Mike Leavitt, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, was in Seattle recently and was interviewed by Kristi Heim of the Seattle Times, who reported on the Secretary’s trip to Seattle and his focus on food imports. Secretary Leavitt is scheduled to travel to China in the near future, and is working to certify
Norovirus spread by restaurant employees
The CDC‘s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) includes a report titled, "Norovirus Outbreak Associated with Ill Food-Service Workers — Michigan, January–February 2006" this week. In it, we learn that:
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On January 30, 2006, the Barry-Eaton District Health Department (BEDHD) in Michigan was notified of gastrointestinal illness in several members of two
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Norovirus outbreaks at restaurants: employees may have spread illness
The LA Daily News reported that at least two LA-area restaurants have been identified as the source of norovirus outbreaks recently. The Buca di Beppo restaurant located in the Valencia Town Center and the Marie Callender’s restaurant located near Magic Mountain – both in Los Angeles County – were the source of food poisoning outbreaks
Safer eating
Ediets.com provided some good tips on safer eating this morning in an article titled, "13 Foods That Could Kill". The thirteen foods the column focuses on are:
Lettuce: because lettuce has been identified as the source of several E. coli and other foodborne illness outbreaks. In 2006, Dole spinach was the source of
Norovirus outbreak at Santa Cruz hotel
At least 1,000 people were exposed to what is believed to be Norovirus at a Santa Cruz, California, hotel. Santa Cruz County Public Health (SCCPH) has identified at least 80 people who were sickened as part of the outbreak. SCCPH chief of public health Bob Kennedy commented on the outbreak that, "We strongly suspect it’s
Misplaced rat poison blamed for food poisoning incident in China
In the category of both stupid and tragic, public security officials in central China’s Hubei Province on Saturday confirmed that a mass food poisoning that killed six people last weekend was caused by misuse of a highly toxic rat poison known as "Dushuqiang".
The investigation found that around midday on Nov. 11, Chen Ruyan, a
News of the day: E. coli, Salmonella, and Botulism
E. coli, Salmonella, and botulism were all featured in the news today:
In Hutchinson, Kansas, the Hutchinson News reported that a five-year-old girl from Sterling, Kansas, has been put on dialysis. She became ill with an E. coli infection and hemolytic uremic syndrome. She is in critical condition after 18 days in
Botulism reported in Virginia
The Roanoke Times reported that Virginia health officials are investigating two cases of botulism. So far, the Virginia Department of Health investigation into the cases has shown that home-canned food was the source of the botulism. As reported by the Times:
The cases, which surfaced last week, occurred in one household and are related to
Tortillas recalled after school food poisoning
Del Rey Tortilleria, a corporation based out of Chicago, Illinois, announced this week that the company is recalling its tortillas. The recall announcement came after Racine, Wisconsin students and teachers became ill with symptoms of food poisoning: vomiting, nausea, and abdominal cramps after eating tortillas as part of a school lunch.
Products subject to
Does MRSA come from animals?
Salon.com features an interesting article about Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus that focuses on the origins of MRSA and how it is spreading to humans. Following is an excerpt from the article:
Recently, something about MRSA — and its epidemiology — has been changing in ways that suggest that those changes could be taking place among livestock.