Apr 4, 2012
Sushi suspected in multistate Salmonella outbreak
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating a Salmonella Bareilly outbreak that since Jan 28 has sickened 93 people in 19 states and the District of Columbia, according to an investigational report today. Initial interviews with sick patients so far have found that many of them reported consuming sushi, sashimi, or similar foods the week before they got sick. Federal, state, and local health officials are still conducting surveillance and are identifying and interviewing other ill people about the foods they ate. The CDC said investigators are still working on pinning down the food source, though sushi, especially spicy tuna roll sushi, is suspected to be the likely source. The agency said so far it doesn't have any specific advice for consumers but will do so once a specific food is identified. Affected states and case numbers are: Alabama (2), Arkansas (1), Connecticut (4), District of
Columbia (2), Georgia (4), Illinois (8), Louisiana (2), Maryland (8), Massachusetts (4), Mississippi (1), Missouri (1), New Jersey (6), New York (23), North Carolina (2), Pennsylvania (2), Rhode Island (4), South Carolina (3), Texas (3), Virginia (5), and Wisconsin (8). A blog post yesterday by food safety attorney Bill Marler said the investigation is focusing on six restaurant clusters in Texas, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Connecticut.
Apr 4 CDC report
Apr 3 FSN post
Final Jimmy John's E coli sprout outbreak report cites 29 cases
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its final report yesterday on an 11-state outbreak of Escherichia coli O26 linked to raw clover sprouts served at Jimmy John's restaurants, saying 29 people were confirmed to be infected. Seven of those patients were hospitalized, but no deaths were reported. The numbers include four new cases and three newly affected states (Pennsylvania, Washington, and West Virginia) since the CDC's last update on Mar 8. The case count by state is: Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), Iowa (5), Kansas (2), Michigan (10), Missouri (3), Ohio (3), Pennsylvania (1), Washington (1), Wisconsin (1), and West Virginia (1). The most recent date of illness onset was in February. Jimmy John's announced in February that it would no longer serve clover sprouts.
Apr 3 CDC update
Rains bring increase in cholera cases in Haiti
The annual rainy season has brought a jump in cholera cases in Haiti, USA Today reported yesterday. The country's health officials reported 77 new cases a day in early March, when the season began. Medical teams have been deployed to help slow disease spread, but they have been hampered by lack of coordination and a lack of pay for workers in cholera treatment centers owing to government ineffectiveness after Prime Minister Garry Conille's February resignation, the story said. The increase in cases comes after a steady decline since June 2011, when new cases peaked at more than 1,000 on some days. Boston-based Partners in Health had hoped to begin a Haitian vaccination campaign by now, but it is on hold as an ethics committee studies the program.
Apr 3 USA Today article
