Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Outbreaks and Alerts: June 15, 2010

A daily digest of international outbreaks, alerts and food safety news

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United States
  • Baton Rouge, LA. June 14: One hundred and nine cases of oil spill exposure-related cases have been reported to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals to date; 74 of the cases involved workers on oil rigs or workers involved in the oil spill clean-up efforts, while 35 were reported by the general public.
  • Springfield, IL. June 14: The Subway Salmonella Hvittingfoss outbreak has now affected 79 people (ages 2 to 79 years old) who ate at Subway restaurant locations in 26 Illinois counties.
  • Washington, DC. June 14: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are taking additional steps to enhance inspection measures designed to ensure that seafood from the Gulf of Mexicoreaching America's tables is safe to eat.
  • Delaware. June 14: The Delaware Division of Public Health has identified a case of Listeria monocytogenes infection and a case of brucellosis, each in a different county. Both patients reported consuming raw milk, and the individual who is suffering from listeriosis reported having handled raw poultry. Delaware does not permit retail sale of unpasteurized milk.



Canada



Europe
  • Nagorno-Karabakh, Russia. June 10: Contaminated drinking water is being blamed for a disease outbreak of in the village of Tigranavan Kashatagh. An unspecified number of residents, including children, have been hospitalized with symptoms that include a high fever, and joint pain.
  • Bagnols, France. June 15: Lab tests have failed to determine the cause of an outbreak of vomiting that affected some 30 students at a local school. The episode took place last week, approximately one-half hour after the students lunched in the cafeteria.
  • United Kingdom. June 15: The Health Protection Agency has released the Independent Investigation Committee report into last year's major outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses that were traced to visits at the Godstone "Open Farm" petting farm.


Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands
  • Hong Kong. June 14: The Centre for Health Protection is investigating an outbreak of gastroenteritis at a kindergarten in Causeway Bay. Since June 5th, twelve boys and eight girls, ranging in age between three and six years old, have been treated for symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain.



Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Goiania, Brazil. June 15: Analyses carried out in the water consumed in Goiania found quantities of iron up to three times higher than tolerated, and changes in color and turbidity. Although there have not been any outbreaks reported so far, the local regulatory agency warns that consuming water that contains excessive amounts of iron may result in episodes of vomiting and diarrhea.




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