Food Poisoning Lawyer & Attorney : Marler Clark : Food Poison Blog

I wanted to follow-up to my previous post regarding the World Health Organization's (WHO) recent announcement that much more research is needed into foodborne pathogens and their overall impact on humans.

Today I received some additional information from James R. Hollyer, Project Manager for the Agricultural Development in the American Pacific (ADAP) Project, regarding steps the WHO is already undertaking.

In 2007, the WHO launched an international initiative to fill in the gaps. The WHO Initiative to Estimate the Global Burden of Foodborne Diseases aims to quantify how many people die from or are affected by all major foodborne causes each year. It hopes to report by 2011. The initiative operates through an expert group, the Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG), that includes scientists from all regions of the world and all areas of food safety, as well as professionals from policy and regulatory bodies.

Global atlas of disease

FERG plans to collect and summarise existing scientific data on foodborne disease and mortality into a global atlas. It will also train people from developing countries and help them conduct their own national studies to estimate and monitor the burden of disease from unsafe food.

The group invites stakeholders from governmental and non-governmental organisations, industry, consumer groups, donors and scientific media to get involved, open new communication channels and explore how the initiative can best achieve its aims.

The WHO will welcome involvement in this effort to count the millions affected by these entirely preventable diseases. Could you help provide the much-needed epidemiological yard-stick of death and disability against which progress can be measured?

The next FERG stakeholder meeting is scheduled for 20 November, in Geneva, Switzerland. If you are a professional working with development issues, you should have it in your calendar.
 

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As you know, we have repeatedly made calls for more research into the public health risk known as foodborne pathogens.  Yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) unequivocally agreed (although the question of funding still remains). 

At a conference in Geneva, WHO's direct of food safety, Jorgen Schlundt, announced that more research is needed to determine how much sickness and death stems from contaminated food, such as the tainted Chinese milk that caused kidney problems in more than 50,000 children and killed four, and the U.S. salmonella outbreak that made more than 1,400 people ill.

An estimated 30 percent of new infectious diseases originate in bacteria, viruses, parasites, chemicals and toxins introduced along food production chains, he told an experts' meeting.  "There are some indications that the foodborne disease burden is increasing. But there is not very good data, it is difficult to say exactly what is happening," Schlundt said.

About 2.2 million children die each year from diarrheal illnesses including cholera caused by dirty water, food, and poor sanitation, according to the United Nations agency.  Food products needed to be monitored at every stage of their handling, Schlundt said.  "If you want to deal with food safety you have to go from the 'farm to the fork'. The notion that you can deal with it at the end of the food chain is clearly wrong," he said.  In many countries, regulatory authorities fail to work together, he said.  "In China there are 16 different authorities involved in some way in dealing with the melamine crisis," he said.

Julie Ingelfinger, a Harvard Medical School professor and pediatric nephrologist, said many people had overlooked the seriousness of complications caused by contaminated food.  For instance, E.coli poisoning can cause hemolytic-uremic syndrome, a cause of kidney failure in children, she said.  "Research into the long-term effects of foodborne disease is increasingly important because it is unquantified and goes on for decades," she said.

David Heymann, WHO assistant director-general for health, security and the environment, told the meeting that rich and poor countries were both vulnerable to foodborne diseases.  "Foodborne diseases occur on every continent and in every country really. We never know where these events will happen," he said.

The recent salmonella outbreak in the United States -- its worst in a decade -- was an example of the changing picture of foodborne diseases, according to the WHO.  Although salmonella is often linked to poultry, eggs and dairy products, recent outbreaks have been tied to fresh produce, it said. Tomatoes were suspected in the U.S. outbreak before the salmonella was traced to peppers from Mexico.

Nancy Donley, president of the U.S. non-profit group S.T.O.P. (Safe Tables Our Priority), said food safety needed to be taken more seriously as a public health concern.  "It's crucial to keep foodborne disease prevention as a top priority in the world," said Donley, whose 6-year-old son Alex died in 1993 from e.coli-contaminated meat. "Behind every statistic is a face, a name, a life." (Editing by Laura MacInnis and Angus MacSwan)

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As if the poisoning of tens of thousands of China's babies was not enough, now the problem of how to get rid of the nasty, toxic chemical is causing further headache.

Disposal techniques so far have ranged from having it burned, buried and mixed into coal. The most astounding method used thus far?  One trash-hauling company dumped a load into a river, turning the waters a frothy white and raising fears about the safety of the drinking water.  Really, dumping it into water used for drinking?  Isn't that basically how this whole mess started in the first place?!

