FSnet Aug. 29/08 -- IV
E. Coli O111
found in OKLAHOMA outbreak
Outbreak of
severe diarrheal illness in Northeastern OKLAHOMA
OKLAHOMA:
Country Cottage well water tests positive for bacteria
BARFBLOG:
Canadian consumers, if you have Maple Leaf deli meats, itís
your fault
CANADA: B.C.
death raises listeriosis outbreak toll to 9
CANADA: Meat
recall affects Y camp near Fergus
CANADA:
Kensington cheese shop investigated for listeria
ONTARIO:
Health Hazard Alert/CFIA: Various cheeses manufactured by
Fromages La Chaudiere may be contaminated with salmonella
Death linked
to cheese recall in QUEBEC
Mayor of
Walkerton, ONTARIO, calls for public inquiry into
listeriosis outbreak
CANADA:
Erring on the side of safety
OHIO: Thai
Lotus faces food-safety violations
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E. Coli O111
found in OKLAHOMA outbreak
29.aug.08
Marler Blog
Bill Marler
http://www.marlerblog.com/2008/08/articles/lawyer-oped/e-coli-o111-found-in-oklahoma-outbreak/index.html
The food borne illness outbreak in northeastern Oklahoma
that has sickened more than 115, hospitalized 50 and taken
one life is the latest emergence of the virulent and highly
toxic E. coli bacterium. Most E. coli outbreaks in North
America are subtypes of E. coli O157:H7, but the CDC has
just revealed that this outbreak is a rare serotype: E. coli
0111.
"This is highly unusual," said food borne illness attorney
William Marler. "We have been involved in every major US
outbreak in the last 15 years, and we have only seen this
serotype twice before -- once traced to apple cider in New
York, and once connected to water or salad in Texas."
Although many strains of E. coli can be present in the body
with no ill effects, strains like E. coli 0111 and E. coli
O157:H7 produce a deadly shiga toxin (stx) which ravages the
digestive system and kidneys. By the time symptoms emerge --
abdominal cramping, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea -- the
bacteria is already entrenched. Although there is no cure or
antidote, immediate health care is critical to support the
systems under attack, keep the patient hydrated, and try to
alleviate the intense pain that accompanies the illness as
the body works to rid itself of the toxic bacteria.
In those with compromised or immature immune systems, E.
coli can progress to Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, or HUS.
Children, whose immune systems are not as developed as
adults', are especially vulnerable. HUS is a cascading
complication resulting in kidney failure; at the moment
several children in Oklahoma are on dialysis. Even when they
are able to recover from the potent E. coli toxin
(considered by the CDC to be one of the most toxic
substances known to man), victims often have permanent
kidney damage. It is not unusual for E coli victims infected
as children to need multiple kidney transplants over their
lifetime.
"Regardless of the strain of toxic E. coli, it produces a
devastating illness." continued Marler. "Under the best
circumstances, it can take months to recover. Some victims
are affected for the rest of their lives. We need to support
the families going through this nightmare, and do everything
we can to help them."
Outbreak of
severe diarrheal illness in Northeastern OKLAHOMA
29.aug.08
Oklahoma State Department of Health
Larry Weatherford
http://www.ok.gov/health/Organization/Office_of_Communications/News_Releases/2008_News_Releases/Situation_Update_No_5_-_Outbreak_of_Severe_Diarrheal_Illness_in_Northeastern_Oklahoma.html
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
has notified the Oklahoma State Department of Health that it
has identified E. coli 0111 from laboratory specimens CDC
has analyzed as part of the ongoing investigation into the
diarrheal illness outbreak in northeastern Oklahoma.
ìThis is a rare type of E. coli that is not normally found
in an outbreak this large,î said State Epidemiologist Dr.
Kristy Bradley.
At least 116 persons have become ill as a result of the
outbreak, including 87 adults and 29 children.
