Foodborne Disease Scan for Jun 04, 2014

News brief

Iowa egg company fined $6.8 million over 2010 Salmonella outbreak

Iowa egg producer Quality Egg LLC, which sold Salmonella-contaminated eggs linked to a massive outbreak in 2010, agreed to pay a $6.8 million fine after pleading guilty yesterday to misdemeanor charges, according to media reports.

Tens of thousands of people were sickened in the outbreak, which began in the late summer of 2010, and upwards of 550 million eggs were recalled. The company reportedly sold tainted eggs for about 8 months beginning in January 2010, says a USA Today story.

The newspaper said the company pleaded guilty to one count of bribery of a public official (a US Department of Agriculture inspector given cash to allow the sale of tainted eggs), one count of introducing misbranded (false processing and expiration dates) food into interstate commerce with intent to defraud, and one count of introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce.

In addition, the company owners, Austin (Jack) DeCoster, of Turner, Maine, and his son Peter DeCoster, of Clarion, Iowa, each pleaded guilty to one count of introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce, the story said.

Prosecutors in the case said that although there was no evidence that the DeCosters knew their company was selling contaminated products, they are responsible for its activities. The men could be sentenced to serve jail time of up to 1 year, pay fines of $100,000 each, and provide additional restitution for victims, says an Associated Press (AP) story.
Jun 3 USA Today story
Jun 4 AP story

Two Salmonella strains cited in chia-linked outbreaks in US, Canada

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) update yesterday says 17 cases of illness caused by two strains of Salmonella, all of them linked to eating organic chia seed powder, have now been reported in 10 states. The case count is up by 5 since May 29.

The strains involved are Salmonella Newport, responsible for 12 cases reported earlier, and Salmonella Hartford, blamed for 5 more. The latter matches the strain recently identified by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) as the cause in 5 of 9 cases of salmonellosis there that are also linked to chia seed powder; Salmonella Newport was responsible for the other 4. The CDC and PHAC are collaborating on investigating the outbreak.

Two ill persons in the US outbreak have required hospitalization, as has one in Canada. Illness-onset dates ranged from Jan 21 to May 5, and patient ages range from 4 to 81 years. The update notes that illnesses after May 16 may not yet have been reported.

California-based Navitas Naturals recalled products containing organic sprouted chia seed late in May. This followed a recall by Ontario-basedAdvantage Health Matters of products called Organic Traditions and Back 2 the Garden. Consumers are warned by the CDC not to eat the products, which are available in numerous stores and online and have a long shelf life.
Jun 3 CDC update
Jun 2 CIDRAP News item on Canadian illnesses

News Scan for Jun 04, 2014

News brief

Ebola totals grow steadily in Guinea, Sierra Leone

A fresh round of Ebola virus infections in West Africa is continuing, with Guinea and Sierra Leone together reporting 52 more cases and Guinea reporting more deaths, according to an update from the World Health Organization (WHO) that covers outbreak developments between May 29 and Jun 1.

Guinea reported 39 new cases and 21 deaths in five different districts, pushing the total number so far to 328, of which 193 are lab confirmed. So far 208 deaths have been reported.

Health officials are following 604 contacts, and 16 patients are currently hospitalized.

Meanwhile, Sierra Leone reported 13 new cases in two different districts, lifting the country's total to 79 cases, of which 18 have been confirmed by lab tests. No new deaths were reported, keeping the total at 6. Four patients are in isolation at Kenema Hospital.

A patient from Sierra Leone with a suspected Ebola infection died in Foya, Liberia, and the individual's body was taken back to Kailahun in Sierra Leone for burial. The WHO said 11 contacts in Liberia are being monitored.
Jun 4 WHO Ebola update

Measles cases in Ohio jump to 225

The tally of measles cases in Ohio has jumped to 225, according to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), an increase of 65 from the 160 cases reported May 28.

The outbreak began in March, and the latest onset of illness was on May 31, the ODH reported in its update. Seven measles patients have been hospitalized. More than half the cases—133—have occurred in Knox County. Other counties and case numbers are Ashland, 36; Holmes, 29; Coshocton, 19; Richland, 7, and Wayne, 1.

The outbreak was sparked by unvaccinated Ohioans who traveled to the Philippines, the ODH noted. Last week the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the Philippines has had 32,000 measles cases this year and noted that the Ohio outbreak mainly affects Amish communities.
ODH 2014 Measles Outbreak page
Related May 29 CIDRAP News story

H7N9 hospitalizes two more in China

Chinese health officials have reported two more H7N9 influenza infections, both in Jiangsu province, according to a statement today from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) based on information it received from the mainland's National Health and Family Planning Commission.

The patients are a man and woman, both age 51, who are hospitalized. The report did not list any other information, such as illness onset dates, how they were exposed to the virus, or if there are any connections between the two patients.

Today's CHP report also included information about two of China's previously reported cases, in two men from Shandong province—a 61-year-old who had been exposed to poultry and who died from his infection and a 33-year-old who is hospitalized. Earlier reports said the men were father and son.

The two new cases in Jiangsu province boost the overall outbreak total to 449, according to a list of human H7N9 cases maintained by FluTrackers, an infectious disease news message board. So far, 313 cases have been reported in the outbreak's second wave, which has tapered off to a handful of cases each week. For comparison, 136 cases were reported during the first H7N9 wave last spring.
Jun 4 CHP statement
FluTrackers H7N9 human case list