Tens of thousands of tons of milk laced with melamine, a chemical used in making fertilizer and plastics, have been pulled from shelves and warehouses since September, and local governments now face the huge -- and costly -- problem of safely disposing of it.

Last month alone, more than 32,000 tons -- enough to fill about 23 Olympic-sized pools -- were disposed of in a single province, Hebei, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

At a factory in the southern city of Guangzhou, tons of contaminated milk powder were incinerated in 3,000-degree heat.

"All the remaining substance will be put into cement," said Wang Fan, director of Guangzhou's food safety office. "Our disposal process meets the national environmental protection requirements. It will not harm people's health."

Not known for making environmental safety a priority, China has gotten good marks so far from scientists and environmentalists in its efforts to dispose of the adulterated milk.

Beijing has issued new guidelines on how to destroy the tainted products. They recommend burning the milk in large-capacity incinerators or, if such facilities aren't available, burying small amounts in landfills -- as long as local environmental bureaus approve.

Burning or burying breaks down melamine and neutralizes its toxicity, said Peter Ben Embarek, a Geneva-based scientist at the World Health Organization's food safety department.

"We're talking about very large quantities so it's very important that these products are being destroyed in a proper way," he said in a telephone interview.

"Burying is OK if it is done in official, controlled waste disposal sites," he said. "We don't want to see products buried in illegal dumping places."

 

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Not have an outbreak in the first place!

That was the theme at the recent Fresh Summit 2008 conference, "Food Safety: Keeping Your Business Healthy," where attendees heard from panelists about the latest in regulations and safety initiatives as well as how to consider food safety investments in a return-on-investment perspective.

Bob Whitaker, PMA’s Salinas, Calif.-based chief science officer, said the industry must continue its food safety diligence and try to stay ahead of the curve and anticipate possible future food safety issues.

“I see the industry is demonstrating the will to go forward by having the courage to act and to act now and to get involved in industry food safety activities,” Whitaker said. “And the industry has character to ask what we need to do further to make our programs better.”

Whitaker said the industry is better overall after the outbreaks and said he has noticed many positive changes bubbling under the surface during the past 1½ years. More PMA members, he said, are asking him for technical information.

The industry, Whitaker said, is putting more funding into food safety research and global standards are arising.

“There have been inconsistencies between buyers and suppliers,” Whitaker said. “Often, a supplier that invested heavily in food safety competed in the marketplace with someone who didn’t. What we’re seeing today is an increased awareness on both sides.”

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Last year we saw a huge rise in the number of beef recalls due to E. coli O157:H7 contamination.  While there were eight beef recalls in the US in 2006, the number jumped to an astounding 21 beef recalls in 2007, including the second largest beef recall in US history from Tops Meat Company.  About a third of the recalls were prompted by reports of human illness, while none of the 2006 recalls were.  According to a recent Washington Post article by staff writer Annys Shin, researchers at Kansas State University may have found the reason.

The study found higher levels of E. coli O157:H7 in the feces of cattle fed a diet that included an ethanol product called distillers grain.

Distillers grain is what is left after the starch from corn is removed to make ethanol. It has been around for decades, but its popularity as a feed ingredient has surged in recent years. One reason is that demand for ethanol, fueled by rising gas prices and federal mandates and subsidies, has pushed the price of corn -- and in turn, corn feed -- to record levels, said Darrell Mark, an economist at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Distillers grain is also cheaper than corn and is high in the proteins and fats that help cattle put on more weight, said David M. Smith, a University of Nebraska researcher. For cattle ranchers, who are being squeezed by lower beef consumption and higher prices for fuel and grazing land, such benefits are important.

The researchers at Kansas State followed up with another study in which they inoculated calves with E. coli O157:H7 (which is harmless to cattle) using a modified form of the bacteria that was easier to track. They found that calves fed distillers grain had higher levels of the bacteria than those that were not. The USDA findings appear to back them up.

But the connection between distillers grain and E. coli is still far from conclusive, researchers said, for several reasons. Another study done by researchers at the University of Nebraska found that cattle fed a diet of up to 25 percent distillers grain actually had less of the bacteria than the control group, while those fed a diet that was 40 percent or more distillers grain had more of the bacteria. Another study done at Kansas State found no statistically significant increase in the bacteria in distillers-grain-fed cattle compared with the control.

