Food Poison Journal - Food poisoning outbreaks and litigation: surveillance and analysis

The California Department of Public Health traced the tainted spice to Union International Food Company, a Union City firm that distributes most of its pepper to Asian restaurants. Most of the 33 sick people found in this state were in northern and central California, although nine additional cases were found in other states.

The products to not have lot or batch numbers, but bear the "Lion How Brand" label, including the company's entire product line, including ground or whole peppercorns of the white, black and cayenne varieties, chopped onion and onion powder and chopped, minced or granulated garlic.

Lion How Brand wasabi powder and mustard powder should also not be eaten.

The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department recommends that consumers avoid raw oyster consumption. Recent illnesses associated with raw oyster consumption included 9 ill individuals who ate at a Hamilton County restaurant, the Boathouse Rotisserie and Raw Bar, between March 5 and March 8, 2009. Following standard protocol, the Health Department conducted an investigation to determine the cause of the illness. Persons reporting illness have been contacted and interviewed. Laboratory testing of ill individuals identified Norovirus as the cause of the illness. The establishment fully cooperated with the Health Department’s procedures, including halting service of implicated oysters when notified of the illnesses. Inspection at the restaurant did not identify the facility as a source of the infection.

Bacterial and viral pathogens can be carried in oysters, including Vibrio, Hepatitis A and Norovirus. Even in healthy individuals, these pathogens cause illness. These illnesses can be severe, particularly in the elderly or in persons with weakened immune systems. In addition, most of these illnesses can then be spread to other individuals through person to person contact.

“Oysters should be cooked thoroughly,” says Margaret Zylstra, Epidemiology Manager at the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department. “Any oyster not thoroughly cooked poses the risk of foodborne illness.”

From the Saint Cloud Times - Stephanie Smith of Cold Spring was a 20-year-old dance instructor when she contracted E. coli after eating a hamburger at a family barbecue in 2007.  She also developed HUS and spent nine months in the hospital, including two months in a medically induced coma to prevent seizures.

Smith returned home to Cold Spring in June. Her recovery has been much slower than the 21-year-old would like.  During physical therapy sessions at CentraCare Health Plaza in Sartell, Smith works at building strength and balance by sitting on a special seat that records her movement.

With a belt strapped around her waist, she leans from side to side, watching an electronic screen that resembles a video game. She tries to maneuver a figure on the screen into a little box.  Later, she lies on her back with her knees bent and tries to lift each leg into the air.  "Kick that muscle. Hold it up there," urges her physical therapist, Lisa Barker. She helps by lifting Smith's foot, clad in a stylish plaid sneaker. "Come on, kick, kick, kick."

When asked how she feels she's doing, Smith answers softly, "Crappy."

She wants to be able to walk again, Barker says. But so far, she doesn't have the muscle strength required to lift her legs forward.  "We haven't really been able to attack that like we'd like," Barker said.

Still, Smith has regained balance and is better able to transfer herself from her wheelchair to a bed or chair, Barker said. She can stand at home for an hour using a supportive frame and even stands on her own for short periods.

"It's a long battle," Barker said.

Smith's mother, Sharon, says she feels ill when she hears about the victims of the salmonella outbreak.  "I feel so bad in my heart, because I know what they're going to go through," she said.  Sharon Smith has been juggling taking care of her daughter and getting her to physical therapy appointments while still holding on to job as a Dairy Queen manager.  But she isn't complaining, and said she's extremely grateful for the prayers and financial support people have offered throughout the ordeal.

"Every day I wake up and say, 'Thank you, God,' " she said. "I don't care how difficult it is."

Today, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) confirmed five cases of salmonella that might be linked to sprouts from a Nebraska company.  KDHE said it had identified a possible link to sprouts from SunSprout Enterprises, Inc. of Omaha, Neb., but added that laboratory testing hasn't confirmed it yet.  The sprouts also have been linked to salmonella cases in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.

Sprouts have been implicated in an increasing number of foodborne illness outbreaks in recent years, and although procedures have been developed to significantly reduce bacterial contamination, not all sprout growers have adopted techniques to decrease the risk of contaminated produce.  In 1999, the FDA announced new guidelines for the growing of sprouts, including using calcium hypochlorite treatment on seeds. This treatment exposes seeds to high levels of chlorine, killing bacteria, but leaving seeds unharmed. Since its introduction, manufacturers who consistently use this seed disinfectant treatment have not been implicated in foodborne illness outbreaks.