The CDC reports: Shigellosis is a nationally notifiable diarrheal illness caused by gram-negative bacteria. Shigella infection is spread through fecal-oral transmission and sexual contact. Although most infections are self-limited, antibiotics are indicated for severe illness or to reduce transmission in settings with high risk for spread. Since 2015, a growing proportion of cases has been caused by […]
I get asked frequently about the correlation between the use of antibiotics and the onset of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) – that is, does the use of antibiotics with an E. coli O157:H7 infection cause a child who would not otherwise develop HUS to in fact develop it? First, everyone knows that I am not […]
Linda has been hospitalized since May 2009 due to a severe E. coli O157:H7 infection. The below is a picture I took of her yesterday. Three weeks ago she appeared to be suffering from a bowel blockage, but it was decided that it was medication induced. Since then she has been in ICU and was […]
I am in San Francisco today to visit with a client who is still suffering the devastating impact of an E. coli O157:H7 infection fifteen months after first becoming ill. She still remains hospitalized – today in rehab, but a few days ago in was in ICU. Checking my emails this morning, I found this […]
AP’s Mary Clare Jalonick reports that reptile owners who have been feeding rats, mice and chicks to their pets may be at risk for Salmonella poisoning. The company that sells the reptile food, Mice Direct, announced a recall of the frozen rats, mice and chicks Tuesday, saying that human illnesses possibly related to the frozen […]
From KBIA Public Radio Missouri: Time is running out for new food safety regulation legislation to receive a senate debate. If it becomes law, regulations in the Senate Food Safety Modernization Act would drastically affect the way food safety is monitored in the United States. The legislation would standardize regulation for imported food products and […]
According to the Quad-City Times, anyone who received immunizations as a result of possible exposure to hepatitis A at a McDonald’s restaurant in Milan, Ill., can make a claim in a $500,000 settlement that is pending approval in Rock Island County Circuit Court. The settlement, titled Patterson v. JKLM, Inc. d/b/a McDonald’s, is pending in […]
Since posting the 2010 list of raw (unpasteurized) dairy-related problems, I’ve been asked about pasteurized dairy products. In a previous review, outbreaks from pasteurized milk products were found to be very uncommon considering the large number of people who drink them. Statistics from the CDC and State Health Departments comparing raw and pasteurized dairy products […]
In 2008 I posted, “Grass-Fed vs Grain-Fed Beef and the Holy Grail: A Literature Review,” in which I raised the question if grass-fed beef is safer that grain-fed. My concern was, as I said, that Quotes like these were becoming more common on the Internet and recent media reports: “Products from grass-fed animals are safer […]
Bryan Gentry reported yesterday that “[t]he victims of a salmonella outbreak that was traced to Lynchburg-based Peanut Corp. of America nearly 18 months ago could finally see some money next month. On Wednesday a U.S. District Court judge in Roanoke agreed to speed up the process of approving the personal injury claims received in PCA’s […]
Although I just returned to the States, I will soon be packing my bags again to speak in Australia and New Zealand on food safety. New Zealand – Facing food safety challenges to reputation and consumer confidence Technology changes, new production methods, and advances in packaging, storage and distribution of food change what we eat […]
Jessica Stephen of the Kenosha Wisconsin News reported yesterday on the lawsuit we filed on behalf of “a Pleasant Prairie woman sickened in a recent salmonella outbreak connected to” the Baker Street Restaurant & Pub. According to the lawsuit, Dzinovic and her boyfriend ate at the restaurant on June 17. By June 21, Dzinovic was […]
There have been nine at least since January that have been reported. Also, there are others – like an Campylobacter outbreak in Massachusetts that the state has not yet announced. But, here are some details so far on most of the known outbreaks (click on image to download details):
While I was “vacationing” in Greece and Italy over the last weeks, Fresh Express was recalling even more romaine lettuce salad products because of potential E. coli contamination (an earlier Salmonella recall occurred two months ago). Of course, that does not count a Fresh Express outbreak that did sicken people in April and no recall […]
Just landed in Boston from Rome a few hours ago and I have already been dealing with client legal issues and legal arguments with lawyers – some of them a bit hot I am afraid. My vacation is clearly over. OK, one more photo of the Umbria countryside.
The temperature here in Rome was hovering near 100 as we wandered from the Spanish Steps to the Coliseum and other Roman ruins. It seems wherever you turn you were either walking over or bumping into something that dated from the turning point between B.C. and A.D. We ducked out of the heat outside the […]