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Another Salmonella Outbreak

FitSugar — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 03:00:00 -0800

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a national salmonella outbreak. This recent outbreak is caused by the strain salmonella Typhimurium, which also caused an outbreak back 2006. As of Sept. 3, at least 388 people have become infected with this strain of salmonella, sending just under 70 people to the hospital to seek treatment. The majority of the cases are focused in California, Ohio, and Minnesota, but the public health departments of 42 states are participating in the ongoing investigation.

The cause of the outbreak is still undetermined, but the best way to avoid the bacteria is to thoroughly cook meat, poultry, and eggs, wash your hands thoroughly and often when cooking, and keep produce and meat separate during food preparation. Most people experience symptoms eight to 48 hours after becoming infected.

I sure do hope none of you will need to change your negative answer on my poll about food poisoning.

Salmonella Update: Mystery Solved?

FitSugar — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:10:00 -0700

We may be once again putting tomatoes on our plates, but the source of the salmonella outbreak has remained a mystery. The FDA just announced that a possible source of the salmonella outbreak – water. They found strains of salmonella in both irrigation water and serrano peppers at a Mexican farm in Nuevo Leon.

Since the tomato industry has lost over $300 million because so much produce had to be thrown out due to the government's warnings, the FDA has been hammered with questions, of course the most pressing one being, "Why did the investigation originally focus on tomatoes?" Officials said in the early part of the investigation, there was definitely a link to tomatoes, and that this red fruit still shouldn't be ruled out entirely. They also said it's possible that the salmonella outbreak was connected to several different kinds of produce. Well that would make sense if irrigation was the culprit.

As for now, two farms in Mexico are still under investigation: The Tamaulipas farm and the Nuevo Leon farm. People are still being advised to avoid raw jalapeño or serrano peppers from Mexico. I don't know about you, but something tells me this issue isn't a closed book. The Mexican government strongly disagrees with the FDA findings. First it was tomatoes, then it was hot peppers, and now the water. What element could possibly be implicated next?

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Peanut Butter and Salmonella Sandwiches, Yum!

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 12:00:00 -0800

That peanut butter sandwich may be giving you more than just a hefty dose of protein and calories...

It is being reported that you should throw away certain jars of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter because these spreads were linked to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened almost 300 people around the country.

Lids of jars produced by ConAgra Foods with a product code beginning "2111" can be returned to the company for a refund.

This is the first reported major case of peanut butter being contaminated with salmonella in the U.S. What's so bad about Salmonella anyway? Salmonella infection is known each year to sicken about 40,000 people in the United States, Salmonellosis (technical term), kills about 600 people annually. Though fortunately no one has died due to this recent outbreak. How do you know if you have it? Symptoms can include diarrhea, fever, dehydration, abdominal pain and vomiting.

Salmonella Outbreak: Now in 16 States

FitSugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:00:00 -0700

On Friday I told you about the salmonella food-poisoning outbreak reported in nine states (New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Idaho, Illinois, and Indiana). Contaminated raw, uncooked tomatoes are thought to be the culprit, and unfortunately more cases of illness have cropped up in seven other states including California, Connecticut, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Investigators believe the tainted tomatoes are also to blame for the most recent recent illnesses. So far a total of 111 people have come down with the same Salmonella "Saintpaul" infection.

Although the source of these rotten tomatoes has yet to be determined, it's believed that you probably don't need to worry about cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, or homegrown tomatoes. The FDA also assures that Roma, red plum, and round red tomatoes from Arkansas, California, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Belgium, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, Netherlands, and Puerto Rico are not associated with this outbreak. I don't know about you, but I'm thinking it may just be easier to avoid raw tomatoes for a while. What do you think?

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Is Peanut Butter Spreading Salmonella?

FitSugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 10:10:07 -0800

Last week, yet another salmonella scare swept the nation, and as of today, almost 400 people have been affected. Since September, cases have been found in 42 states, but the majority are focused in California, Ohio, and Minnesota. Although Minnesota officials think the culprit in their state may be King Nut peanut butter, they haven't connected this product to the national outbreak.

