(CIDRAP News) – Federal and state officials yesterday reported an Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreak that has sickened at least 24 patients in Michigan and Ohio, and state officials say their investigations are pointing to ground beef as the likely source.
(CIDRAP News) Federal agencies that play key food safety roles recently held a public meeting to clarify the obstacles public health officials encounter in investigating foodborne disease outbreaks and to build support for measures to improve the process.
Editor's note: The numbers in this story were revised on Apr 15 to reflect a correction issued by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA originally said the outbreak involved 23 cases in 14 states, but on Apr 15 the agency said the correct numbers were 21 cases in 13 states.
(CIDRAP News) The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) held a 2-day meeting this week to gather feedback on its next proposed steps to reverse the recent increase in recalls and illnesses related to Escherichia coli O157:H7 in ground beef.
(CIDRAP News) The rates of the most common foodborne illnesses in the United States have remained about the same since 2004, pointing to a need for increased efforts to ensure food safety, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today.
(CIDRAP News) The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to hold a public meeting Apr 9 and 10 to gather major stakeholders to consider the agency's next moves in the battle against Escherichia coli O157:H7 in beef.
In a news release yesterday, USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Richard Raymond said the last significant reductions in E coli contamination and related illnesses occurred early in this decade.
(CIDRAP News) An investigation by acongressional oversight committee into the US Food and Drug Administration's(FDA's) inspection of fresh spinach revealed lax enforcement at facilities thathad violations.
(CIDRAP News) Researchers from Michigan State University have shown that genetic differences in Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains relate to virulence, confirming suspicions public health experts have had and shedding light on why patients in recent outbreaks seem to have had more severe symptoms.
(CIDRAP News) Officials from California and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a final report on a 2006 Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreak associated with iceberg lettuce from Taco John's restaurants in Iowa and Minnesota, revealing that wastewater from nearby dairy operations might have contaminated irrigation water.
(CIDRAP News) The distribution of more than $5 billion in federal funds since 2001 has greatly improved states' preparedness to deal with disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and other public health emergencies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in a first-of-its-kind assessment.
