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December 2010

  • Concurrent conditions and human listeriosis, England, 1999–2009

    Posted: December 16th, 2010 - 10:02am

    The epidemiology of listeriosis in England and Wales changed during 2001–2008; more patients >60 years of age had bacteremia than in previous years. To investigate these changes, we calculated risk for listeriosis by concurrent condition for non–pregnancy-associated listeriosis cases reported to the national surveillance system in England during 1999–2009.

    Date Published: 
    01.jan.11
    Source Title: 
    Emerging Infectious Diseases
    Listeria  |  Comments
  • How safe is our food?

    Posted: December 16th, 2010 - 10:01am

    How safe is our food? Put another way, how much illness in the United States is caused by foodborne pathogens? It sounds like a simple question. Getting a reasonable answer, however, is far from simple. The basic problem lies in the fact that only a small fraction of foodborne disease cases get reported through official (or unofficial) reporting systems.

    Date Published: 
    01.jan.11
    Source Title: 
    Emerging Infectious Diseases
    E. coli, Other Microorganisms, Salmonella  |  Comments
  • Foodborne illness acquired in the United States—major pathogens

    Posted: December 16th, 2010 - 10:00am

    Estimates of foodborne illness can be used to direct food safety policy and interventions.

    Date Published: 
    01.jan.11
    Source Title: 
    Emerging Infectious Diseases
    E. coli, Listeria, Norovirus, Other Microorganisms  |  Comments
  • Foodborne illness acquired in the United States—unspecified agents

    Posted: December 16th, 2010 - 9:59am

    Each year, 31 major known pathogens acquired in the United States caused an estimated 9.4 million episodes of foodborne illness.

    Date Published: 
    01.jan.11
    Source Title: 
    Emerging Infectious Diseases
    Norovirus, Other Microorganisms  |  Comments
  • New CDC data estimates of foodborne illnesses, coupled with FoodNet data trends, suggest that safety of U.S. food supply is improving

    Posted: December 16th, 2010 - 9:57am

    The American Meat Institute said it was encouraged by the finding of two new papers released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today, which estimate that lower numbers of foodborne illnesses occur annually than previously thought.

    Date Published: 
    15.dec.10
    Source Title: 
    American Meat Institute
    None  |  Comments
  • CDC: what’s with blaming consumers

    Posted: December 15th, 2010 - 10:43pm

    As an agency that prides itself on data – I guess that’s why it took 11 years to update the incidence of foodborne illness – I’m wondering, why did the U.S. Centers for Disease Control find it necessary to specifically finger consumers when it comes to food safety.

    Date Published: 
    15.dec.10
    Source Title: 
    barfblog
    Food Safety Culture  |  Comments
  • US: CDC reports 1 in 6 get sick from foodborne illnesses each year

    Posted: December 15th, 2010 - 10:42pm

    New estimates more precise

    Date Published: 
    15.dec.10
    Source Title: 
    CDC
    None  |  Comments
  • Tainted food sickens 48 mln each year: CDC

    Posted: December 15th, 2010 - 10:41pm

    Foodborne illnesses kill 3,000 Americans every year and make 48 million sick, and most are never identified, U.S. health officials reported on Wednesday as Congress prepared a major food safety overhaul.

    Date Published: 
    15.dec.10
    Source Title: 
    Reuters
    None  |  Comments
  • Factbox: Major food poisoning outbreaks in U.S

    Posted: December 15th, 2010 - 10:40pm

    Contaminated food kills 3,000 Americans every year and makes 48 million sick, federal health officials reported on Wednesday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new estimates for foodborne illness that found norovirus is by far the most common disease-causing germ, accounting for 5.5 million infections a year, or 58 percent of diagnosed illnesses.

    Date Published: 
    15.dec.10
    Source Title: 
    Reuters
    Salmonella  |  Comments
  • US: CFA statement on CDC estimates of foodborne illness, hospitalizations, and deaths

    Posted: December 15th, 2010 - 10:40pm

    The new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides yet more evidence that foodborne illness is a serious public health problem in the U.S., causing millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths each year.

