Escherichia coli or E. coli is a rod shaped gram negative bacterium (rod shaped means just what says and gram staining is a method of determining what type of cell wall a bacterium has). Bacteria are the simplest and most common form of life on planet earth. They are everywhere, on our skin, in our mouth and anywhere bacteria can find something to eat and they eat just about everything. As we know, bacteria can be good or bad and E. coli is no exception. E. coli has hundreds of serotypes (serotypes are a group of organisms, microorganisms, or cells that are distinguished by their specific antigens. Antigens are proteins and carbohydrates capable of creating an immune system response). Normally, E. coli live in the intestines of mammals, including humans, and most of the strains of E. coli are harmless and pose no threat to us, some are even beneficial, but then there are some E. coli that can cause serious foodborne illness, like the potentially lethal E. coli O157:H7.

E. coli O157:H7 is a STEC or a strain of E. coli that is a very pathogenic class of E. coli known by the toxin the bacteria produces, Shiga toxin. Thus the anagram Shiga Toxin producing E. Coli or STEC. This E. coli basically infects the intestines and causes bleeding and bloody diarrhea. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the toxin produced by E. coli O157:H7 can pass into the blood stream and cause the devastating blood disease hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) has a penchant for killing the kidneys of its victims, who are typically children.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is the number one cause of acute kidney failure for children in the U.S. and the number one cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is infection with a STEC, primarily E. coli O157:H7. Victims of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) often suffer long term damage and about 10% of HUS victims die from the disease.

Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that results from infection with the Hepatitis A virus. It can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months. Hepatitis A is usually spread when a person ingests fecal matter — even in microscopic amounts — from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by the feces or stool of an infected person.

The FDA wants to remind consumers that all amphibians (frogs, salamanders, newts) and reptiles (turtles, lizards, snakes) are recognized as a source of human Salmonella infections. Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12–72 hours after infection.

As of 12 p.m. EST on December 7, 2009, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports a multistate outbreak of human Salmonella serotype Typhimurium infections due to contact with aquatic frogs.  Forty-eight individuals infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium have been reported from 25 states.  Seventy-seven percent (77%) of patients are younger than 10 years old and the median age is 4 years.

Anyone can contract Salmonellosis but the risk is greatest in infants, young children, elderly persons, and persons with lowered natural resistance to infection due to pregnancy, cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and other diseases.

FDA recommends the following advice to consumers:

FDA and CDC continue to investigate the cause of the outbreak and will provide additional information as needed.

Consumers advised to avoid oysters harvested from San Antonio Bay

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is advising consumers to avoid eating oysters harvested from the San Antonio Bay on or after Nov. 16 due to reports of norovirus-associated illnesses in some people who had consumed oysters harvested from this area, which is located on the Gulf of Texas.

The FDA, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the states of North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas, are investigating about a dozen reports of norovirus-related illnesses from South Carolina and North Carolina consumers who ate oysters recently harvested from the San Antonio Bay.

Consumers who purchased oysters on or after Nov. 16 that have a label showing they came from San Antonio Bay are advised to dispose of the oysters and not eat them. At restaurants, consumers can ask about the source of oysters offered as menu items. Restaurant operators and retailers should not serve or offer for sale oysters subject to this advisory. Restaurant operators and retailers who are unsure of the source of oysters on hand should check with their suppliers to determine where the oysters were harvested. No other seafood is affected by this advisory.

The Texas Department of State Health Services has ordered a recall of all oysters harvested from the San Antonio Bay between Nov. 16 and Nov. 25.

Noroviruses are a group of viruses that cause the foodborne illness gastroenteritis. Symptoms of illness associated with norovirus include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping. Affected individuals often experience low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and a general sense of tiredness. Most people show symptoms within 48 hours of exposure to the virus. The illness typically lasts one to two days. Norovirus typically is not life-threatening and does not generally cause long-term effects.

Consumers who ate oyster products on or after Nov.16 and have experienced symptoms of norovirus are encouraged to contact their health care provider and local health department.

The implicated oyster beds in the San Antonio Bay were closed by the Texas Department of Health Services on Nov. 26, 2009, and remain closed. 

The FDA and CDC will continue working with health officials in the affected states to track any additional cases of norovirus illness.

Persons with weakened immune systems, including those affected by AIDS, and persons with chronic alcohol abuse, liver, stomach or blood disorders, cancer, diabetes or kidney disease should avoid raw oyster consumption altogether, regardless of where the oysters are harvested.

Foodborne illness from Vibrio vulnificus is almost exclusively associated with consumption of raw oysters. Properly cooking the shellfish can totally eliminate the risk. Although most cases are likely underreported and unrecognized, infection from Vibrio vulnificus is still quite rare. Data from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicated the average occurrence of Vibrio vulnificus infection was less than 30 cases per year between 2002 and 2007, and these were due to consumption of raw oysters.

