CDC: Salmonella outbreak tied to raw chicken products grows to 7
An outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to raw, frozen, stuffed chicken products has grown to seven cases, with Oklahoma announcing its first case, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said yesterday in an update.
Totals are now five cases in Minnesota and one each in Wisconsin and Oklahoma. Two of the patients have required hospitalization. Illness-onset dates range from Apr 5 to Jun 23.
The outbreak is linked to raw, frozen, stuffed chicken entrees like chicken Kiev made by Barber Foods of Portland, Me., the CDC said. The company has recalled more than 1.7 million pounds of products because of the outbreak.
The Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) collected 15 samples of unopened frozen chicken entrees produced by Barber Foods from retail locations for lab testing. MDA scientists isolated Salmonella from 14 of these samples and the outbreak strain from 1 sample.
The CDC said in its update yesterday that there are two separate outbreaks involving Salmonella Enteritidis and raw, frozen, and stuffed chicken entrees.
On Jun 15 the US Department of Agriculture announced that a second company, Aspen Foods, a subsidiary of Koch Poultry Co. of Chicago, recalled 1.98 million pounds of frozen, raw, stuffed, and breaded chicken entrees that may be likewise contaminated with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis.
Jul 16 CDC update
Jul 16 CIDRAP News scan on Aspen recall
Texas Cyclospora outbreak now at 182 cases
The Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) reported 21 new Cyclospora infections in recent days, lifting the outbreak total to 182 cases, the agency said today in an update.
So far 35 of the state's 254 counties have reported cases, with Travis County, which includes Austin, reporting by far the most illnesses, with 77. Dallas County is second with 14.
Cyclosporiasis is a parasitic infection caused by consuming contaminated food or water. Its main symptom is watery diarrhea that can last from days to months.
A similar outbreak in Texas last summer resulted in 200 illnesses, some of which were tied to cilantro from Mexico's Puebla region.
Jul 17 TDSHS update
Jul 14 CIDRAP News scan on previous update