FSnet Aug. 17/08

BARFBLOG: Chinese poop turns heads in Lawrence (Kansas)

E. coli infections increasing, Learn what you can do to protect yourself

CALIFORNIA: Six months later, did the Chino beef recall produce benefits?

Humane Society of the United States' image reshaped by beef recall

CALIFORNIA: Illness halts raw milk program

BRITISH COLUMBIA: Greenhouses lead way in food safety

ILLINOIS: Flat Top Grill reopens

Food safety organization becoming vocal in TURKEY

TEXAS: Increased reporting could be behind rise in Cryptosporidium cases

For safety's sake: Retailers, suppliers, trade associations and government agencies are working side-by-side to ensure the safety of the food supply

IOWA: State closes hotel's kitchen

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BARFBLOG: Chinese poop turns heads in Lawrence (Kansas)
16.aug.08
barfblog
Bryan Severns
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/2008/08/articles/food-safety-communication/chinese-poop-turns-heads-in-lawrence-kansas/index.htm
Bryan Severns, a new food science student at Kansas State and a former chef, writes about the discussion prompted by his Chinese language Don't Eat Poop shirt and general hygiene at the Lawrence market:
"On a beautiful sunny Saturday in Lawrence, the handwashing word was spread from the Farmers market, through the fabric store, to the Merc. The combination of Chinese characters and the Don't Eat Poop web address were enough to spark conversations in food safety and educational techniques. The most common initial reaction is wide eyed disbelief that anyone would say that in public, but upon further explanation most people have stories of their own to relate, and the conversation is off and rolling.
"In related news, it was nice to see a complete handwashing station set up at the Farmer's Market. Actually saw it in action, very cool. I'm a total supporter of local producer markets, but quite often the sanitation is left up to individual participants, and most seem to barely get their product out on display, let alone take care of the clean up details. Big points to the Market Manager and city of Lawrence.
"On a more general note, after spending three weeks and 3000 miles to get to KSU from Vermont, my wife and I are glad to be here and have a great time learning about the area. Thanks to all who have been friendly and helpful, Manhattan is a very welcoming city."



 

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E. coli infections increasing, Learn what you can do to protect yourself
17.aug.08
The Star Press
Seth Slabaugh
http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080817/NEWS01/808170342/1002
MUNCIE -- E. coli has sickened at least eight Delaware County residents this summer, renewing the local health department's appeal to the public to thoroughly wash your hands and take other steps to prevent infection.
"We're not trying to cause alarm; there's no need for that," said Robert Jones, administrator of the county health department. "We just want people to be aware of what's happening and minimize their risk, because we're seeing more cases this year than in previous years."
Eight cases of E. coli O157: H7 have been reported to the health department by hospital officials since early July, and there could be more cases that were not reported because of milder symptoms.
The source or sources of the infections remain unknown.
It was rumored that animals or their environments at the Delaware County Fair were a possible source, but Jones said there were no suspected sources "at this time."
"We would never discourage anyone from attending county fairs or the state fair, but people are easily exposed there," said Jennifer Dunlap, a spokeswoman for the state health department. "County and state fairs have done a wonderful job of making handwashing stations available."



 