T.G. Nagaraja, one of the Kansas State researchers, suggests that the variation in results may be due to differences in the distillers grain, which can depend on where it was produced.

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On Monday, a Canadian biopharmaceutical company, Bioniche Life Sciences, Inc., announced it has received full licensing approval from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)—an analogue to the USDA—for the world’s first cattle vaccine designed to reduce the shedding of E. coli O157:H7 in cattle feces.

The vaccine works by preventing the E. coli O157:H7 bacteria from attaching to the intestines of the cattle. This, in turn, reduces reproduction of the bacteria within the intestines and leads to a reduced quantity of bacteria released through the cattle’s feces into the environment. It is this release of bacteria that ultimately leads to human infections of E. coli O157:H7 through food and water contamination. 

This vaccine may also help reduce the risk of E. coli O157:H7 infections through contact with farm animals at petting zoos and agricultural exhibitions, and with E. coli O157:H7-contaminated water runoff flowing into fresh produce fields (see Dole and Natural Selections spinach outbreak, or the more recent Aunt Mid's lettuce outbreak.

Bioniche is currently working to meet the USDA’s requirements for a conditional license to bring the vaccine to the US.  The USDA informed Bioniche this past February that the latest data “meets the ‘expectation of efficacy’ standard” and is eligible for a conditional license, provided that Bioniche develops a plan “that would collect sufficient data to move the product to full licensure.”

The vaccine sounds like a great step towards potentially reducing the thousands of kids and elderly folks (the two most affected demographics) who become infected by E. coli O157:H7 each year. I cannot help but wonder, however, what effect this vaccine will have on current slaughter practices. With regard to meat contamination, the real problem is not solely with cattle that shed a bacteria naturally existing within their intestinal tracts, but rather with the high-speed slaughtering operations (over 300 cattle slaughtered per hour is not uncommon) that take inadequate precautions to ensure feces is not sprayed onto raw meat during the mind-bogglingly fast slaughter line. Despite beef industry claims to the contrary, it IS very possible to produce feces-free (and therefore E. coli-free) beef. So even with this very important vaccine coming to the market, my hope is for beef slaughter operations to slow down, and to continue improving and testing the adequacy of their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans so that fecal contamination of meat does not occur in the first place. I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer my meat both feces AND E. coli O157:H7 free.

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The FBI is on the hunt for…E. coli O111?

 

In the latest development related to the Country Cottage outbreak, the Oklahoman reported today that FBI officials contacted the Oklahoma health department after the outbreak out of concern that it “might be a criminal situation ... related to several outbreaks recently (in the U.S.)."

 

 

Also of interest, every person who became ill ate food prepared by Country Cottage.  The outbreak has turned into one of the US’s largest of this rare strain of E. coli.  To date, one person has died, 72 were hospitalized and 241 others became sick. 

 

Total known cases: 314

In-patient hospitalizations: 72

Patients who required dialysis for renal failure: 17

Deaths: One

People interviewed: 1,843

Victims who ate food provided by Country Cottage in Locust Grove: Every known case

State and county health workers involved in response and/or inquiry: At least 135

 

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Whatever China may have bought in world respect by hosting the spectacular summer Olympics may now be lost by the way the People's Republic is handing its adulteration of milk with the industrial chemical melamine.

Item One:   According to Reuters: The government has not updated figures issued on September 21, when it said that 12,892 infants were in hospital, 104 with serious illness, and close to 40,000 others were affected but did not need major treatment.  However, from local media reports Reuters estimates the total number of cases now is more like 94,000.

Item Two: Another news service says A loose-knit group of about 100 Chinese lawyers, offering free legal advice to families of sick children, has come under pressure from the government to withdraw from the cases.  The group has managed to file a lawsuit in Henan province against Sanlu Group Co., the dairy that is the center of the melamine scandal.

Besides putting pressure on the lawyers to get out, the State Council, China's Cabinet, has imposed media controls.  The Chinese government acknowledges there was a lack of oversight of the dairy industry.

For more on the victims in China, go here.

 

 

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This is a press release being distributed by Marler Clark:

Seattle--- “E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks associated with lettuce or spinach, specifically the "pre-washed" and "ready-to-eat" varieties sold under various brand and trade names, are by no means a new phenomenon,” according to food-safety attorney, William D. Marler, of Marler Clark.  By way of illustration:

•    in October 2003, thirteen residents of a California retirement home were sickened, and two people died, after eating E. coli-contaminated, pre-washed spinach;

•    in September 2003, nearly forty patrons of a California restaurant chain fell ill after eating salads prepared with bagged, pre-washed lettuce; and

•    in July 2002, over fifty young women fell ill with E. coli O157:H7 at a dance camp after eating “pre-washed” lettuce, leaving several hospitalized and one with life-long kidney damage. 

