarians have issued these stern warnings and suggestions about animal exhibits and petting zoos:
– Wash hands after contact with animals to reduce the risk of zoonotic disease transmission.
– Do not allow food, drink, or pacifiers in animal areas.
– Include transition areas between animal areas and non-animal areas.
– Educate visitors about disease risk and prevention procedures.
– Properly care for and manage animals.
But, if history is any guide, guidelines are not working very well. Here is a sample of zoonotic outbreaks over the last decade:
Continue Reading Gage Lefevers dies and 20 others sickened by E. coli linked to Cleveland County Fair – is it past time to ban petting zoos?
The FDA announced today that, on October 12, Sunland Inc. expanded its ongoing recall to include raw and roasted shelled and in-shell peanuts sold in quantities from 2 ounces to 50 pounds which are within their current shelf life or have no stated expiration date.
The CDC has announced that a total of 35 persons
Why Occupy Food Safety?
If you read my blog often, you probably do not even have to ask that question. Foodborne illness is not a new concern. Consumers, Government and Industry have been working to eradicate foodborne illness in the United States since Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle revealed rampant contamination in the nation’s food
Salmonella has been busy the last several weeks – mangoes, cantaloupe, peanut butter and a Mexican restaurant in Vancouver Washington. Here are some more Salmonella outbreaks and recalls that hit my inbox this morning – Salmonella Salmon update and red pepper and ginger recalls and some dog biscuits too.
Foppen Smoked Salmon
One elderly patient
According to news reports, as of Friday afternoon, Clark County health officials have confirmed 21 cases of Salmonella Virchow and report 55 probable cases. The cases involve mostly adult customers who visited the On the Border restaurant between Sept. 20 and Oct. 8. Five restaurant food handlers and at least one child also tested positive.
The CDC has reported that as of October 11, 2012, a total of 20 persons infected with the outbreak-associated strain of Listeria monocytogenes have been reported from 12 states and the District of Columbia. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: California (3), Colorado (1), District of Columbia (1), Maryland
I went out to dinner with my family at our favorite local Mexican-style restaurant, but the thought of the resent Salmonella outbreak near the southern border of – Washington – was not far from my mind. Clark County Public Health officials have confirmed 13 cases of Salmonella virchow food poisoning and 33 probable cases. Three
On October 6, 2012, the New England Compounding Center (NECC), following an earlier recommendation by FDA that none of the firm’s compounded products be used, announced a voluntary recall of all products currently in circulation that were compounded at and distributed from its facility in Framingham, Massachusetts.
FDA is working closely with the CDC and