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CALIFORNIA: Six months later, did the Chino beef recall produce benefits?
16.aug.08
The Press-Enterprise
Ben Goad
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_beef17.34c1d40.html
The cows were caked in manure and mud. Sick or hurt, they couldn't stand long enough to be slaughtered.
So they were beaten, kicked, jabbed in their eyes and shocked. They were dragged with chains, rammed with a forklift and blasted with a powerful hose in a manner later described in congressional hearings as akin to water-boarding.
The mistreatment and illegal slaughter of "downer" cows at the Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. in Chino, captured on video by an undercover investigator posing as a plant employee, sparked the largest U.S. beef recall in history.
Six months later, the recall is over, but its impact is clear and far-reaching.
Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. in Chino has been idle since shocking video shot there by an undercover Humane Society investigator prompted a beef recall. An Arizona rancher is buying the property.
It was felt at school cafeterias around the nation, where officials had to dump millions of pounds of meat they had counted on for children's lunches, and it was felt in South Korea, where it set back beef trade negotiations and added fuel to protests raging in the streets.
The recall prompted both the federal and state governments to strengthen laws against the slaughter of downed cattle. Federal officials intensified their scrutiny of slaughterhouses, and campaigners gained traction in their push for a ballot measure to outlaw small cages for chickens and some other farm animals.
What is not clear is exactly why Agriculture Department officials initiated the recall, considering their continuing assertions that there was never a threat to public health.
Requests for information about the decision, made under the Freedom of Information Act, were fruitless. In some cases, officials said the documents sought didn't exist. In others, they were withheld pending the outcome of federal investigations into how the inspection system at Westland/Hallmark broke down and whether what happened there was isolated or evidence of a more widespread problem.
Newly installed U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer reported for his first day in office at the end of January, prepared to delve into the Farm Bill and issues surrounding free trade and renewable fuels. That day, a package arrived at his Washington office that would change his plans.
Inside was a compact disc containing footage shot by Sean Thomas, an undercover investigator for The Humane Society of the United States who worked at the Westland/Hallmark plant and secretly filmed the abuse between Oct. 7 and Nov. 20.
"That CD showed some very disturbing things," Schafer recalled. "Based on that experience, I determined that we would aggressively address our food safety system and see what improvements could be made."
The day after Schafer reviewed the footage, Humane Society officials put the video on their Web site.
It spread like wildfire, prompting questions about how federal inspectors stationed at the plant could have missed the abuse and widespread concern among consumers.
The video and recall coincided with a temporary dip in beef consumption, both in Southern California and beyond.
"The recall wasn't warranted," said Mark Dopp, general counsel for the American Meat Institute, an organization that represents much of the meat industry. "There was no food safety risk."
Agriculture officials, who have placed the cost of the recall in excess of $67 million, repeatedly have said that rules were broken and the recall was ordered as a consequence. But critics say the explanation is disingenuous.
"They've been a little too cute in characterizing it as 'rules are rules,' " said Humane Society President Wayne Pacelle, who emphasized that his group never sought a recall.
"The rules are there to protect the public health," he said. "They've downplayed the health risk the entire time."
Rosemary Mucklow, director emeritus of the Oakland-based National Meat Association, said the recall was overkill.
Health Officers of California, sponsor of the law that created the state's recall program, approved of the recall, Executive Director Bruce Pomer said.
"Even if you err on the side of safety, what's wrong with that?" he asked.
Meanwhile, the Agriculture Department's Office of Inspector General is quietly conducting investigations that could have significant ramifications, both for those involved with the Westland/Hallmark recall and the industry at large.
The first is an audit of the nation's slaughterhouses and meat plants to determine whether the conduct observed at the Chino plant is, as Agriculture Department officials contend, an isolated incident. The second is a probe of Westland/Hallmark, which could lead to criminal charges against the plant's operators or employees.
Agriculture Department officials have said they hold Mendell, the Westland/Hallmark president, liable for the recall's $67.2 million cost and have filed a claim against him for the amount. To date, they have received no response and are considering legal recourse.



 

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Humane Society of the United States' image reshaped by beef recall
16.aug.08
The Press-Enterprise
Ben Goad and Janet Zimmerman
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_humane17.34c29c1.html
By documenting the mistreatment of cows at a Chino slaughterhouse, The Humane Society of the United States wanted to spark tougher animal protections and long-sought changes in federal meat inspection policies.
In the process, the group reshaped its own image.
The video footage captured last fall by an undercover Humane Society investigator at Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. brought in funds for the group's expanded investigation unit, increased its clout on Capitol Hill and helped the organization known mostly for helping pets to redefine itself as a hard-hitting watchdog.
"It shows a tougher, harder edge to a group that many people might have thought was your grandmother's humane society," Humane Society President Wayne Pacelle said.
The Washington, D.C.-based organization was widely lauded for exposing the abuse of livestock and federal violations that occurred at Westland/Hallmark. But the group's handling of the investigation also attracted criticism from the federal government and industry groups who pointed to a weeks-long delay between the time the footage was filmed and when it was made public.
Pacelle downplayed the criticism as a minor blip in a landmark investigation.
The half-century-old Humane Society took a central role both in the response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and in last year's investigation into the massive dog-fighting ring linked to NFL star quarterback Michael Vick. But the Westland/Hallmark case rises above both as a signal of the new Humane Society -- one seeking to drive the national conversation about animal welfare.