And this is just a small sampling of the twenty or more E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks since 1995 in which spinach or lettuce was the source.

Several more outbreaks linked to contaminated leafy-produce, including most recently the September 2005 Dole packaged lettuce outbreak, are identified in the chart below, which is based on information gathered by the Center for Science in the Public Interest:

 

DATE	VEHICLE	Etiology	Number of CASES	STATES
8/93	Salad	E. coli O157:H7	53	WA
7/95	Lettuce (leafy green; red; romaine)	E. coli O157:H7	70	MT
9/95	Lettuce (romaine)	E. coli O157:H7	20	ID
9/95	Lettuce (iceberg)	E. coli O157:H7	39	ME
10/95	Lettuce (iceberg; unconfirmed)	E. coli O157:H7	11	OH
5/96-6/96	Lettuce (mesclun; red leaf)	E. coli O157:H7	61	CT, IL, NY
5/98	Salad	E. coli O157:H7	2	CA
2/99-3/99	Lettuce (iceberg)	E. coli O157:H7	72	NE
7/02-8/02	Lettuce (romaine)	E. coli O157:H7	29	WA,ID
10/03-5/04	Lettuce (mixed salad)	E. coli O157:H7	57	CA
4/04	Spinach	E. coli O157:H7	16	CA
9/05	Lettuce (romaine)	E. coli O157:H7	32	MN, WI, OR

 

The CSPI data base can be found here.

 

The most recent major E. coli outbreak ties to leafy greens was the Dole Spinach outbreak of 2006.  This included 205 illnesses due to E. coli O157:H7 reported the CDC. This number included 31 cases of HUS, 102 hospitalizations, and 3 deaths. The FDA maintained its conclusion that all the implicated spinach was traced back to Salinas Valley in California.

“We never seem to learn,” said Mr. Marler.  In November 2005, the FDA elucidated its past efforts and present concerns in its "Letter to California Firms that Grow, Pack, Process, or Ship Fresh and Fresh-Cut Lettuce." The letter begins:

“This letter is intended to make you aware of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) serious concern with the continuing outbreaks of food borne illness associated with the consumption of fresh and fresh-cut lettuce and other leafy greens.”

The FDA efforts to lead the lettuce industry to safer practices were nothing new. In 1998, the FDA issued guidance to the industry entitled "Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fruits and Vegetables." The guide is specifically designed to assist growers and packers in the implementation of safer manufacturing practices. On February 5, 2004, the FDA issued a letter to the lettuce and tomato industries to "make them aware of [FDA's] concerns regarding continuing outbreaks associated with these two commodities and to encourage the industries to review their practices."

BACKGROUND: Marler Clark has extensive experience representing victims of E. coli bacterial infections. The firm has represented over 1,000 E. coli victims since 1993, when William Marler represented HUS survivor Brianne Kiner in her $15.6 million E. coli settlement with Jack in the Box. Since that time, Marler Clark has represented victims of E. coli outbreaks traced to ConAgra, AFG, Cub Foods, Supervalu, Carneco, Excel, Topps, Stop & Shop and other ground beef suppliers. 

Contact:  William D. Marler – 1-206-794-5043, bmarler@marlerclark.com.
 

Mr. Marler wrote: Aunt Mid's Produce Company E. coli Linked to Lettuce in Michigan Illnesses on his blog.  Go there or look below for information on the Michigan outbreak.

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The Michigan Department of Community Health is issuing a public health alert after dozens of cases of E. coli surfaced. It now appears the E. coli outbreak is linked to iceberg lettuce that came from a wholesale distributor.

As a precautionary measure, the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) is issuing a public health alert due to illnesses from the 26 cases of E. coli strain O157:H7 that are thought to be associated with bagged, industrial-sized packages of iceberg lettuce sold through wholesale venues to restaurants and institutions.

There is no evidence that the bagged lettuce at grocery stores is affected.

Some of the 26 Michigan cases consumed shredded or chopped iceberg lettuce in restaurants or institutions purchased from Aunt Mid's Produce Company, a Detroit-based wholesale distributor; and other distributing outlets could be identified. Product trace back and additional tests results are still in progress.