Ingesting Vibrio vulnificus may occasionally cause abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea among those in good health, but in general exposure of healthy individuals to this bacterium causes no symptoms. However, people with underlying liver disease, hemochromatosis, diabetes, or conditions affecting the immune system are at higher risk for life-threatening complications that could quickly become fatal. Symptoms of Vibrio vulnificus include fever, chills, and an extreme decrease in blood pressure from septic shock, all due to bacteria multiplying rapidly in the bloodstream. Blistering skin lesions are also a symptom of this disease. Close to 50% of these cases have been fatal, and some within 24 hours of the consumption of associated shellfish.

Gastroenteritis, inflammation of the stomach and/or intestines, is the most common illness caused by Clostridium perfringens. Large groups of people are the typically affected by foods contaminated with Clostridium perfringens. Some estimates have put the number of annual outbreaks to be in excess of 600 per year. According to CDC estimates, as many as 250,000 individuals are affected by Clostridium perfringens each year. The number of Clostridium perfringens foodborne illnesses is greatly under-reported due to the mildness of symptoms, brief illness duration and lack of routine testing by public health officials.

Beef Packers, Inc., a Fresno, Calif., establishment, is recalling approximately 22,723 pounds of ground beef products that may be linked to an outbreak of salmonellosis, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The products subject to recall include:

• 60 pound cases of “GRD Beef Fine 93/07 10/60.” Each case bears the identifying case code W69363 with Use/Freeze by dates of 10/11/09.

The ground beef products were produced on September 23, 2009 and bear the establishment number “EST. 31913″ printed on the case code labels. The ground beef products were distributed to a retail distribution center in Arizona. Because these products were repackaged into consumer-size packages and sold under different retail brand names, consumers should check with their local retailer to determine whether they may have purchased any of the products subject to recall.

As a result of an ongoing investigation into illnesses from Salmonella Newport associated with ground beef products, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) notified FSIS of the situation. Epidemiological and traceback investigations conducted by FSIS and ADHS determined that there is an association between the fresh ground beef products and two (2) illnesses reported in Arizona. The Salmonella Newport strain was isolated both from the patients and from ground beef produced by Est. 31913. They were also linked by their uncommon pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern found in PulseNet, a national network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. Salmonella infections can be life-threatening, especially to those with weak immune systems, such as infants, the elderly, and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy. The most common manifestations of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within eight to 72 hours. Additional symptoms may be chills, headache, nausea and vomiting that can last up to seven days.

This particular strain of Salmonella Newport is resistant to many commonly prescribed drugs, which can increase the risk of hospitalization or possible treatment failure in infected individuals.

Unilever United States, Inc., in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is conducting a nationwide voluntary recall of all Slim-Fast® ready-to-drink (RTD) products in cans, due to the possibility of contamination with Bacillus cereus, a micro-organism, which may cause diarrhea and possibly nausea and/or vomiting. The probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.

The products were sold in stores nationwide.

Product Description:

The products are packaged in paperboard cartons and contain four, six or 12 steel cans that are 11 FL OZ (325 mL) each. Individual cans are also sold in certain retail outlets. The recall involves all Slim-Fast® RTD products in cans, regardless of flavor, Best-By date, lot code or UPC number. A listing of all RTD recalled products is attached to this press release.

No other Slim-Fast® products are affected by this recall. No Slim-Fast® powdered shakes, meal bars, or snack bars are affected by this recall.

The recall was initiated after the company conducted quality testing on Slim-Fast® RTD products in cans. Out of an abundance of caution, the company is recalling all RTD products in cans that are currently in distribution centers, on-shelf or in back rooms in retail outlets or in consumers’ homes. The company is in the process of identifying and correcting the production issue, and will resume production and shipment of the product when the issue has been addressed and corrected.

Current CDC estimates suggest that contaminated food causes about 76 million incidents of foodborne illness, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5000 deaths every year. However, the majority of the food-related illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths are from unidentified sources. It is estimated that known pathogens account for 14 million illnesses; 60,000 hospitalizations; and about 1800 deaths. Greater than 75% of the foodborne illness deaths are attributed to three pathogens: Salmonella, Listeria, and Toxoplasma.

Consumer Reports‘ latest test of fresh, whole broilers bought in 22 states reveals that two-thirds of birds tested harbored Salmonella and/or Campylobacter, the leading bacterial causes of food-borne disease. The story appears in the January 2010 issue of Consumer Reports and is also available free online at http://www.consumerreports.org/.