 

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CALIFORNIA: Illness halts raw milk program
16.aug.08
The Daily Triplicate
Nicholas Grube
http://www.triplicate.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=9851
Alexandre Family EcoDairy Farms ended its raw milk program after several people who consumed the product got sick, including one Crescent City woman who remains in intensive care and is partially paralyzed.
The Del Norte County Department of Public Health suspects at least 15 people who ingested raw milk contracted Campylobacter, a common bacteria found in domesticated animals that can cause gastrointestinal illness.
Three cases of Campylobacter infections have been documented by Del Norte County health officials since late June, and the other 12 are awaiting confirmation.
The Crescent City woman was the only person who became severely ill.
The outbreak occurred around May 10 to June 5, and officials say it is no longer a risk to the public because the source of the raw milk believed to have caused the infections—Alexandre EcoDairy north of Fort Dick—voluntarily stopped the program.
"As far as we know the outbreak of Campylobacter has been controlled and the source of raw milk has been shut down," said county Public Health Officer Thomas Martinelli.
About 115 people were signed up for Alexandre EcoDairy's raw milk program. Martinelli said the number of people who actually consumed the product could be 300-500 since it was distributed to family members.
"It depends on how many people are in the family," he said. "It would be some multiple of 115."
Alexandre EcoDairy stopped the program June 15 after learning one of its customers had become seriously ill and was in a Medford, Ore., hospital. The family-owned organic farm contacted each of its raw milk customers to tell them the news.
"We immediately stopped when somebody got sick," owner Blake Alexandre said. "We were absolutely concerned that there could have been a connection."
The woman who became sick initially showed symptoms common with a Campylobacter infection, Martinelli said. This included episodes of abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
She later developed a form of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disorder that makes a person's immune system attack the peripheral nervous system and can result in paralysis.
The syndrome is rare, but when it does occur it often is associated with a Campylobacter infection, medical studies have found.
Sources identified the sick woman as Mari Tardiff of Crescent City. Her husband, veterinarian Peter Tardiff, confirmed her identity Friday but declined to comment further. She is still hospitalized in a Medford, Ore., intensive care unit.
Hospital notifies county
A number of Alexandre EcoDairy's raw milk customers still support the program, many of them standing by the product's nutritional and, in some cases, curative properties.



 

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BRITISH COLUMBIA: Greenhouses lead way in food safety
16.aug.08
Delta Optimist
Iris Bitterlich, B.C. Greenhouse Growers' Association
http://www.canada.com/deltaoptimist/news/story.html?id=eaa6e2c3-968e-4d4c-90cd-8d2c2de3593e
Consumers have never been more interested in the safety of their food than they are today.
Satinder Sanghera is reason for confidence when it comes to greenhouse grown vegetables. In charge of food safety at Village Farms, Sanghera, a graduate of food science from UBC, has made a career of ensuring high quality produce is delivered to retailers.
"We even monitor the municipal water that we use," says Sanghera as she removes her rings and wristwatch, behind which microorganisms can hide, and slips on a lab coat, hairnet and latex gloves before heading into the packing house.
The packing line is almost fully automated and tomatoes are packed and shipped on the same day they are picked. Each box gets a code, allowing Sanghera to know which greenhouse the box was from, the date it was packed and the customer to which it was sent.
"If there is ever a problem I can have the full history of any shipment up on my computer screen in a matter of minutes," says Sanghera.
Having food safety protocols, like a trace back system, is only a first step.
"We are always reviewing our existing protocols," explains Sanghera. "And a monthly self-audit allows us to see if any areas need improvement and where to focus our ongoing staff training."
Once a year a third party auditor spends a full day in the greenhouse and packinghouse checking to make sure nothing was overlooked and issues a food safety certificate that retailers ask to see before they buy product.
The third party audits were adopted by the greenhouse vegetable sector about 10 years ago (about 10 years ago when we first developed the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers program, and then agreed to offer it for free to B.C. – dp)
"At that time we were looking for ways to distinguish ourselves from other produce," recalls Sanghera, "but I feel greenhouses will always have a food safety advantage because we are closed off from the outside. It means we don't have to worry about things like wildlife, pollution and other potential contaminants affecting our crops." (as one grower said to me when I first went to te big growers with this on-farm food safety stuff, it gets hot in greenhouses and we open the lids; so why should I care about handwashing when birds are crapping all oer everything – dp).



