A year ago, high levels of E. coli in the Lake of the Ozarks went unreported over a busy holiday weekend, for reasons that are still debated. The Kansas City Star eventually reported on the failure to report the issue, and the apparent cover up. Who was to blame still depends on who you ask. It looks
Food Poison Journal Intl.
With enough on our plates already (Freshway lettuce, salmonella sprouts, petition on non-O157 E. coli, etc.), we don’t report too much on international food poisoning and food safety events . . . with a few exceptions of course (e.g. listeria in Canada and China food safety). But since global markets have
Clostridium perfringens: information and statistics
Clostridium perfringens. Unless you’re a microbiologist, doctor, or foodpoisoning lawyer, you may not have even heard of Clostridium perfringens, which is the third leading cause of foodpoisoning in the United States, and recently caused a devastating outbreak at Central Louisiana State Hospital in which 40 were sickened and 3 died after eating contaminated
Clostridium perfringens outbreaks frequently occur in institutional settings
Clostridium perfringens outbreaks, like the one that caused 40 illnesses and 3 deaths in Louisiana earlier this month, are all too common in institutional settings where the preparation of large volumes of food means increased likelihood of foodhandling errors. Unfortunately, residents in institutional settings like hospitals, long-term care facilities, and assisted living centers can often ill afford a severe foodpoisoning
Clostridium perfringens at Central Louisianna Hospital: what went wrong?
The Clostridium perfringens outbreak that occurred in early May at Central Louisianna State Hospital was recently linked to contaminated chicken salad. 40 people were sickened in the outbreak, and three people died. So what went wrong? Environmental health findings–i.e. the investigation at the hospital’s kitchen–have not yet been released, but the outbreak almost certainly occurred as a
Clostridium Perfringens to blame in deaths of 3 Louisianna hospital patients
The outbreak of illnesses that sickened more than 40 people and killed three patients at Central Louisiana State Hospital in Pineville appears to be connected to bacteria from chicken salad served at the facility. Tests done on the chicken salad were positive for Clostridium perfringens, which is a frequent cause of foodpoisoning illnesses.
C. perfringens
Looking for Data on Food Poisoning Outbreaks? – See www.outbreakdatabase.com
We are getting closer to finalizing www.outbreakdatabase.com. Thanks for all the input – keep it coming.
Pools have and can be dangerous
The CDC just reported on the safety of pools in America and it reminded me of the summer of 1998 when 26 children became ill from E. coli O157:H7 contracted while playing in the kiddie pool at White Water Park, a commercial water park in suburban Atlanta. Seven of those children were hospitalized and a 2-year-old girl died from Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, a kidney disorder caused by E. coli O157:H7.
Operators of the pool initially denied responsibility for the E. coli outbreak, but investigators determined that the chlorine level in the pool was well below the local health standard on the days when the water was contaminated, greatly increasing the risk of infection. The incident increased national awareness of the hazards of water contamination, prompting the industry to pay closer attention to pool cleaning and chlorine.
Read the report:Continue Reading Pools have and can be dangerous
Sprouts salmonella outbreak update: more people ill
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The sprouts salmonella outbreak’s case count has increased by six to 28 confirmed cases of Salmonella Newport. AP reports as follows:
Federal officials have identified six additional cases of salmonella poisoning linked to raw alfalfa sprouts, bringing the total to 28 people sickened in 10 states.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said
Raw Milk: an Issue of Safety or Freedom?
The following article–topical, given recent raw milk events–has appeared on the National Law Review and at foodsafetynews.com.
One need not look far to grasp the scope of this country’s food safety problems, and the personal devastation that can happen when somebody is infected by E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, or any other foodborne pathogen. Stephanie Smith, who, at the time of her illness, was a 19-year-old dance instructor from Cold Springs, Minnesota, suffered an E. coli O157:H7-hemolytic uremic syndrome illness so severe that it left her paralyzed. And Linda Rivera, who was sickened from contaminated Nestle cookie dough, was just flown from a Las Vegas Hospital to a long-term rehabilitation center after almost a year-long hospitalization from her own E. coli O157:H7 infection.
But there is one particular food product that has become as much a political issue as it is an issue of food safety. It has been the source of fierce legislative battles throughout the country; an endlessly interesting topic for bloggers and traditional media alike; and the ultimate source of a number of major personal injury cases. It is raw milk—an unpasteurized, back-to-our-roots fluid milk product that, despite its seemingly benign persona, has raised questions about unwarranted and unconstitutional government intrusion into private affairs, and how best to spite the government’s regulatory efforts.[1]Continue Reading Raw Milk: an Issue of Safety or Freedom?