Consumer Reports has been measuring contamination in store-bought chickens since 1998. The recent test shows a modest improvement since January 2007, when the magazine found these pathogens in 8 of 10 broilers, but the numbers are still far too high. The findings suggest that most companies’ safeguards are inadequate. Consumer Reports also found that most disease-causing bacteria sampled from the contaminated chicken were resistant to at least one antibiotic, potentially making any resulting illness more difficult to treat.

“Consumers still need to be very careful in handling chicken, which is routinely contaminated with disease-causing bacteria,” said Dr. Urvashi Rangan, Director of Technical Policy at Consumers Union, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. “Our tests show that Campylobacter is widespread in chicken, even in brands that control for Salmonella. While one name brand, Perdue, and most air-chilled chickens, were less contaminated than others, this is still a very dirty industry that needs better practices and tighter government oversight.”

For its latest analysis, Consumer Reports had an outside lab test 382 chickens bought last spring from more than 100 supermarkets, gourmet- and natural-food stores, and mass merchandisers in 22 states. Among the findings:

• Campylobacter was in 62 percent of the chickens, Salmonella was in 14 percent, and both bacteria were in 9 percent. Only 34 percent of the birds were clear of both pathogens. That’s double the percentage of clean birds Consumer Reports found in its 2007 report but far less than the 51 percent in the 2003 report.
• Among the cleanest overall were organic “air-chilled” broilers (a process in which carcasses are refrigerated and may be misted, rather than dunked in cold chlorinated water). About 60 percent were free of the two pathogens.
• Perdue was found to be the cleanest of the brand-name chicken: 56 percent were free of both pathogens. This is the first time since Consumer Reports began testing chicken that one major brand has fared significantly better than others across the board.
• Tyson and Foster Farms chickens were found to be the most contaminated; less than 20 percent were free of either pathogens.
• Store-brand organic chickens had no Salmonella at all, but only 43 percent of those birds were also free of Campylobacter.
• Among all brands and types of broilers tested, 68 percent of the Salmonella and 60 percent of the Campylobacter organisms analyzed showed resistance to one ore more antibiotics. All of the antibiotics were effective against 32 percent of Salmonella samples and 40 percent of the Campylobacter samples, as compared to just 16 and 33 percent in 2007.

Although Perdue chickens were cleaner than other big brands in our tests, and most “air-chilled” organic birds were especially clean, Consumer Reports’ tests are a snapshot in time and no type has been consistently low enough in pathogens to recommend over all others. Buying cleaner chicken may improve consumers’ odds if they fail to prepare chicken carefully.

Each year, Salmonella and Campylobacter from chicken and other food sources infect at least 3.4 million Americans, send 25,500 to hospitals, and kill about 500, according to estimates by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While both Salmonella and Campylobacter are known to cause intestinal distress, Campylobacter can lead to meningitis, arthritis, and Guillain-Barre syndrome, a severe neurological condition.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) a consumer’s primary protection against chicken contamination. HACCP requires companies to identify potential points of contamination and take measures to eliminate them. The USDA has a standard that requires chicken producers to test for Salmonella but it has yet to set a standard for Campylobacter.

Consumers Union has long called for the USDA to set limits on both the percentage of chicken samples that can be contaminated with Campylobacter and the levels of it that they can contain. The USDA has said that a risk assessment for Campylobacter and draft performance standards would be ready by the year’s end. It could take months to a year or more, however, for a proposed standard to become a final regulation and take effect.

“USDA has been pondering new standards to cut the prevalence of bacteria in chicken for more than 5 years but has yet to act,” said Jean Halloran, Director of Food Policy Initiatives at Consumers Union. “Consumers shouldn’t have to play roulette with poultry; the USDA must make chicken less risky to eat.”

Until chicken becomes cleaner, consumers’ best line of defense involves following these procedures in stores and kitchens:

• Place chicken in a plastic bag like those in the produce department to keep juices from leaking.
• Choose chicken that is well wrapped and at the bottom of the case, where the temperature should be coolest. Buy chicken last before heading to the checkout line.
• If you’ll cook the chicken within a couple of days, store it at 40 degrees F or below. Otherwise, freeze it.
• Thaw frozen chicken in a refrigerator, inside its packaging and on a plate, or on a plate in a microwave oven. Never thaw it on a counter: When the inside is still frozen, the outside can warm up, providing a breeding ground for bacteria. Cook chicken thawed in a microwave oven right away.
• Cook chicken to at least 165 degrees F. Even if it’s no longer pink, it can still harbor bacteria, so use a meat thermometer.
• Don’t return cooked meat to the plate that held it raw.
• Refrigerate or freeze leftovers within 2 hours of cooking.