 

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ILLINOIS: Flat Top Grill reopens
15.aug.08
Chicago Business
Lorene Yue
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=30624
Flat Top Grill in Old Town reopened Friday after being closed earlier in the week for various health code violations.
The restaurant at 319 W. North Ave. had its food license suspended on Monday after an inspection found evidence of a fruit fly infestation, food kept at unsafe temperatures and coolers that failed to chill properly.
Chicago's Department of Public Health made an unannounced visit to the restaurant after a customer complained of seeing water drip from the ceiling. Monday's inspection did not find any leaks, but did yield other violations that could not be immediately corrected and therefore the restaurant had to be closed.
Still closed are Soul Queen at 9031 S. Stony Island, Ranalli's Up North at 1522 W. Montrose Ave. and Hecky's of Chicago at 1234 N. Halsted St.



 

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Food safety organization becoming vocal in TURKEY
17.aug.08
Today's Zaman
Yakup Abutar
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=150445&bolum=105
There is an organization called the Turkish Food Safety Association (GGD), and it's out there making a lot of noise for food safety and security in Turkey.
GGD Chairman Samim Saner, speaking to Today's Business, stressed the urgency of raising awareness in society about the risk of unhealthy foods available on the market. He explained his organization's mission as to organize, direct and expand awareness of safety issues regarding food, from processing to consumption.
Saner said that his association operated primarily through a voluntary sharing platform working through social participation and for the benefit of the community. He expressed hope that the association would gather all companies large and small and enlist the aid of leading experts and relevant government agencies under the roof of the GGD to promote food safety.



 

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TEXAS: Increased reporting could be behind rise in Cryptosporidium cases
17.aug.08
The Dallas Morning News
Jessica Sidman and Daniel Monteverde
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/local/stories/DN-cryptoscare_17pro.ART.State.Edition2.4d6dfd4.html
The Colony Aquatic Park in Denton County followed all the rules. Shower before you swim. No spouting or spitting water. Enforced bathroom breaks. Even a high-tech water filter.
But the pool shut down briefly last week because of a chlorine-resistant parasite that's sweeping across North Texas. Since then, the pool's attendance has been so low that there's not enough money to cover the lifeguards' salaries.
"It's probably going to be that way for the rest of the summer," aquatics manager Elise Knox said. "People at this point are afraid to swim anywhere."
Across the country, growing numbers of people have reported infections with Cryptosporidium, a diarrhea-causing parasite passed on through the feces of animals and humans. Cryptosporidiosis is often contracted when someone swallows even a small amount of contaminated water.
And at the moment, North Texas is at the epicenter of the spread.
Dallas, Tarrant and Collin counties have confirmed more than 400 cases of cryptosporidiosis this year – mostly from the past few weeks. Last year, there were 62.
"I've been doing this close to 12 years, and I've never seen these numbers," said Zach Thompson, director of the Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services.
One possible explanation for the increase is that high gas prices prompted more people to stay closer to home during summer break this year. And when summer temperatures soared, many of them took to the water, Mr. Thompson said.
Tarrant outbreak
But overall, public health officials remain puzzled about exactly why the numbers are skyrocketing.
Their best guess? It could be as simple as increased awareness and reporting.



 