ìWhile we believe we are seeing a downward curve in the
number of people who have become ill, we still have many
challenges with some patients who remain hospitalized,î
Bradley said. ìWe continue to ask the public to be extra
diligent in their hand washing and food preparation to
minimize the possibility of additional persons becoming
ill.î
The focus of the investigation has centered on the Country
Cottage restaurant in Locust Grove, OK, after interviews
with cases indicated most had eaten there during the time
period of Aug. 15-23. The restaurant continues to remain
closed while the outbreak investigation continues. A source
has not yet been identified.
Bradley stressed that not all people who ate at the
restaurant became ill. ìIf 10 or more days have passed since
you ate at the restaurant, then you will likely not become
ill. The incubation period from time of exposure to this
type of bacteria to becoming ill is between two and 10
days.î
Even so, persons should contact their doctor if they are
experiencing diarrhea, particularly bloody diarrhea, as well
as vomiting, severe stomach cramps, and nausea.
Where available in northeastern Oklahoma, the public may
call 2-1-1 for more information about the outbreak.
Additional information is also on the Oklahoma State
Department of Healthís Web site at www.health.ok.gov. Click
on ìCurrent Features ñ Severe Diarrheal Illness Outbreak.î
OKLAHOMA:
Country Cottage well water tests positive for bacteria
29.aug.08
Tulsa World
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080829_12_OKLA801558
Well water at a restaurant linked to a deadly E. coli
outbreak has tested positive for bacteria.
One man has died and about 50 people have been hospitalized
with the illness linked to the Country Cottage restaurant in
Locust Grove.
State Department of Environmental Quality spokeswoman Skylar
McElhaney says DEQ did not specifically test for the strain
of E. coli but for a group of bacteria to give officials an
idea of whether unhealthy contamination is likely.
She says the well is on the restaurant's property and there
is no evidence that citizensí drinking water is
contaminated. The state Health Department will reanalyze the
samples to see whether the toxin-producing bacteria is
present.
The cause of the contamination is unknown. Sewer leaks,
runoff from agricultural waste and improper well maintenance
and disinfection are common causes of bacterial
contamination.
Meanwhile, the type of E. coli strain that caused the
illnesses was identified as E. coli 0111, a rare type of the
infection, the Oklahoma State Department of Health said
Friday.
"This is a rare type of E. coli that is not normally found
in an outbreak this large," said state epidemiologist Dr.
Kristy Bradley.
BARFBLOG:
Canadian consumers, if you have Maple Leaf deli meats, itís
your fault
30.aug.08
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/2008/08/articles/food-safety-communication/canadian-consumers-if-you-have-maple-leaf-deli-meats-its-your-fault/index.html
In possibly the worst ñ or most incongruent ñ press release
ever written, the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food
Safety Education, the group with the excessively explanatory
name, says they have.î issued some simple guidelines to
reduce the risk of microbial foodborne illnesses. This is of
special interest to Canadians in light of recent coverage of
listeriosis.î
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/August2008/29/c8009.html
So for all the money this group gets from government and
industry, they canít be bothered to say, hey, if youíre
pregnant or immunocomprimised, you shouldnít eat this stuff.
No, just more messages funded by taxpayers telling them to
feel good about the food they buy.
This is the same group that wanted to use a Mrs. Doubtfire
inspired food safety spokesthingy to reach out to university
students, until the trans-generders in Canada got word and
forced the campaign to disappear.
CANADA: B.C.
death raises listeriosis outbreak toll to 9
29.aug.08
CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/08/29/listeria-fri.html
The Public Health Agency of Canada repeated its advisory
that those most at risk from listeriosis are newborns, the
elderly, pregnant women and people with weakened immune
systems.
The agency has placed ads, which will begin appearing
Saturday in newspapers nationwide, warning about the
illness, it said.
Walkerton mayor calls for inquiry
Also Friday, Ontario's top medical official commented that
the listeria outbreak might have gone undetected if not for
the health-tracking system put in place after the 2003 SARS
outbreak, which killed 44 people.