Investigators discovered the salmonella in a five-pound container of King Nut peanut butter in a nursing home. This company doesn't make its own peanut butter, but instead orders it from Peanut Corporation of America, based in Lynchburg, VA. King Nut then sells to food-service providers that supply food to hospitals and other institutional facilities, so it's not sold in retail stores. For safety purposes, King Nut has voluntarily recalled its creamy peanut butter sold under the names King Nut and Parnell's Pride with a lot code that begins with the numeral 8.

The CDC, Agriculture Department, Food and Drug Administration, and state health officials plan to continue the investigation so they can give the public more details about the source of the outbreak. Since the salmonella was found in an open container of peanut butter, cross-contamination may also be a possibility. For more details, check out the FDA's press release.

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Salmonella in Peanut Butter Caused by a Leaky Roof? WTF!!!

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 17:15:00 -0700

Okay, well, remember that salmonella outbreak in jars of peanut butter in February? ConAgra Foods, makers of the contaminated Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter, just announced that moisture from a leaky roof and faulty sprinkler was the source.

This conjures up a nasty picture in my mind of a dingy, dark factory, with a dripping roof and puddles of dirty water on the floor. Gross.

The salmonella came from its plant in Sylvester, Ga. The roof leaked during a rainstorm, and the sprinkler system went off twice because it was broken. The wetness from these three problems mixed with dormant salmonella bacteria that likely came from raw peanuts and peanut dust. Huh?! What the hell is "dormant salmonella" doing in the plant in the first place?

That plant was cleaned thoroughly and the roof and sprinkler system repaired, but the salmonella remained and somehow came in contact with the peanut butter before it was packaged. This made over 400 people sick in 44 different states.

Peanuts are grown underground and salmonella can be found in the dirt, but generally all bacteria are killed when the raw peanuts are roasted. When making peanut butter, the nuts are again heated (above the salmonella-killing temperature of 165 degrees), and are ground into a paste and mixed with other ingredients before being squirted into jars and quickly sealed.

Experts say that the salmonella probably contaminated the peanut butter just as it was cooling and being placed in the jars, but that's just speculation.

A spokeswoman from ConAgra reassured that “consumer safety and health is our top priority." The company plans to redesign the plant to provide greater separation between raw peanuts and the finished product.

This is so sad to me. It seems like more and more foods that are supposed to be sustaining our lives are actually putting us in danger. What is going on?

Biggest Headline of 2008: The Salmonella Scare

FitSugar — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0800

Feasting on tomatoes this Summer seemed a bit like playing Russian Roulette. In early June reports of tomatoes contaminated with salmonella made headlines. The contamination grew like a virus in an incubator. First we learned that the tainted tomatoes were in 16 states, but the number rapidly increased to include 30 states.

As the FDA investigated the salmonella outbreak, serrano and jalapeno peppers as well as cilantro were added to the list of suspicious foods. Suddenly salsa just seemed off-limits, and around 1,500 cases of salmonella were reported overall. Tracking down the source of the infection proved difficult. International borders were involved, and tomatoes, peppers, and cilantro are often sold without tags. Plus, by the time a person becomes symptomatic, the tainted produce is no longer around to test. Ultimately, a possible source was found on a couple farms in Mexico when irrigation water and serrano peppers tested positive for the strain of salmonella. Mexico strongly disagreed with the FDA's findings and the case is not completely closed, but food safety continues to concern many Americans.

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Pistachios Subject of Newest Salmonella Scare

FitSugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:00:00 -0700

Nipping on the heels of the ongoing peanut butter salmonella outbreak is a new scare in tainted nuts, and this time salty fingers are being pointed at pistachios. Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc. has recalled more than two million pounds of roasted pistachios shipped since last Fall, just fraction of the 55 million pounds processed by the company last year.