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For safety's sake: Retailers, suppliers, trade associations and government agencies are working side-by-side to ensure the safety of the food supply
16.aug.08
Accountability-Central.com
Grocery Headquarters, Craig Levitt
http://www.accountability-central.com/single-view-default/single-view-lexis-nexis/article/for-safetys-sake-retailers-suppliers-trade-associations-and-government-agencies-are-working-side/?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=1&cHash=6896862fec
Farm to fork ... hoof to home ... crop to consumer. No matter which organization uses which slogan, the message is the same: The prevention of food-related illnesses is a responsibility that must be assumed throughout the entire food chain.
Even with stringent monitoring and testing, over the past 18 months there have been more than 900 product recalls in categories such as ground beef, chicken, produce and frozen pizza (guess it's not that stringent – dp). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year approximately one-quarter of Americans suffer from some type of food-related illness. While the numbers have remained relatively constant over the past several years, consumer confidence in the safety of the nation's food supply ebbs and flows with every recall. According to the Food Marketing Institute's 2008 U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends, 81% of consumers are confident that the food they buy is safe, up from 66% the previous year.
As the last link in the food chain before foods reach the consumer, retailers have the best opportunity to assuage any consumer concerns. One idea that is gaining momentum is the concept of marketing safety. Though insiders say that safety has been a useful promotional tool for farmers' markets and the like, most larger grocers and supermarkets have yet to adopt the strategy. Richard George, Ph.D., professorof food marketing at Saint Joseph's University based in Philadelphia, says that's antiquated thinking.
"Now we need to talk to people," says George. "There is no food and water supply in the world as vulnerable as ours. We have forgotten about informing consumers about food safety. The industry needs make sure that consumers understand what we are doing. Some of it can just be symbolic, but we have to have a dialog with consumers."
George recently visited an Irish supermarket that had huge signs in the meat and fish departments telling employees that they must wash their hands. George asked if the employees had sanitary problems in the past. He was told the sign was really for the customers so they knew the precautions the employees were taking. "Its things like that," says George. "We have to communicate to consumers how we do things. We know what we are doing but I'm not so sure the consumers know we are doing it."
While FMI's Hollingsworth agrees that promoting safe retailer practices is a step in the right direction, she stresses that it is important that food safety should not become a competitive issue. She says the goal should not be selling food safety, but rather focus on selling safe food. "We want consumers to feel that as an industry, supermarkets are doing all they can to make sure the food they sell is safe," says Hollingsworth. "We don't want a consumer to feel that the food they buy in one place versus another is any more or less safe. We want them to feel confident that as an industry we are working with the whole food chain to deliver safe food. We also see that retailers play a big role in educating consumers."
A study conducted by the Washington,, D.C.-based Partnership for Food Safety Education revealed that 64% of adults indicated that it is 'very important' to follow safe food handling procedures. However, less than 60% are correctly following important safe food handling practices. The organization's research shows that despite the fact that a majority of adults feel confident that they understand and follow food handling procedures, a sizeable number do not consistently follow certain safe food handling practices.
To get the message across the partnership employs its Be Food Safe platform, designed to encourage retailers and suppliers to remind and educate consumers on the importance of safe food handling practices. Retailers participating in the program can use the graphics and other consumer outreach vehicles to inform their customers of the four core messages of food safety--clean, separate, cook and chill. Currently nearly 40 retailers, representing approximately 6,000 supermarkets have volunteered to deliver the Be Food Safe messages to consumers.
"What better way to reach consumers than at the point where they are purchasing food?" asks Shelley Feist, executive director for the Partnership for Food Safety Education. "Working with retailers is a fantastic way to reach customers. All of the materials are meant to complement each other and a number of retailers have taken the Be Food Safe program and run with it."
Big Y Foods has been providing educational materials to consumers for years and is a big proponent of the Be Food Safe program. The Springfield, Mass retailer reproduces Be Food Safe flyers for use as bag stuffers, runs materials in its weekly circulars and created a web page that emphasizes the Be Food Safe message.
"It is very important for retailers to educate consumers," says Cas Tryba, director of food safety for Big Y Foods. "Our company has treated food safety as a high priority for the 15 years that I have been here, so I think [educating consumers] is just an extension of that. Food safety is vitally important and we have specific food safety criteria in place. Things like independent third-party auditors for our suppliers, as well as strict in-house policies and procedures. That safety carries over to our customers who prepare our food, so I see it as it is all linked."
Big Y's use of third-party auditors is an approach that many industry observers encourage retailers to employ to ensure their products are safe.
Following the E. coli outbreak in 2006 the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement was created by the California Department of Agriculture in order to certify the safe handling, shipment and sale of leafy green products. The organization has nearly 120 members which accounts for 99% of the California leafy greens volume. FMI manages a certification program called Safe Quality Food that provides independent certification that a supplier's food safety and quality management system complies with international and domestic food safety regulations.
FMI also puts a lot of emphasis on employee training, offering a training program which many retailers send managers and staff. The program, called SuperSafe Mark, is a comprehensive food training and certification course, which can be taken in a classroom setting or online at www.supersafemark.com. Upon completion of the managerial level course the enrollee becomes a certified safe food handler. A more basic level course is available for store associates who just need to know a few key safety issues, such as the proper way to wash hands.
For retailers performing in-house training of store-level associates, Gary Ades, Ph.D. and president of G&L Consulting Group, based in Bentonville, Ark., says it is best to keep it simple and make sure the associates have the right tools to work with. "It's the common sense stuff that gets you," says Ades. "Food safety is not rocket science, it is just an understanding of what causes the problems-which are pretty defined, keep hot food hot, cold food cold, don't cross contaminate--and then figuring out what the solutions are and making sure they are followed."
With the intent of eliminating the possibility of cross-contamination, Sterilox Food Safety, a division of PuriCore, offers a solution that replaces normal crisping water with electrolyzed water, which isa combination of salt and electricity. Tom Daniel, senior vice president and general manager for the Malvern, Pabased company, says that in addition to eliminating bacteria and preventing cross-contamination from case to case, the solution extends the shelf life of the product.