    Date Published: 
    15.dec.10
    Source Title: 
    CFA
    None  |  Comments
  • UK: Cancer patients five times more likely to develop listeria

    Posted: December 15th, 2010 - 10:39pm

    University of Manchester and Health Protection Agency researchers have shown that cancer patients have a five-fold increased risk of developing listeria than people with other underlying conditions. The study, published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases today (Wednesday), also showed that those with cancers of the blood have the greatest risk.

    Date Published: 
    15.dec.10
    Source Title: 
    The University of Manchester
    Listeria  |  Comments
  • US: Grilled meat + oregano = reduced cancer, foodborne disease risks

    Posted: December 15th, 2010 - 10:38pm

    Research conducted by UA microbiologist Sadhana Ravishankar has shown that a compound in oregano reduces the formation of potentially cancer-causing compounds that can form in grilled meat.

    Date Published: 
    15.dec.10
    Source Title: 
    The University of Arizona
    E. coli  |  Comments
  • US: Comments invited on NAVMEC draft report

    Posted: December 15th, 2010 - 10:36pm

    The much-anticipated draft report of the North American Veterinary Medical Education Consortium has been completed, and it is now available for public review and comment.

    Date Published: 
    01.jan.11
    Source Title: 
    AVMA
    None  |  Comments
  • US: No rest between eradication campaigns

    Posted: December 15th, 2010 - 10:35pm

    As world animal health authorities prepare to declare that the "cattle plague" has been eradicated, they are picking their next targets.

    Date Published: 
    01.jan.11
    Source Title: 
    AVMA
    None  |  Comments
  • US: Warning lights mark shellfish that aren't safe to eat

    Posted: December 15th, 2010 - 10:34pm

    Red tides and similar blooms can render some seafood unsafe to eat, though it can be difficult to tell whether a particular batch harbors toxins that cause food poisoning. A new kind of marker developed by chemists at the University of California, San Diego, and reported in the journal ChemComm makes it easier to see if shellfish are filled with toxin-producing organisms.

    Date Published: 
    15.dec.10
    Source Title: 
    University of California – San Diego
    None  |  Comments
  • Foodborne illness down by 37%; or is it

    Posted: December 15th, 2010 - 9:57pm

    The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finally published an update to the 1999 Mead, et al. figures estimating the burden of foodborne illness – and the numbers are down.

    Date Published: 
    15.dec.10
    Source Title: 
    barfblog
    None  |  Comments
  • Check yourself: CDC re-estimates burden of foodborne illness, now thought to be 48 million annually in U.S.

    Posted: December 15th, 2010 - 9:57pm

    The much anticipated new estimates of the burden of foodborne illness in the US are now available from CDC. For the past 10+ years the common calculation estimate was 76 million illnesses/year (about 1-in-4 individuals annually). The new report, released today, points to an estimate of 1-in-6 (or 42 million) illnesses annually.

    Date Published: 
    15.dec.10
    Source Title: 
    barfblog
    None  |  Comments
  • Language barrier can derail food safety culture

    Posted: December 15th, 2010 - 9:55pm

    Exposes by local media and the weekly discussion of restaurant food safety compliance might do something for inspection scores.  Media pressure certainly affected L.A. over 12 years ago, leading to a revamped inspection system and the county becoming a U.S. leader for posting restaurant scores. Anecdotally, the coverage affects sales both positive and negatively.

    Date Published: 
    14.dec.10
    Source Title: 
    barfblog
    Food Safety Culture  |  Comments
  • 72-year-old Brit stricken with E. coli in Dubai

    Posted: December 15th, 2010 - 9:55pm

    U.K. pensioner Dorothy Wilson (right, photo from Chronicle Live) had to wait four weeks before medics identified the source of her ailment as E.coli in Dubai. Chronicle Live reports that after medics repeatedly missed the bug, the pensioner had to be moved to a private hospital so she could get the treatment to save her life.

    Date Published: 
    15.dec.10
    Source Title: 
    barfblog
    E. coli  |  Comments
  • No thermometers in UK holiday turkey advice

    Posted: December 15th, 2010 - 9:54pm

    CBS Sunday Morning had a bit on 85-year-old Dick Van Dyke, still singing and dancing and acting his way into our hearts. And all I could think of was piping hot. The Brits, not ones to disappoint, issued their annual holiday turkey advice today, with nary a mention of thermometers.

    Date Published: 
    15.dec.10
    Source Title: 
    barfblog
    Thermometers  |  Comments