Our top priority at the Michigan Department of Community Health is to protect the public, said Dr. Gregory Holzman, chief medical executive for MDCH.  We appreciate all of the assistance from Aunt Mid's. They have been very helpful in this investigation. We want to ensure that the public's health and well-being is protected. Even though the investigation is ongoing, available evidence is strongly pointing to iceberg lettuce.

The 26 genetically linked cases are present in eight Michigan counties including seven at Michigan State University (Ingham County), five inmates at the Lenawee County Jail, three students at the University of Michigan (Washtenaw County), four in Macomb County, three each in Wayne, two in Kent counties, and one each in St. Clair and Oakland counties. Of the E. coli O157:H7 cases that are genetically linked, 10 have been hospitalized. These linked cases range in age from 11 to 81 years old. Symptoms of these confirmed genetically linked E. coli patients began on Sept. 8. More confirmed cases could surface as the investigation continues

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Xiang Yuzhang, China's chief quality inspector, says the melamine in the baby food problem was "more or less" under control, ABC News is reporting. However, America's top attorney for victims of food-borne illnesses, says many questions remain about the harm that's been done.

"At present, there is basically no melamine problem in the Chinese market," said Xiang. "As far as I know, there will be no more bad news."  ABC News says:

Lawyer Bill Marler, who has represented clients in some of the largest food-safety cases in the United States, says this latest food scare will inevitably do further harm to the "made in China" brand abroad.

"Clearly, you have to think about things from a moral perspective. There are [53,000] children sick," said Marler. "But you also think about it from an economic perspective. If this product had gotten into the United States, it would have been 'game over' for a lot of products in China."

Xiang and Marler are both speaking at a food safety conference in Beijing that was planned before poison was found in baby formula made in China.  ABC sums up the situation this way:

Baby milk powder spiked with the industrial chemical melamine has sickened 53,000 infants and killed four. Millions of Chinese parents are scratching their heads over which formulas are safe. The dairy industry has been brought to its knees, as the government overhauls the milk collection system and identifies where in the supply chain the melamine was added.

"It somewhat surprised me," said Marler. "Every Chinese speaker at the conference spoke about the crisis. I thought it would be avoided."

For the rest from ABC, go here.

 

 

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The tainted baby formula that has been blamed for killing four infants and sickening 6,200 in China since the scandal broke last week.  About 1,300 babies, mostly newborns, are in hospitals and 158 of them are suffering from acute kidney failure.

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stepped up with a word of assurance for Americans and a note of caution for Chinese-American communities.

The FDA said "there is no known threat of contamination in infant formula manufactured by companies that have met the requirements to sell such products in the United States." 

But  FDA "also warned members of Chinese communities in the United States that infant formula manufactured in China, possibly available for purchase at Asian markets, could pose a risk to infants.

Since issuing a Health Alert on Sept. 12th, FDA said it had contacted the companies who manufacture infant formula for distribution in the United States and received information from the companies that they are not importing formula or source materials from China.

At the same time, the FDA—in conjunction with state and local officials—began a nation-wide investigation to check Asian markets for Chinese manufactured infant formula that may have been brought into the United States. In particular, this effort focused on areas of the country with large Chinese communities, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and New York.

To date, investigators have visited more than 1,000 retail markets and have not found Chinese infant formula present on shelves in these markets.

In addition, the FDA is advising consumers not to purchase infant formula manufactured in China from internet sites or from other sources.

For today's statement from FDA, go here.

 

 

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The U.S. Food & Drug Administration(FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) held a joint media conference call this afternoon.   It came shortly after CDC posted new numbers of culture confirmed cases of Salmonella Saintpaul.

We cover that in great detail over on the Salmonella Blog.   Check out Salmonella Saintpaul Makes More Than 1,000 Sick: CDC Putting Focus On Peppers, Cilantro As Well

From their session with the media, we think its fair to say that "hot" peppers have taken their place as equals along side tomatoes in the ongoing hunt for the source of the Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak. 

But anyone who thinks either FDA or CDC will be treating "hot" peppers like they did tomatoes is missing the wisdom of something Emerson once said:  "foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."

For example, there is no warning going out to the general public about "hot" peppers.   Instead, there's this posted tonight on FDA's website:

Although epidemiological and other evidence continues to have a strong association with certain raw tomatoes, a recent case control study and disease cluster information provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) indicate that not only tomatoes, but also raw jalapeno and serrano peppers may be linked to illnesses in this continuing outbreak.