 

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IOWA: State closes hotel's kitchen
16.aug.08
The Messenger
Katie Williams and Don Cogger
http://www.messengernews.net/page/content.detail/id/508150.html
The Quality Inn in Fort Dodge was told to close its kitchen on Thursday.
The hotel, located at 2001 U.S. Highway 169, failed to meet Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals health regulations after rat droppings were found in the dry food storage area, among other problems.
''This facility has a history with us,'' said Brian Hanft, DIA Environmental Health Services manager. ''The kitchen as a whole just wasn't clean.''
Most facilities only require an inspection once a year, however, the Quality Inn's kitchen was inspected four times in 2007, said Hanft.
''How much hand holding are we going to do?'' asked Hanft. ''We went out there four times to cite them for repeated problems that should have been fixed. It's just not a good use of our time.''
According to Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals reports, the first of the four inspections was in February 2007. The facility was cited for black mold growth on the interior walls of a walk-in cooler and a clogged drain in the dishwashing machine.
A followup inspection in August showed that it failed to keep food properly refrigerated and the hot water in the kitchen sink wasn't working, preventing workers from properly washing their hands.
Two subsequent inspections in September found more problems.
Contacted Wednesday by a hotel patron who expressed concerns about the kitchen, the Iowa DIA responded by sending an inspector to the hotel on Thursday. Following his inspection, the kitchen was closed.
''There was a man that called (Wednesday) morning, complaining about the food,'' said Webster County Sanitarian Gary Boerner during a Wednesday night meeting of the Webster County Health Department. ''I called the food inspector, who said he'd check into it.''
Hanft said, ''The inspector was right to close the kitchen. Hopefully they will get the message.''
The Quality Inn was inspected by the Webster County Health Department Wednesday morning. Conditions in the pool and spa area were found to be in violation of the health code.
''I took a test and discovered that there was absolutely no chlorine in either the pool or the spa,'' said Boerner.
According to Boerner, a man called him Tuesday to complain that he found a dirty diaper lying on the floor of the restroom in the Quality Inn pool area.
''I went back out Wednesday and the diaper was still there,'' said Boerner.
Boerner said the Quality Inn pool and spa had failed health tests six times since December 2007 and had been asked to close the pool during the Girls State Softball Tournament, but didn't.
Officials charge the lack of cooperation is intentional.
''Management is choosing not to do it,'' said Board of Health Chairman Steve Beeghley. ''That is unacceptable.''
Without chlorine, a swimming pool can become contaminated with cryptosporidium, or crypto for short, among other bacteria. Crypto, which causes diarrhea, is now recognized as one of the most common causes of waterborne illness in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site.
Repeated calls to contact the manager of the Quality Inn and the parent company, Ocean Hospitality, were not returned by press time.
Boerner said Thursday he will be sending his report on the pool and spa to the state's Department of Public Health to see if the Iowa attorney general would like to prosecute. He will also be meeting with the Webster County Attorney's Office next week to discuss further options, he said.
 

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