Because the nuts in question were shipped in bulk to wholesalers who repackaged the nuts for consumers, the effects of a pistachio-driven outbreak could be far-reaching. While growers aren't happy about the safety implications, the FDA recommends steering clear of any product containing pistachios until they have more information about the situation. That means avoiding everything from ice cream and cake mixes to trail mix and energy bars.

While eating pistachios is a decidedly delicious way to lower the LDL (bad) levels of cholesterol in your body, rely on other sources for improving heart health like olive oil and your morning oatmeal until there's more detailed news available.

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Which Peanut Butter Products Are Salmonella Safe?

FitSugar — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Manufacturers of peanut butter products are still in a sticky situation with the salmonella outbreak that has been traced to a Georgia plant owned by Peanut Corporation of America. The widespread situation has caused new recalls to be announced left and right, making it tough to keep track of what is and isn't safe to eat. Do you know which products are safe from salmonella? Take the quiz!

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Take the quiz

Food poisoning

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:48:57 -0700

Illustrations

Food poisoning

Antibodies

HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M

Definition

Food poisoning is the result of eating organisms or toxins in contaminated food. Most cases of food poisoning are from common bacteria such as Staphylococcus or E. coli.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Food poisoning can affect one person or it can occur as an outbreak in a group of people who all ate the same contaminated food.

Food poisoning tends to occur at picnics, school cafeterias, and large social functions. In these cases, food may be left out of the refrigerator too long or food preparation techniques may not be clean. Food poisoning often occurs from eating undercooked meats, dairy products, or food containing mayonaise (like coleslaw or potato salad) that have sat out too long.

Food poisoning can be caused by:

Bacillus cereus
Botulism
Campylobacter
Cholera
E. coli enteritis
Fish poisoning
Listeria
Mushroom poisoning
Staph aureus
Salmonella
Shigella
Yersinia

Botulism is a very serious form of food poisoning that can be fatal. It can come from improper home canning.

Infants and elderly people have the greatest risk for food poisoning. You are also at higher risk if:

You have a serious medical condition, such as kidney disease or diabetes
You have a weakened immune system
You travel outside of the U.S. to areas where there is more exposure to organisms that cause food poisoning

Pregnant and breastfeeding women have to be especially careful.

Symptoms

The symptoms from the most common types of food poisoning generally start within 2 - 6 hours of eating the food. That time may be longer (even a number of days) or shorter, depending on the cause of the food poisoning.

Possible symptoms include:

Abdominal cramps
Diarrhea (may be bloody)
Fever and chills
Headache
Nausea and vomiting
Weakness (may be serious and lead to respiratory arrest, as in the case of botulism)

Signs and tests

Your health care provider will examine you for signs of food poisoning, such as stomach problems and dehydration. Your provider will also ask about foods you have eaten recently.

Tests to find the cause may be done on your:

Blood
Leftover food
Stool
Vomit

Even if you have food poisoning, however, these tests may not be able to prove it.

In rare but possibly serious cases, your doctor may order one or more of the following procedures:

A thin, tube-like tool placed in the anus to look for the source of bleeding or infection (sigmoidoscopy)
A test to measure electric impulses in the muscles (electromyography) to check for botulism
A test of fluid from the spine (lumbar puncture) if you have signs of a nervous system disorder

Treatment

You will usually recover from the most common types of food poisoning within a couple of days. The goal is to make you feel better and avoid dehydration.

Don't eat solid foods until the diarrhea has passed, and avoid dairy products, which can worsen diarrhea.
Drink any fluid (except milk or caffeinated beverages) to replace fluids lost by diarrhea and vomiting.
Give children an electrolyte sold in drugstores.

If you have diarrhea and are unable to drink fluids (for example, due to nausea or vomiting), you may need medical attention and intravenous fluids. This is especially true for young children.