At this time, the FDA is advising people in high risk populations such as elderly persons, infants and people with impaired immune systems to avoid eating raw jalapeno and raw serrano peppers.

In addition, the FDA continues to advise consumers to avoid eating raw red plum, red Roma, or red round tomatoes except for those grown in the areas listed (see extended reading area) below. Tomatoes grown in those areas have not been associated with the outbreak.

Nor will there be any list of safe "hot" pepper growing areas as with tomatoes.  Dr. David Acheson, FDA's associate commissioner for foods, says the safe list sort of grew up when some growing areas pointed out the Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak started before they were producing a crop.

What FDA and CDC are doing is working their tracebacks hard.   They've been helped by having more clusters to work with as the outbreak has continued.  And, the two agencies aren't worried about any oversight this outbreak might bring them.

"Our mission is to protect public health," said Acheson.

 

Continue Reading...

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The CDC reports this evening that "fresh tomatoes, fresh hot chili peppers such as jalapeños, and fresh cilantro are the lead hypotheses. However, at this point in the investigation, we can neither directly implicate one of these ingredients as the single source, nor discard any as a possible source".

Since April, 971 persons infected with Salmonella Saintpaul with the same genetic fingerprint have been identified in 40 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada. These were identified because clinical laboratories in all states send Salmonella strains from ill persons to their State public health laboratory for characterization. No new states report ill persons. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (2 persons), Arkansas (10), Arizona (45), California (8), Colorado (12), Connecticut (4), Florida (2), Georgia (24), Idaho (4), Illinois (93), Indiana (14), Iowa (2), Kansas (17), Kentucky (1), Louisiana (1), Maine (1), Maryland (29), Massachusetts (22), Michigan (7), Minnesota (8), Missouri (12), New Hampshire (4), Nevada (11), New Jersey (9), New Mexico (98), New York (28), North Carolina (10), Ohio (7), Oklahoma (23), Oregon (10), Pennsylvania (8), Rhode Island (3), South Carolina (1), Tennessee (8), Texas (381), Utah (2), Virginia (29), Vermont (2), Washington (4), Wisconsin (10), and the District of Columbia (1). Four ill persons are reported from Canada; three appear to have been infected while traveling in the United States, and one illness remains under investigation.

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Really?  According to the CDC, for every one person who is a stool-culture positive victim of salmonella in the United States, there a multiple of 38.5 who are also sick, but remain uncounted. (See, AC Voetsch, “FoodNet estimate of the burden of illness caused by nontyphoidal Salmonella infections in the United States, ”Clinical Infectious Diseases 2004;38 (Suppl 3):S127-34). That means that we are close to poisoning 38,000 people and we do not even know the vector.

Also according to CNN, “starting Monday, health inspectors will halt the shipment of ingredients common to Mexican cuisine from Mexico to the United States” – this will include cilantro, jalapeño peppers, Serrano peppers, scallions and bulb onions. I assume that it may still include tomatoes?

As for illnesses, the CDC reports that 943 persons infected with Salmonella Saintpaul with the same genetic fingerprint have been identified in 40 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada. Nearly 150 have been hospitalized. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (2 persons), Arkansas (10), Arizona (45), California (8), Colorado (12), Connecticut (4), Florida (2), Georgia (24), Idaho (4), Illinois (93), Indiana (14), Iowa (2), Kansas (17), Kentucky (1), Louisiana (1), Maine (1), Maryland (29), Massachusetts (22), Michigan (7), Minnesota (8), Missouri (12), New Hampshire (4), Nevada (11), New Jersey (9), New Mexico (98), New York (28), North Carolina (10), Ohio (7), Oklahoma (23), Oregon (10), Pennsylvania (8), Rhode Island (3), South Carolina (1), Tennessee (8), Texas (356), Utah (2), Virginia (29), Vermont (2), Washington (4), Wisconsin (10), and the District of Columbia (1). One ill person is reported from Ontario, Canada.

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As Americans go into the 4th of July weekend, they will not be getting a break.  Fear the hamburger.  Pass on the tomatoes.  Fireworks, but better skip the salsa.   We are experiencing another year just like the last one, awash in food-borne illness.

