As emergency teams rushed to Haiti to provide supplies and medical assistance to injured victims, one of the main health issues that arose was maintaining the safety of the water supply. A January 13, 2010 CNN article entitled “Haiti Earthquake Could Trigger Medical ‘Perfect Storm,’” describes how animal feces and decaying bodies can contaminate available water causing diarrheal infections... [more]

Data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s FoodNet Facts and Figures website shows that children under four have the highest number of cases of bacterial and parasitic infections when compared to older individuals.  Per 100,000 individuals, there were over 28 children younger than four who contracted campylobacter, nearly 75 diagnosed with Salmonella, and 27 infected with Shigella.... [more]

Yesterday, the FDA named Michael R. Taylor as the new Deputy Commissioner for Foods. This is a newly created position within the brand new “Office of Foods”.  Mr. Taylor will be responsible for overseeing the FDA’s various food and nutrition programs. No doubt qualified for this position, Taylor is a nationally recognized food safety expert, author, lawyer and professor who has held various... [more]

Campylobacteriosis usually occurs in single, sporadic cases, but it can also occur in outbreaks, when a number of people become ill at one time. Most cases of campylobacteriosis are associated with eating raw or undercooked poultry meat or from cross-contamination of other foods by these items. Infants may get the infection by contact with poultry packages in shopping carts. Outbreaks of Campylobacter... [more]

FSIS has developed new pathogen reduction performance standards for control of Salmonella and Campylobacter bacteria in chilled carcasses at young chicken (broiler) and turkey slaughter establishments that are eligible for agency verification sampling. FSIS has had standards for Salmonella but not for Campylobacter. These new standards respond to certain key recommendations of the President’s... [more]

Two families whose three young children became deathly ill in July 2008 from consuming E. coli O157:H7 contaminated raw milk produced by a Connecticut dairy are suing the dairy and Whole Foods Market Inc., the store where the tainted milk was sold. Raw milk is milk that has not gone through pasteurization, a heating process that is used to kill potential pathogens in the milk. All three children were... [more]

Campylobacteriosis is caused by bacteria in the genus Campylobacter. There are approximately sixteen species associated with the genus Campylobacter, but the most commonly isolated is Campylobacter jejuni. Campylobacteriosis symptoms are typically fever, nausea, abdominal cramping, vomiting, diarrhea and an overall ill feeling. Antibiotics can be prescribed to treat a Campylobacter infection but most... [more]

The most commonly recognized foodborne infections are those caused by the bacteria Campylobacter, Salmonella, and E. coli O157:H7, and by a group of viruses called calicivirus, also known as the Norwalk and Norwalk-like viruses.  Campylobacter is a bacterial pathogen that causes fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.  It is the most commonly identified bacterial cause of diarrheal illness in the... [more]

Foodborne illnesses account for about 1% of all hospitalizations and 1 of every 500 deaths in the United States according to a USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) report. The report also estimates that, each year in the United States, $6.9 billion in medical costs, lost productivity and premature deaths can be attributed to the just five foodborne pathogens, Camploybacter, Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7,... [more]

Campylobacter is found in every part of the United States and throughout the world. Millions of germs can be released in a bowel movement from an infected person or animal. Campylobacter may be found in water sources such as private wells that have been contaminated with feces from infected people or animals. Human or animal waste can enter the water in many different ways (i.e., sewage overflows,... [more]