An update on the dysfunction of our food supply.
Missouri Raw Milk: The Missouri State Department of Health and Senior Services said Wednesday it now has 14 confirmed cases of the harmful bacteria. The two new E. coli cases are from Boone and Marion counties. The 14 cases have similar lab results, geographic proximity and/or case history. A 2-year-old Boone County child sickened with E. coli remained hospitalized Wednesday. Five cases have been reported in Boone County, three in Cooper, three in Howard, and one each in Jackson, Marion and Callaway counties.
Oregon Raw Milk: In Oregon a total of twenty-one have been linked to tainted raw milk. According to the Oregon State Department of Health, the Oregon farm whose raw milk is the suspected source of an E. coli outbreak that has sickened 19 has now been associated with two more foodborne illness victims. Health officials reported Monday that two adults who had consumed raw milk from Foundation Farm had contracted infections from two different pathogens – Campylobacter and Cryptosporidium.
Salmonella Tuna Scrape: The CDC reported this afternoon that a total of 258 people are infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Bareilly or Salmonella Nchanga from 24 states and the District of Columbia. Two hundred forty-seven persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Bareilly have been reported from 24 states and the District of Columbia. The number of ill persons with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Bareilly identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (2), Arkansas (1), California (2), Connecticut (9), District of Columbia (2), Florida (1), Georgia (10), Illinois (23), Louisiana (3), Maryland (24), Massachusetts (27), Mississippi (2), Missouri (4), Nebraska (1), New Jersey (25), New York (39), North Carolina (4), Pennsylvania (20), Rhode Island (6), South Carolina (3), Tennessee (2), Texas (4), Virginia (16), Vermont (1), and Wisconsin (16). Eleven persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Nchanga have been reported from 5 states. The number of ill persons with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Nchanga identified in each state is as follows: Georgia (2), New Jersey (2), New York (5), Virginia (1), and Wisconsin (1).
Salmonella Tempeh: As of today, 38 cases of Salmonella paratyhpi B have been reported. On Monday, a Smiling Hara voluntarily recalled 12-ounce packages of unpasteurized soybean tempeh because of possible contamination with Salmonella. Buncombe County Health officials said that the disease transmission is linked to the outbreak in one of three ways: those who have eaten tempeh, those who have connections to others who have been ill with Salmonella paratyphi B (person-to-person) and others that are under further investigation to determine if there are other sources of contamination associated with the outbreak. Cases have surfaced in North and South Carolina, Tennessee and New York.