The Hepatitis A outbreak continues in eight western states with the case count as of June 14 rising to 106. The illnesses are blamed on an organic blend of frozen berries and pomegranate seeds from multiple countries. Produced by Oregon-based Townsend Farms and sold at Costco and Harris Teeter stores, the frozen berry blend has… Continue Reading
The day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lowered the case-count in the hepatitis A outbreak linked to a frozen organic berry mix from 99 to 97, the agency reported that it was back up to 99. On Friday, the CDC stated on its hepatitis A outbreak page that 99 people from 8… Continue Reading
Twelve of the 49 people sickened in the ongoing multistate Hepatitis A outbreak are Colorado residents, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The state announced on Tuesday that it is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate an outbreak believed… Continue Reading
Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium often associated with foodborne illness outbreaks in cheese and fresh produce, killed approximately one in five Americans it infected between 2009 and 2011, according to a new Vital Signs report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuesday. Though experts called infections from Listeria rare, the pathogen still… Continue Reading
At least 37 people are now known to have been sickened in a hepatitis A outbreak linked to frozen berries. The case count stood at 30 at the end of last week, with illnesses in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and California. Then over the weekend, Hawaii’s department of health reported two victims in that state,… Continue Reading
Opinion
This article was co-authored by Dr. Kathleen Vidoloff, Emergency Risk Communication Officer for Oregon Public Health Division, and Dr. Jean O’Connor, former Oregon Deputy Public Health Director. One of the many roles of public health is to protect consumers from threats like foodborne outbreaks. Much of this hinges on quickly getting out clear messages to… Continue Reading
The New Mexico Department of Health has confirmed seven Salmonella illnesses associated with live chicks and ducklings that appear to be connected to a multistate outbreak under investigation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Earlier this week, South Dakota and Minnesota confirmed four and three illnesses in the outbreak, respectively. Another six… Continue Reading
A Salmonella outbreak suspected to be linked to live baby chickens may be under investigation in several states, according to a spokesman for the South Dakota Department of Health. At least four patients in South Dakota — three adults and one child under the age of four — have fallen ill in connection to the… Continue Reading
Infection rates of the foodborne pathogens Campylobacter and Vibrio parahaemolyticus rose in 2012, while other major pathogens generally maintained rates similar to recent years, according to the nation’s annual “food safety progress report” published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Thursday. Campylobacter infections, most commonly associated with poultry and raw milk, rose… Continue Reading
Opinion
The numbers say that the most outbreaks and illnesses are attributable to produce, but, in reality, fruits and vegetables are really quite safe. How can this be? A new report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) takes a look at the number of cases of foodborne illness relative to the amount eaten. That is, when… Continue Reading
The best of the data crunchers are saying it’s a whole lot safer to eat food in America now than it was at the beginning of the last decade. But you still may want to be careful if you’re dining out at a restaurant, or eating at a prison cafeteria. Food safety risks are the… Continue Reading