| CNN | - |
(CNN)
-- This has been a big week for food product recalls and the risk of
food borne illness. Hamburger nearly kills Michigan man.
E. coli outbreak linked to sprouts; hummus, dips, walnuts recalled
updated 10:27 AM EDT, Fri May 23, 2014
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STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: E. coli outbreak linked to sprouts with patients in Washington and Idaho
- Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium, spurs recall of hummus, dip and walnuts
- Listeria infection symptoms can be mild but may be serious in vulnerable people
Hamburger nearly kills Michigan man
Seven confirmed and three
likely cases of E. coli infection linked to raw clover sprouts have
been reported, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said
Thursday.
Beef recall expands
Photos: Worst foodborne illness outbreaks
The patients are all in either Idaho or Washington. Half the people who have fallen ill have been hospitalized.
Preliminary
investigations indicate the likely source of this outbreak are raw
clover sprouts produced by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts LLC of Idaho, the CDC
said. The state departments of health in Washington and Idaho are
telling consumers not to eat raw clover sprouts produced by Evergreen
Fresh Sprouts.
Meanwhile, hummus and dip
products totaling about 14,860 pounds are being voluntarily recalled by
Lansal Inc. amid concerns about possible bacterial contamination.
At the same time, Sherman Produce is recalling some bulk and packaged walnuts sold to retailers in Missouri and Illinois.
These two recalls are
precautionary measures against possible Listeria monocytogenes, which
may cause serious and even fatal infections in people with weakened
immune systems, such as the elderly.
No illnesses have been reported in connection with either recall, the respective companies said.
Both companies advise
consumers who bought the recalled products to throw them out or return
them for a full refund. The products should not be eaten.
Also this week, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said 1.8 million pounds of ground beef products were being recalled because they could be contaminated with a strain of E.coli.
Consequences of food-borne bacteria
Escherichia coli is a
large group of bacteria; most are harmless, while some can cause serious
illness. The strain involved in the sprout-linked outbreak is Shiga
toxin-producing Escherichia coli O121.
E. coli infection can
lead to severe diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting, according to the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Most people recover within seven
days, but some have severe complications, the CDC said. A type of kidney failure called hemolytic-uremic syndrome may result; the elderly and children under 5 are most at risk.
Most listeria infections may not be noticed because the symptoms are mild, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Symptoms of a listeria
infection in an otherwise healthy person include fever, muscle aches,
stiff neck, headache, loss of balance and convulsions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diarrhea or other gastrointestinal problems may occur before these symptoms.
Pregnant women infected
with listeria may suffer miscarriages, premature delivery or
stillbirths. The newborn may have a serious infection if the mother has
been sick with it.
Why sprouts?
Harmful germs can live days on airplanes
1.8M pounds of ground beef recalled
Evergreen Fresh Sprouts was also involved in a 2011 salmonella outbreak. Consumers then were discouraged from eating the brand's alfalfa sprouts and spicy sprouts.
Sprouts have a history of being involved in bacterial infection outbreaks.
According to a study commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation,
the warm, moist conditions that are conducive to growing bumper crops
of sprouts are also an ideal breeding ground for bacteria.
In the study, Kevin
Allen, a microbiology professor at the University of British Columbia,
tested 44 samples of prepackaged sprouts (as well as 48 samples of leafy
greens and 58 samples of various herbs) and found, "Over 78% of sprouts
had levels of microorganisms too numerous to count."
Hummus and dips
In the case of Lansal,
the Texas Department of Health identified the potential for listeria
contamination while routinely testing a Target Archer Farms Traditional
Hummus product.
"Lansal Inc. is
voluntarily recalling all products manufactured at the same facility and
distributed to both wholesalers and retailers during the same time,"
the company said.
Included in this recall
are some Target Archer Farms hummus products nationwide. Certain Giant
Eagle hummus products in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and Maryland
are also affected.
Trader Joe's 5 Layered
Dip, both large and small, with a use-by date of April 15 is being
recalled in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan,
Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin.
The 8-ounce container of Trader Joe's Edamame Hummus is recalled in 17 states with use-by dates of April 28, April 29 and May 9.
Some plastic containers of Tryst Yellow Lentil Hummus with Sunflower Seeds & Apricots are also affected.
"Lansal Inc. has
contacted all impacted retail customers and distributors instructing
them to remove all affected product from sale and is working with the
appropriate agencies including state departments of health, the Food and
Drug Administration and local authorities," the company said.
The Lansal consumer question line is 877-550-0694.
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E. coli outbreak linked to sprouts; hummus, dips, walnuts recalled
There was also an E.coli outbreak in the water supply of Portland, Oregon. I called my daughter and she checked and found out they change the water supply across the street from where she lives. However, I told her just in case water is supplied from the E.Coli source she should first filter the water and then boil it for 5 minutes before she drank it after it cools down. She agreed with me.
We had to do this when we were in India and Nepal for 4 months in 1985 and 1986 so we didn't get sick. However, there was giardea in the air in the dust from cars driving at that time so we got giardea at some point between about 2 to 3 months into this visit to the area except for one of us who had no symptoms.
Giardia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GiardiaGiardia is a genus of anaerobic flagellated protozoan parasites of the phylum Sarcomastigophora that colonise and reproduce in the small intestines of several
Wikipedia...
CDC - Giardia
www.cdc.gov/.../gi...Mar 8, 2011 - Education and information about Giardia infections including general and medical information on risk factors, symptoms and disease, ...
United States Centers for Disease Control and Preve...Giardia infection (giardiasis) - Mayo Clinic
www.mayoclinic.org/diseases.../giardia.../con-20024686Giardia infection (giardiasis) is an intestinal infection caused by a microscopic parasite that's found worldwide, especially in areas with poor sanitation and ...
Mayo Clinic
a more common ailment in literally all municipal water supplies in the U.S. usually in summer and fall is:CDC - Cryptosporidium
www.cdc.gov/.../cr...Jan 16, 2013 - Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite that causes the diarrheal disease cryptosporidiosis. Both the parasite and the disease are commonly ...
United States Centers for Disease Control and Preve...
Cryptosporidium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CryptosporidiumCryptosporidium is a genus of apicomplexan protozoans that can cause gastrointestinal illness with diarrhea in humans. Cryptosporidium is the organism most ...
Wikipedia
Cryptosporidium can kill anyone with a compromised immune system especially someone HIV or with full blown AIDS.
The solution for this is don't drink water from a water fountain in the summer or fall anywhere in the U.S. that comes directly from a municipal water system. At home have a reverse osmosis water filter installed or boil all water you drink as a precaution especially if you have a compromised immune system so you don't die accidentally and not know the cause.
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