The Honorable Bill Cassidy, M.D., ChairmanThe Honorable Bernie Sanders, Ranking MemberCommittee on Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsUnited States Senate428 Senate Dirksen Office BuildingWashington, DC 20510 Re: Finish what the Senate started — botulism in infant formula, the shared milk and powdered-milk supply behind two outbreaks, and the case for hearings and parent testimony Dear Chairman Cassidy, […]
Salmonella is one of the most common enteric (intestinal) infections in the United States. Salmonellosis (the disease caused by Salmonella) is the second most common foodborne illness after Campylobacter infection. It is estimated that 1.4 million cases of salmonellosis occur each year in the U.S.; 95% of those cases are foodborne-related. Approximately 220 of each […]
Illnesses in at least seven people in Minnesota are connected with a multi-state recall of eggs from an Iowa producer due to contamination with Salmonella, state health officials said today. The Salmonella Enteriditis cases were identified in two restaurant outbreaks in May and July, in which eggs were identified as the likely source. Eggs were […]
Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, and Wisconsin Lead the Illness Count An Ohio victim of the Salmonella outbreaks linked to Taco Bell will file a food poisoning lawsuit in the Court of Common Pleas of Scioto County, Ohio today. The lawsuit will be filed against the food chain parent company Yum! Brands on behalf of a Scioto […]
Shigella is a bacterium that can cause sudden and severe diarrhea (gastroenteritis) in humans. Shigellosis is the name of the disease that Shigella causes. The illness is also known as “bacillary dysentery.” Shigella bacteria can infect the intestinal tract after the ingestion of relatively few organisms. This is why shigellosis is the most communicable of […]
Eggs produced by the farms of Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa, have been recalled because of potential salmonella contamination. Eggs affected by the recall were distributed in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and other states. The eggs are packaged under these brand names in varying carton sizes: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, […]
I was reading Kim Archer’s story this morning, “E. coli outbreak’s effects remain in Locust Grove,” in the Tulsa World about the largest E. coli O111 outbreak ever. The 2008 outbreak sickened at least 341 people, killed 1 and sent more that 70 to the hospital, many with life-threatening injuries – many still suffer the […]
Veron Foods, LLC of Prairieville, La. is recalling approximately 500,000 pounds of “ready to eat” sausage and hog head cheese products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s Office of Animal Health and Food Safety announced today. The following products are subject to recall: All packages of Veron […]
Listeria monocytogenes (Listeria) is a foodborne disease-causing bacteria; the disease is called listeriosis. Listeria can invade the body through a normal and intact gastrointestinal tract. Once in the body, Listeria can travel through the blood stream but the bacteria are often found inside cells. Listeria also produces toxins that damage cells. Listeria invades and grows […]
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) is investigating a third case of acute hepatitis A. All three are residents of Waldo County and at least one attended a number of social functions in different areas of Maine while infective which included attendees from across the state. We therefore believe other people […]
What is Hepatitis A? Hepatitis A is one of five human hepatitis viruses (hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E) that primarily infect the liver and cause illness. An estimated 80,000 cases occur each year in the U.S., although much higher estimates have been proposed based on mathematical modeling of the past incidence of infection. […]
No Change in Agency for Regulated Foods Only foods already regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be subject to S. 510. Section 403 maintains the existing firewall between FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture regulated foods and agricultural products. No Change in Definition of Facility
E. coli O157:H7 was identified for the first time at the CDC in 1975, but it was not until seven years later, in 1982, that E. coli O157:H7 was conclusively determined to be a cause of enteric disease. Following outbreaks of foodborne illness that involved several cases of bloody diarrhea, E. coli O157:H7 was firmly […]
The following is a comprehensive description of the hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), its symptoms, and the complications and long-term risks associated with HUS. (A glossary of terms can be found at the bottom of this entry). Hemolytic uremic syndrome is a severe, life-threatening complication of an E. coli bacterial infection that was first described in […]
Here is Chairman Harkin’s mark-up and section by section summary – this is the version of the bill voted out of the HELP Committee in mid-November and here is the most recently approved version as of last night. Senator Feinstein has not released a copy of her BPA amendment — however, she is now saying […]
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, today issued the following statement on the manager’s package for The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. Harkin has been working on a bipartisan basis with HELP Committee Ranking Member Mike Enzi (R-WY), authors of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Dick […]