Outbreaks and Alerts: October 8, 2010

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

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.

For information on the US Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak and egg recalls, please click here.

United States

• North Syracuse, NY. October 6th: The Onondaga County Health Department reports that 60 people have fallen ill with Campylobacter infections after consuming raw clams served at a clambake at Hinerwadel's Grove on September 15th. The Health Department is asking anyone who ate at the facility and became ill to call (315) 435-6607.
• Silver Spring, MD. October 7th: The Department of Justice, at the request of FDA, has filed a complaint for permanent injunction against Juices Incorporated (a.k.a. Juices International and Juices Enterprises; Brooklyn, NY) to prevent the company from processing and distributing juice products. The action was taken following repeated violations by the company of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
• Carlsbad, CA. October 7th: Carlsbad State Beach has been closed for water contact between 1,000 feet north and south of Encina Creek Outlet due to a 5,000 gallon sewage spill from a main at 6200 Avenida Encinas in Carlsbad.
• Toledo, WA. October 7th: The boil water advisory has been lifted.
• Shelby Township, MI. October 7th: The Macomb County Health Department is investigating a possible food poisoning incident connected to the Club Monte Carlo banquet hall. Anyone who attended a function at Club Monte Carlo on October 1st or 2nd and later got sick should call (586) 469-5236.
• New Port Richey, FL. October 8th: Health departments in Florida have temporarily regained powers to conduct kitchen hygiene inspections at child care facilities, after changes in state laws left food safety inspections in disarray.

Europe

• Pamplona, Spain. October 7th: In the last several days, hundreds of people have visited doctors or health centers, complaining of vomiting and diarrhea. The sudden onset of these gastroenteritis symptoms is thought to be due to a highly contagious viral infection – perhaps Norovirus.
• Ekaterinburg, Russia. October 7th: The maternity ward of the central city hospital of Upper Salda has been closed due to outbreaks of gastrointestinal illnesses in infants.
• Netherlands. October 8th: The Food Safety Authority warns consumers against using the product Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS), which is sold as a dietary supplement. MMS, when reconstituted as instructed, may contain a hazardous concentration of bleach.
• Satka, Russia. October 8th: Sixty-two cases of hepatitis A infections have been reported. Vaccination programs and disinfection of houses where cases were reported have been undertaken.
• Manchester, UK. October 8th: One person died and eight others were sick after eating contaminated bean sprouts at a wedding in Prestwich, Greater Manchester in August.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Samut Prakan, Thailand. October 5th: The Public Health Service has warned local residents of a diarrhea outbreak that has affected 19,423 people in the province so far this year. The majority of patients are young children, students and the elderly.
• Talatamaty, Madagascar, October 6th: Food poisoning, which resulted in 21 people being hospitalized, has triggered a ban on the bulk sale of food-grade oil.
• Delhi, India. October 7th: More than a dozen swimmers at the Commonwealth Games have developed gastroenteritis. The illnesses have especially affected the British and Australian teams. Games officials are conducting tests on the water in the main pool and the warmup pool at the aquatic complex.
• Sulawesi, Indonesia. October 7th: A recent diarrhea outbreak has killed two and hospitalized more than 40 in Benteng district since September 30th.
• Hong Kong. October 8th: The Centre for Food Safety reports that one in 10 samples of noodlefish contained 600 ppm of formaldehyde. By law, the chemical is not permitted for use as a food preservative. The stall where the adulterated noodlefish were found has stopped selling the affected products.
• Hong Kong. October 8th: The Secretary for Food and Health publishes notice that mandatory registration of proprietary Chinese medicines will commence December 3, 2010. Label and package insert requirements will go into effect December 1, 2011.

Australia and New Zealand

• Queensland, Australia. October 7th: Fourteen prisoners and two staff members have fallen ill with stomach cramps, nausea and high temperatures at the Maryborough Correctional centre in south-east Queensland. The affected prisoners have been isolated in their cells.
• Wellington, New Zealand. October 8th: Medsafe has been alerted to the Miracle Mineral Solution products (also known as "Miracle Mineral Supplement" - MMSI and MMSII) in the past and has communicated with the company to require them to cease making claims that their products are an effective treatment for several serious diseases.
• Canberra, Australia. October 8th: Abbott Australasia has agreed to withdraw sibutramine (Reductil) from the Australian market, effective October 9, 2010.

Latin America and the Caribbean

• Durango, Mexico. October 8th: An outbreak of hepatitis A has affected four children attending the Luciano Lopez kindergarten in the community of Ignacio Zaragoza en Nombre de Dios. ther ehave been five hepatitis outbreaks in this community of 250 people in the last 10 years, must likely due to the limited number of sanitary latrines in the village.