Dr. David Williams, acting chief medical officer of health,
said the outbreak would have been "very hard" to spot under
the old, paper-based system because the listeriosis cases
were spread throughout Ontario.
The SARS outbreak led to a revamp of how Ontario public
health units report to the province. In further news Friday,
the Globe and Mail reported that Canada strongly opposed
tougher U.S. rules to prevent listeria and pushed for that
country to accept Canada's more lenient standards.
The newspaper said internal briefing notes prepared by the
CFIA for a 2006 meeting with the Canadian Meat Council board
of directors outline how both industry and the Canadian
government were frustrated with the increased precautions
demanded by the U.S.
Canada was specifically opposed to daily inspection visits
and testing finished products for listeria, the Globe and
Mail reported.
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, who is responsible for the
CFIA, hinted this week that Canada might move toward U.S.
practices for preventing listeria, such as the
pasteurization of packaged meat.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has not backed down from
its requirement that all producers of ready-to-eat meat must
pasteurize or boil products in the package to kill Listeria
monocytogenes, add chemicals to prevent the bacteria, or
allow more rigorous plant inspections.
A food expert is questioning why federal health officials
don't do a better job of informing people at risk,
particularly seniors, of the ongoing dangers of listeria.
Since 2005, Health Canada has cautioned that at-risk
individuals should avoid eating non-dried deli meats.
All the people who have died of listeriosis so far were
living at long-term-care facilities, but some seniors homes
seemed unaware of the Health Canada recommendation.
Officials at Stirling Manor Nursing Home, in the southern
Ontario community of Stirling, say they were unaware of any
such suggestion. Even now, home administrator Charmaine
Jordan said that while Maple Leaf meats were pulled from the
menu, other deli meats are still being consumed.
The Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for
Seniors, an umbrella group, was also unaware of the
recommendation.
"We've contacted dietitians that have long-standing
experience in our homes and they've never been warned about
listeriosis or deli meats being a huge issue or that they
should be avoided," said association executive director
Donna Rubin.
It's a problem one food safety expert says the government
must address.
"The Canadian government needs to be a little more
aggressive in informing Canadians of the risks associated
with refrigerated ready-to-eat foods like deli meats," said
Doug Powell of the International Food Safety Network.
He suggested that warning labels on products may be the
solution.
An Ontario Health Ministry spokesman said it has no specific
policy against serving sliced meats in nursing homes, and
Health Canada officials said banning certain foods from
seniors homes is not in its jurisdiction.
"The provinces and territories require staff in these
institutions to have a standard level of knowledge about
food-borne illnesses such as listeria," Dr. Jeff Farber of
Health Canada said.
Advice from the federal health agency should be considered
information, not a warning, he said.
CANADA: Meat
recall affects Y camp near Fergus
29.aug.08
Guelph Mercury
April Robinson, Waterloo Region Record staff
http://news.guelphmercury.com/article/374231
Children in two summer camps -- including one near Fergus --
operated by the Kitchener-Waterloo YMCA may have eaten deli
meat linked to the deaths of eight people from listeriosis.
Camp Wabanaki near Huntsville and Camp Belwood near Fergus
purchased and served two of the deli meat products that have
been recalled by Maple Leaf Foods, said Callum McKee, senior
general manager of Kitchener-Waterloo YMCA outdoor services.
Yesterday, McKee e-mailed parents of all 1,500 overnight
campers as a precaution. Listeriosis is most harmful to
pregnant women, the elderly and people with weak immune
systems.
He said some parents have called with concerns because their
children have flu-like symptoms. "But they're thankful we
informed them," he said.
The camps bought bulk packs of deli meat trios that were set
out at lunch times.
The YMCA day camps were not served the meat. They get meat
from a local butcher, McKee said.
CANADA:
Kensington cheese shop investigated for listeria
29.aug.08
CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/08/29/cheese-listeria.html
A cheese shop in Toronto's Kensington Market is being
investigated for possible listeria contamination.
