Outbreaks and Alerts: September 3, 2010

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

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United States

• Nebraska. September 2nd: Health alerts will continue over the Labor Day weekend for Willow Creek Lake near Pierce and Red Willow Reservoir near McCook. Alerts have ended at Kirkman’s Cove near Humboldt and Merritt Reservoir in Cherry County.
• Clackamas County, OR. September 2nd: A health advisory has been issued, prompted by high algae levels found in North Fork Reservoir, located seven miles south of Estacada on Highway 224.
• Huron County, MI. September 2nd: Huron County health officials report that several children and one adult are experiencing gastrointestinal infections that are presumed to be due to E. coli O157:H7.
• Kansas. September 2nd: The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) continues to monitor waters for blue-green algae and has provided an updated list of advisories and warnings.
• Augusta, ME. September 2nd: The Maine Department of Agriculture and Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) remind consumers to check their freezers for products involved in the ground beef recall that was issued by USDA, due to possible Escherichia coli O26 contamination. The ground beef, distributed by Cargill Meat Solutions Corp., of Wyalusing, Pennsylvania, was sold at BJ’s Wholesale Club stores in Maine. Maine CDC has identified two adults with a matching strain of E. coli O26. The date of onset of illness for the two patients was July 8 and July 16. Patients resided in Androscoggin and Oxford counties. Both patients prepared and consumed ground beef. One patient in New York State also matches this strain of E. coli O26. The patient in New York State also had exposure to ground beef.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Kiambu, Kenya. August 30th: One person died from anthrax and eight others were taken to hospital after eating contaminated meat. Unconfirmed reports said more than 20 people were treated at the district hospital and discharged. A health officer who inspected and certified the meat to be fit for human consumption and the butcher who sold the meat both have been arrested.