If you take diuretics, you need to manage diarrhea carefully. Talk to your doctor -- you may need to stop taking the diuretic while you have the diarrhea. NEVER stop or change medications without talking to your doctor and getting specific instructions.

For the most common causes of food poisoning, your doctor would NOT prescribe antibiotics. Antibiotics can make diarrhea last longer and keep the organism that caused the poisoning in your body longer.

If you have eaten toxins from mushrooms or shellfish, you will need medical attention right away. The emergency room doctor will take steps to empty out your stomach and remove the toxin.

Expectations (prognosis)

Most people fully recover from the most common types of food poisoning within 12 - 48 hours. Serious complications can arise, however, from certain types of food poisoning.

Complications

Dehydration is the most common complication. This can occur from any of the causes of food poisoning.

Less common but much more serious complications include:

Arthritis (Yersinia and Salmonella)
Bleeding disorders (E. coli and others)
Death (from mushrooms, certain fish poisonings, or botulism)
Kidney problems (Shigella, E. coli)
Nervous system disorders (Botulism, Campylobacter)
Pericarditis (Salmonella)
Respiratory distress, including the need for support on a breathing machine (botulism)

Calling your health care provider

Call your doctor if:

Diarrhea lasts for more than 2 - 3 days.
There is blood in your stools.
You are on diuretics and have diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.
You have diarrhea and are unable to drink fluids due to nausea or vomiting.
You have a fever over 101°F.

Call 911 if:

Bleeding is excessive or your stools are maroon or black.
You are short of breath or having trouble breathing.
You have any nervous system symptoms such as weakness, double vision, difficulty speaking, or paralysis.
You have signs of dehydration (thirsty, dizzy, lightheaded, faint).
You have trouble swallowing.
You may have poisoning from mushrooms, fish, or botulism.
Your heart is racing, pounding, or skipping.

Prevention

To prevent food poisoning, take the following steps when preparing food:

Carefully wash your hands and clean dishes and utensils.
Use a thermometer when cooking. Cook beef to at least 160°F, poultry to at least 180°F, and fish to at least 140°F.
DO NOT place cooked meat or fish back onto the same plate or container that held the raw meat, unless the container has been completely washed.
Promptly refrigerate any food you will not be eating. Keep the refrigerator set to around 40°F and your freezer at or below 0°F. DO NOT eat meat, poultry, or fish that has been refrigerated uncooked for longer than 1 to 2 days.
DO NOT use outdated foods, packaged food with a broken seal, or cans that are bulging or have a dent.
DO NOT use foods that have an unusual odor or a spoiled taste.

Other steps to take:

If you take care of young children, wash your hands often and dispose of diapers carefully so that bacteria can't spread to other surfaces or people.
If you make canned food at home, be sure to follow proper canning techniques to prevent botulism.
DO NOT feed honey to children under 1 year of age.
DO NOT eat wild mushrooms.
When traveling where contamination is more likely, eat only hot, freshly cooked food. Drink water only if it's been boiled. DO NOT eat raw vegetables or unpeeled fruit.
DO NOT eat shellfish that has been exposed to red tides.
If you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system, DO NOT eat soft cheeses, especially imported from countries outside the U.S.

If other people may have eaten the food that made you sick, let them know. If you think the food was contaminated when you bought it from a store or restaurant, tell the store and your local health department.

References

Diagnosis and management of foodborne illnesses: a primer for physicians. Atlanta, Ga. American Medical Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, Food Safety and Inspection Service, US Department of Agriculture; 2001. MMWR Recomm Rep; 50(RR-2): 1-69.

Tam CC. Campylobacter coli - an important foodborne pathogen. J Infect. 2003; 47(1): 28-32.

Tintinalli JE, Kelen GD, Stapczynski JS, eds. Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 6th ed. New York, Ny :McGraw Hill Professional; 2003.

Review Date: 2/27/2008

Reviewed By: Stephen C. Acosta, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, OR. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

A.D.A.M. Copyright

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997-2009 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

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