Ping Chiu, owner of Cheese Magic in Kensington Market, had
to throw out $1,000 worth of cheese because of a listeria
concern.
Ping Chiu, owner of Cheese Magic, showed off a garbage can
full of $1,000 worth of unpasteurized cheese, which health
officials from the city and the Canadian Food Inspection
Agency forced her to bleach and throw out so it can't be
resold.
Chiu said inspectors told her a pregnant customer alleged
she ate cheese from the store, and she got listeriosis as
well as passed it on to her baby.
"According to the health inspector, it was listeria.
Although I was told by two big cheese suppliers that it
can't be listeria," she said. (what this means, no idea? ñ
dp).
Four samples were taken and are being tested.
In the meantime, authorities have ordered all goods off the
counter.
"I was told that one lady got sick from consuming one of our
cheeses, but I have no word as to which cheese she got from
us [or] if it's our cheese for sure, as to when she bought
it, and what she had done to that cheese before she ate it.
You know what I mean? So it's up in the air right now and my
heart goes out to that lady who had bought cheese from us."
ONTARIO:
Health Hazard Alert/CFIA: Various cheeses manufactured by
Fromages La Chaudiere may be contaminated with salmonella
29.aug.08
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/health-hazard-alertcfia-various-cheeses/story.aspx?guid=%7B49358F18-4D38-4502-AC44-B27F8BB1BBF7%7D&dist=hpprhttp://www.capitalpress.info/main.asp
OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- Audio clips available at
www.inspection.gc.ca/english/direct/media/.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Fromages La
Chaudiere Inc. are warning the public not to consume the
cheeses manufactured by Fromages La Chaudiere Inc. described
below because these products may be contaminated with
Salmonella.
All sizes of the following products are affected by the
recall:
La Chaudiere, Polo and Tradition brand, Firm Unripened
Cheese Curd, all Best Before dates up to and including
29SE2008;
La Chaudiere, Polo and Tradition brand, Firm Unripened
Cheese Mild blocks, all Best Before dates up to and
including 29OC2008;
Super C, Firm Unripened Cheese Curd, all Best Before dates
up to and including 29SE2008;
Super C, Firm Unripened Cheese Mild blocks, all Best Before
dates up to and including 29OC2008;
These products may have also been cut at retail. If the
original product identity and Best Before date is not
evident, consumers are advised to check with their retailer
to determine if the product is affected by the recall.
These products have been distributed in Quebec.
A number of the affected products described above are part
of a Salmonella outbreak investigation in Quebec.
Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell
spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with this bacteria
may cause salmonellosis, a foodborne illness. In young
children, the elderly and people with weakened immune
systems, salmonellosis may cause serious and sometimes
deadly infections. In otherwise healthy people,
salmonellosis may cause short-term symptoms such as high
fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and
diarrhea. Long-term complications may include severe
arthritis.
The manufacturer, Fromages La Chaudiere Inc., Lac-Megantic,
Quebec, are voluntarily recalling the affected product from
the marketplace.
For more information, consumers and industry can call the
CFIA at 1 800 442-2342 / TTY 1 800 465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to
8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).
For more information on Salmonella, visit the Food Facts web
page
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/causee.shtml.
Death linked
to cheese recall in QUEBEC
29.aug.08
CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/08/29/samomella-que.html?ref=rss
One person has died and 87 cases of salmonellosis have been
linked to three brands of contaminated cheese in Quebec,
provincial health authorities said Friday in announcing a
recall.
The raft of cases occurred in three areas:
ChaudiËre-Appalaches, Estrie-Mauricie and Centre-du-QuÈbec,
Dr. Horacio Arruda, the province's director of public
health, told a news conference in Montreal.
The three areas, which are in zones south of Quebec City,
the Eastern Townships and central Quebec, experienced an
unusually high incidence of cases in recent weeks. Quebec
normally sees 1,000 cases of salmonellosis province-wide
every year.
The death was an elderly person in ChaudiËre-Appalaches,
Arruda said.
