May 1, 2012
Salmonella finding prompts North Carolina tempeh recall
A North Carolina company recalled its unpasteurized tempeh products after routine tests turned up Salmonella, but health officials don't know if it is the strain responsible for an outbreak that has sickened 37 people who live in or visited Buncombe County. Smiling Hara, based in Ashville, recalled 12-oz packages of its soybean tempeh, a meat substitute used in vegetarian cuisine, according to a statement today from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDACS). The recall applies to tempeh produced between Jan 11 and Apr 11. Additional tests are under way to determine if the Salmonella detected in the tempeh matches the outbreak strain, which has now sickened 37 patients, an increase of 3 since an update yesterday from the Buncombe County Department of Health. The outbreak involves Salmonella Paratyphi B, an uncommon strain.
May 1 NCDACS press release
Indonesian child dies from H5N1 infection
A 2-year-old Indonesian child has died from H5N1 avian flu, according to a translated Indonesian health ministry statement that appeared today on the FluTrackers infectious disease message board. The girl, from Riau province, got sick on Apr 17 and was treated at a private clinic a few days later, according to the statement. She was admitted to the hospital on Apr 21 and was transferred to a referral hospital on Apr 27, where she died that day. An investigation into the source of her infection revealed that she had been exposed to poultry; her parents sold quail eggs. If the girl's illness and death are confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO), she will be listed as the country's 189th infection and its 157th death from H5N1. Also, the event would push the global H5N1 total to 603 cases and 356 deaths.
May 1 FluTrackers thread
Apr 12 WHO global H5N1 case count
CDC announces four Immunization Excellence Awards
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday announced four winners of its National Influenza Vaccine Summit (NIVS) Immunization Excellence Awards for "recognizing the value and extraordinary contributions of individuals and organizations towards improved adult, adolescent, and/or childhood influenza vaccination rates within their communities during the 2011-2012 influenza season." The annual awards were given in four categories: (1) overall season activities (USPHS/IHS/PIMC/Pharmacy Based Immunization Clinic, Phoenix, Ariz.), (2) healthcare personnel campaign (Minnesota Department of Health), (3) immunization coalitions/public health/community campaign (Caring for Children Foundation of Texas's Care Van Program, Richardson, Tex.), and (4) corporate campaign (Walgreens, which last year won the overall season activities award). The CDC said in a press release yesterday that nominees were evaluated on the basis of impact, collaboration, originality, challenges, and opportunities and that the agency received more than 32 nomination packets. The awards will be presented May 17 in Atlanta during the NIVS.
Apr 30 CDC announcement
Study: E coli resistance to leading UTI drugs surged in last decade
A recent study of Escherichia coli isolates from urine samples collected from US outpatients shows that resistance to the two leading drugs for treating urinary tract infections (UTIs) increased substantially between 2000 and 2010. Using a surveillance network that collects data from more than 200 US institutions, researchers from George Washington University (GWU) examined resistance findings on more than 12 million E coli isolates, according to the report, published in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. They found that E coli resistance to ciprofloxacin, the most commonly used antimicrobial for UTIs, climbed from 3% in 2000 to 17.1% in 2010, while resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX; Bactrim), the second most commonly used UTI drug, rose from 17.9% to 24.2%. A GWU press release noted that E coli accounts for 75% to 95% of UTIs, which are among the most common infections. Senior author Jose Bordon, MD, PhD, commented in the release, "Our study reveals that ciprofloxacin and TMP-SMX are no longer safe for outpatient urinary tract infection. Our study indicates that safer antimicrobials for outpatient UTI are nitrofurantoin in patients without kidney insufficiency and amoxicillin/clavulanate and third generation cephalosporins for all others." The authors found minimal increases in E coli resistance to nitrofurantoin and ceftriaxone.
Apr 30 GWU press release
Antimicrob Agents Chemother abstract
