July 2007

I posted on a general overview on botulism a few months ago:

Foodborne botulism (as distinct from wound botulism and infant botulism) is a severe type of food poisoning caused by the ingestion of foods containing the potent neurotoxin formed during growth of the organism. The toxin is heat labile and can be destroyed if heated at 80°C for 10 minutes or longer. The incidence of the disease is low, but the disease is of considerable concern because of its high mortality rate if not treated immediately and properly. Most of the 10 to 30 outbreaks that are reported annually in the United States are associated with inadequately processed, home-canned foods, but occasionally commercially produced foods have been involved in outbreaks. Sausages, meat products, canned vegetables and seafood products have been the most frequent vehicles for human botulism.

Public health officials in Indiana, Texas, and at CDC are investigating an outbreak of botulism associated with commercially-canned hot dog chili sauce. Foodborne botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by consuming foods that contain botulinum toxin, a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.Continue Reading Botulism Associated with Canned Chili Sauce, July 2007

Two children in Texas and an Indiana couple who ate these products became seriously ill and have been hospitalized.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to eat 10 ounce cans of Castleberry’s Hot Dog Chili Sauce (UPC 3030000101), Austex Hot Dog Chili Sauce (UPC 3030099533), and Kroger Hot Dog Chili…

According to the Kucinich campaign, Democratic Presidential Candidate and Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich is being treated in a Cleveland area hospital suffering from the severe effects of apparent food poisoning.

Kucinich became ill late on Sunday night while traveling from Clevelandto Ft. Lauderdale, FL where he was scheduled to address the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA)…

From Chicago Tribune staff report:

More than 500 people have reported digestive problems after eating at the Pars Cove Persian Cuisine booth at Taste of Chicago, Health Department officials said this afternoon.  As of noon today, 529 people had called claiming symptoms of salmonella poisoning, according to a news release.  Fifty cases have been confirmed

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Grant County, Washington, health officials have reported that a Salmonella outbreak in the county has sickened 11 people since February.  Seven people have been confirmed ill with Salmonella senftenberg since the outbreak began, and four possible cases have submitted samples for testing. 

The Columbia Basin Herald interviewed Grant County health officer Alexander Brzezny for its…

Andrew Bridges with the Associated Press continued coverage of the Salmonella outbreak traced to Veggie Booty yesterday with a story on the suspected source of the Salmonella in the Veggie Booty.

A New Jersey spice importer supplied the salmonella-contaminated seasoning used on snack food that has sickened 60 people, most of them infants and toddlers,

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