Outbreaks and Alerts: September 20, 2010

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

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United States

• Jackson County, OR. September 20th: Oregon Public Health issues a health advisory for Lost Creek Lake, after water monitoring confirms the presence of blue-green algae that can produce toxins harmful to humans and animals.
• Douglas County, OR. September 20th: Oregon Public Health lifts a health advisory for Dexter Reservoir after water monitoring has confirmed reduced levels of blue-green algae in the water.

Europe

• Turino, Italy. September 20th: Dozens of people in and around Turino have been affected by gastroenteritis in recent days after consuming shellfish purchased in local supermarkets.
• Sanremo, Italy. September 20th: Individuals who purchased mussels in a supermarket in Imperia and others who consumed mussels in a Sanremo restaurant have been affected with vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain.
• Largardère, France. September 20th: Approximately 20 people required medical treatment for symptoms of food poisoning after consuming a meat of grilled chicken at a banquet hall. Analyses are underway to determine the cause of the illnesses.
• Europe. September 20th: Dried sausages with mushrooms from France are believed to be behind a food-borne outbreak in the European Union. The suspect food – the identity of which has not been disclosed – was manufactured in France and distributed to Belgium, Czech Republic, France, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Gulmi, Nepal. September 19th: More than 100 people in the district were taken ill with diarrhea during the past few weeks.
• Meishan City, China. September 19th: A total of 291 students at the Meishan Vocational and Technical College developed diarrhea, probably due cross-contamination of the school drinking water supply by water from broken sewage pipes.
• Beijing, China. September 20th: Police in north China have arrested seven people suspected of producing powdered milk tainted with melamine. The 26 tonnes of tainted product also had been made with unsold milk powder past its sell-by date.

Latin America and the Caribbean

• Belo Horizonte, Brazil. September 19th: 120 attendees at a Court of Auditors of the State of Minas Gerais event at the MinasCentro convention center. Victims were treated at an outpatient clinic installed at the convention center. None of the attendees required hospital treatment.