Outbreaks and Alerts: June 25, 2010

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

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United States

• Anchorage, AK. June 23: Since June 15th, five adults are suspected or confirmed to have suffered from Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning. One person was seen as an outpatient; the other four were hospitalized, and two died.
• Coos County, OR. June 23: A public health advisory has been issued due to higher-than-normal levels of bacteria in ocean waters at Sunset Bay State Park Beach in Coos County.
• Springfield, IL. June 24: The Subway Salmonella Hvittingfoss outbreak may be over. There have been no new cases reported since June 21st.
• Enterprise, KS. June 24: The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has issued an Emergency Order of Suspension against Munchkin Manor Day Care Home, a licensed family day care home operated by Kimberly R. Riffel located at 2154 Moon Road, Enterprise. No other details have been given.
• Alabama. June 24: The Alabama Department of Public Health has issued swimming advisories for Dauphin Island and Mississippi Sound due to the expected presence of visible oil in the waters as a result of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Pittsburgh, PA. June 24: The Alleghany County Health Department is warning the public – and, especially, day care facilities – of a recent spike in Shigella infections. Shigella is a highly contagious bacterium that is spread person-to-person or through contaminated water or food, and causes bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. The County has received 97 reports of Shigella infections since October, most of them in the last few weeks. In all of 2008, there were just a dozen reported cases of Shigella in the county.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Taipei, Taiwan. June 25: Taitung County's Public Health bureau reports that 24% of 33 iced treat samples from shops surveyed in the county contained excessive levels of bacteria.

  Shops that fail a second time will face fines between NT$30,000 and NT$150,000.

Australia and New Zealand

• Melbourne, Australia. June 24: The Australian Government has imposed sanctions on Islamic Society of Melbourne Eastern Regions Inc, the approved provider of Isomer Retirement Home in Victoria. The Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency identified serious risk to the health, safety and well-being of residents following a Review Audit.

Latin America and the Caribbean

• Veraguas, Panama. June 24: One child (age 1 1/2 years) has died and three other hospitalized after being stricken with diarrhea and vomiting in El Cuaya. The source of the illness is not known, but contaminated water is suspected.