Outbreaks and Alerts: June 5, 2010

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

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United States

• Atlanta, GA. June 3: According to CDC's latest update on the Salmonella Newport outbreak due to contaminated alfalfa sprouts, as of 11:00 PM EDT on June 2, 2010, a total of 35 individuals infected with a matching strain of Salmonella Newport have been reported from 11 states since March 1, 2010.
• Gibbon, MN. June 3: Laboratory testing this week provided additional evidence that the Hartmann dairy farm, of rural Gibbon, was the source of a strain of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria that sickened at least five Minnesotans after they consumed raw, unpasteurized milk or other dairy products from the farm.
• Jefferson City, MO. June 3: The public beach at Mark Twain State Park will remain closed this weekend because of E. coli levels that remain higher than the standard set by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for state park beaches.
• Tallahassee, FL. June 3: Three people were arrested at a Plant City farmers’ market on a charge of resisting investigators during a sweep aimed at ensuring that food safety regulations governing tomatoes were being followed.
• Chico, CA. June 4: At least 15 people became ill with Salmonella infections last month after attending the Margarita Mix-Off in Chico, California. Three of the fifteen were hospitalized due to the severity of their illnesses. The source of the Salmonella has not yet been found.
• Alabama. June 4: Norovirus was behind an outbreak of gastroenteritis at Oak Mountain State Park, according to the results of an epidemiological investigation carried out by the Alabama Department of Public Health. The virus was recovered from one of the victims. Tests of the lake water determined that Enterococcus, fecal coliform and E. coli levels were in compliance with safety standards.

Europe

• The Scottish Borders, UK. June 3: Two wards at Borders General Hospital have been closed to new admissions after an outbreak of norovirus.
• Northern Ireland. June 4: The Public Health Agency has issued a warning over an increase in reported levels of Norovirus.
• Karpinsk, Russia. June 5: Forty-five children and 6 staff members from a local kindergarten are hospitalized with a preliminary diagnosis of Salmonella gastroenteritis. An audit of the school kitchen uncovered a number of sanitary violations.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. June 3: At least seven people have died and there are now said to be as many as 600 suspected cases of cholera that have been detected since August, in coastal villages around Port Moresby.
• North Cotabato, Philippines. June 3: Health officials have declared a diarrhea outbreak after 209 residents developed gastroenteritis. Contaminated water from the Greenhills and Noah reservoirs is suspected to be the source.
• Hong Kong. June 4: The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) announced that all the 80 samples of rice dumplings collected recently for chemical and microbiological tests were found to be satisfactory.
• Hong Kong. June 4: The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) released the findings of its Food Safety Report for April. Out of the 3,700 food samples tested, three samples were found to be unsatisfactory and the overall satisfactory rate was 99.9%.
• Nairobi, Kenya. June 4: The cholera outbreak in Nakuru town has claimed several lives in Lakeview and Bondeni estates in the past few days. The Municipal Council health authorities have closed food outlets in matatu termini and industrial areas in an effort to arrest the spread of the outbreak.
• Mogadishu, Somalia. June 4: The World Health Organization says cholera cases in Somalia are increasing fast as many people are driven from their homes by fighting between the government and rebels. There were 132 cholera patients in one Mogadishu hospital last week, and reports of more illnesses outside of the capital.
• Sigulu Island, Uganda. June 4: Hundreds of people have fled their homes following an outbreak of stomach pains, headache and diarrhea. Two people have died and more than 20 are hospitalized. The cause of the illness is undetermined, but officials say that the outbreak is not due to cholera.
• Chennai, India. June 4: The Communicable Diseases Hospital in North Chennai is seeing more than 40 new cases of diarrhea daily. Doctors are urging the population to use only properly disinfected water for drinking, cooking and cleaning.

Latin America and the Caribbean

• Tamaulipas, Mexico. June 4: The Ministry of Health declared the state of Tamaulipas as free of the presence or possible outbreak of cholera, saying it is already nearly 10 years that is not registered a case of that disease in the region.