Last year was so obvious.   Topps was reeking in E. coli O157:H7.  There was undercover video tape of the Chino slaughterhouse.  This year, there is mystery.  More than usual.   The rare Salmonella Saintpaul has had its way with America for six weeks leaving our blue-chip food safety agencies without a clue as to where its coming from.

About the 4th of July,  John Adams said: "It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."  Kroger customers who are recovering from E. coli O157:H7 probably won't feel much like celebrating.

Maybe those good folks will spend time contemplating why the near 2,500-store Kroger chain is still buying from the notorious Nebraska Beef Ltd.   You would think Kroger would have a sufficient sense of corporate responsibility to check out the background of its beef suppliers.

From the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), here's the latest on the nation-wide Salmonella Saintpaul and Michigan/Ohio E. coli outbreaks.

SALMONELLA SAINTPAUL

Since April, 869 persons infected with Salmonella Saintpaul with the same genetic fingerprint have been identified in 36 states and the District of Columbia. These were identified because clinical laboratories in all states send Salmonella strains from ill persons to their State public health laboratory for characterization.

The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Arkansas (10 persons), Arizona (41), California (10), Colorado (11), Connecticut (4), Florida (1), Georgia (20), Idaho (3), Illinois (91), Indiana (11), Kansas (14), Kentucky (1), Maine (1), Maryland (29), Massachusetts (21), Michigan (6), Minnesota (2), Missouri (12), New Hampshire (3), Nevada (11), New Jersey (6), New Mexico (90), New York (26), North Carolina (5), Ohio (7), Oklahoma (23), Oregon (10), Pennsylvania (8), Rhode Island (3), Tennessee (6), Texas (346), Utah (2), Virginia (22), Vermont (2), Washington (4), Wisconsin (6), and the District of Columbia (1).

Among the 588 persons with information available, illnesses began between April 10 and June 20, 2008, including 179 who became ill on June 1 or later. Many steps must occur between a person becoming ill and the determination that the illness was caused by the outbreak strain of Salmonella; these steps take an average of 2-3 weeks.

Therefore, an illness reported today may have begun 2-3 weeks ago. Patients range in age from <1 to 99 years; 48 percent are female. The rate of illness is highest among persons 20 to 29 years old; the rate of illness is lowest in children 10 to 19 years old and in persons greater than 80 years old. At least 107 persons were hospitalized.

No deaths have been officially attributed to this outbreak. However, a man in his sixties who died in Texas from cancer had an infection with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Saintpaul at the time of his death. The infection may have contributed to his death.

Only 3 persons infected with this strain of Salmonella Saintpaul were identified in the country during the same period in 2007

E. COLI O157:H7

We will continue with information on the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak involving Kroger and Nebraska Beef in the extended reading section.
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The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention today added Nevada to the list of states with confirmed cases of Salmonella Saintpaul.  It is the 34th state to be included in the tomato-related outbreak, which also includes the District of Columbia.

CDC is now counting 652 confirmed cases in the outbreak.  

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Since April, 613 persons infected with Salmonella Saintpaul with the same genetic fingerprint have been identified in 33 states and the District of Columbia. These were identified because clinical laboratories in all states send Salmonella strains from ill persons to their State public health laboratory for characterization. The marked increase in reported ill persons since the last update is not thought to be due to a large number of new infections. The number of reported ill persons increased mainly because some states improved surveillance for Salmonella in response to this outbreak and because laboratory identification of many previously submitted strains was completed. In particular, one new state, Massachusetts reported ill persons. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Arkansas (3 persons), Arizona (34), California (8), Colorado (4), Connecticut (4), Florida (1), Georgia (14), Idaho (3), Illinois (45), Indiana (9), Kansas (9), Kentucky (1), Maryland (18), Massachusetts (12), Michigan (4), Missouri (12), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (1), New Mexico (79), New York (18), North Carolina (1), Ohio (3), Oklahoma (17), Oregon (5), Pennsylvania (5), Rhode Island (2), Tennessee (4), Texas (265), Utah (2), Virginia (21), Vermont (1), Washington (1), Wisconsin (5), and the District of Columbia (1). Among the 316 persons with information available, illnesses began between April 10 and June 13, 2008. Patients range in age from <1 to 99 years; 50 percent are female. At least 69 persons were hospitalized. No deaths have been officially attributed to this outbreak. However, a man in his sixties who died in Texas from cancer had an infection with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Saintpaul at the time of his death. The infection may have contributed to his death.

Source: Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Atlanta

Tags: Foodborne Illness Outbreaks

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