About 40 per cent of the people infected had to be
hospitalized for at least a day to be rehydrated or for
other symptoms, Arruda said. More cases are expected to
occur in the three regions.
Suspected cause of outbreak found, 3 brands recalled
The Quebec Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in
co-operation with Fromages la ChaudiËre of Lac-MÈgantic,
warned consumers not to eat any of the non-refined hard
cheeses called La ChaudiËre, Polo and Tradition because they
might contain Salmonella enteritidis bacteria.
Products produced between July 24 and Aug. 24 have been
recalled.
At the beginning of the investigation, anecdotal information
and questionnaires pointed to cheese being involved in the
outbreak, Arruda said.
"We immediately ordered a special study of the patients as
well as other individuals in the region who could have eaten
the same food in order to identify the cause," Arruda said
in French. "We found a similar genetic print in many of
these cases."
"We believe there could be contamination from a specific
distribution point."
Proper hygiene important
Young children, elderly people and people with a weakened
immune system are at greatest risk of rare complications of
salmonellosis, such as dehydration.
Most healthy people will recover from salmonella food
poisoning on their own, and antibiotics are needed only if
the infection spreads to the blood, Arruda noted.
Anyone who develops symptoms of fever or chills should
consult their doctor, he advised.
Previous outbreaks of salmonellosis in Canada have been
linked to fruits and vegetables, small animals such as pets
infected with the bacteria, and chocolate.
People are urged to wash their hands properly after using
the washroom, touching an animal, raw meat, or knives and
cutting boards used to prepared uncooked food.
Guy Auclair of the province's Agricultural Department said
the strain found in the Quebec cheese is not linked to the
listeria-tainted processed meat that prompted a recall of
more than 200 products made by a Maple Leaf Foods plant in
Toronto.
Mayor of
Walkerton, ONTARIO, calls for public inquiry into
listeriosis outbreak
29.aug.08
The Canadian Press
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5is355rQSflRoO7esChVh14d59-Tg
TORONTO -- The mayor of the Ontario farming town that was
the scene of a deadly E. coli disaster eight years ago is
calling for a public inquiry into the ongoing listeriosis
outbreak.
Charlie Bagnato, mayor of Walkerton, Ont., says he's
"shocked" and astonished that the federal government hasn't
learned the lessons of his town's tainted-water tragedy in
2000.
Seven people died and thousands more fell ill in Walkerton
after E. coli was washed into the town's water supply.
CANADA:
Erring on the side of safety
29.aug.08
The Guelph Mercury
http://news.guelphmercury.com/article/374146
That's a sticky situation Guelph beekeeper Tibor Szabo has
found himself and his partners in with Toronto health
officials. They have been told not to give out tastes of
their honey on sampling sticks at their booth inside the
farm building at the Canadian National Exhibition for fear
that samplers will pet animals in the building while
enjoying the samples.
The health department seems to be inconsistent in its
enforcement, since visitors are bringing food into the
building and eating it there. That, too, may end, and we
hope it ends soon.
And while the beekeepers' honey sampling -- something they
have done for two years -- may seem harmless, health
officials are right to be cautious when it comes to food
safety, particularly in light of the fatal listeriosis
outbreak at Maple Leaf foods.
There's no room for open food samples in the farm building
at the Ex.
OHIO: Thai
Lotus faces food-safety violations
29.aug.08
NBC 4
Donna Willis
http://www.nbc4i.com/midwest/cmh/news.apx.-content-articles-CMH-2008-08-29-0024.html
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A Downtown eatery has failed inspections
for the past three months, and NBC 4's Tacoma Newsome shared
the health-code violations that could force them to shut
their doors.
Friday marked another round of food-safety hearings, and
Thai Lotus, 26 N. High St., was the latest restaurant at the
hearings table.
Thai Lotus' violations included food contact with unclean
surfaces, poisonous materials not stored separate from food
items and food held at unsafe temperatures.
Health inspectors tried to work with owners, even scheduling
a prehearing conference, Newsome said.
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