Health News: The 10 biggest US foodborne illness outbreaks of 2015 ♦ Chipotle illnesses have food safety experts ‘scratching their heads’ ♦ Warning symptoms for usually fatal heart rhythm malfunction

The 10 biggest US foodborne illness outbreaks of 2015  This year saw dozens of well-publicized foodborne illness outbreaks. While many of them were found to have sickened a handful of individuals, a few stood out as especially wide in scope.

Chipotle illnesses have food safety experts ‘scratching their heads’  A new spate of food poisoning related to Chipotle has sprung up, food safety experts aren't sure how the latest illnesses are connected to a previous outbreak at the national restaurant chain. Five people who ate at Chipotle restaurants in Kansas, North Dakota and Oklahoma have been sickened with a similar, though slightly different...

High drowsy driving crash risk on daytime commute after night work Those who commute home after working the night shift may be at high risk for drowsy driving crashes because of disruption to their sleep-wake cycles and insufficient sleep during the night

Medical first: Discovery of warning symptoms for usually fatal heart rhythm malfunction Although medical science has long regarded sudden cardiac arrest as a deadly condition that strikes without warning, a new study shows for the first time that many patients experience warning symptoms up to a month before having a cardiac arrest.

Health News:Check the stop foodborne illness holliday tip lis ♦ PTSD resources lacking for non veterans ♦ Insensitive irritable bowel syndrome studied

PTSD resources lacking for non veterans Researchers report that information and resources regarding effective therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder are not easily available for non veterans, who can be affected by the condition after crimes, disasters, and accidents. They offer recommendations for improvement.

Check the stop foodborne illness holliday tip list STOP Foodborne Illness is offering simple food safety tips to help prevent food poisoning throughout the holiday season. “Many people think foodborne illness won’t happen to them, but each year 48 million Americans get sick from foodborne pathogens,” said Darin Detwiler, senior policy coordinator for STOP Foodborne Illness. “STOP’s primary concern is keeping pathogens from.

Inflammation can fan the flames of depression Chronic inflammation in the bloodstream can 'fan the flames' of depression, much like throwing gasoline on a fire.

Antibiotic-infused implants designed to help faces heal Researchers describe their test of antibiotic-infused block copolymers in their plastic spacers to protect craniofacial tissue from infection while healing

Insensitive irritable bowel syndrome studied Biopsies of patients with irritable bowel syndrome have shown that the nerves in their gut wall respond poorly to a cocktail of inflammatory substances. This refutes the previous theory that patients with irritable bowel syndrome have an overly sensitive gut.

Health News: Children Under 5 account for almost 30% of deaths from foodborne diseases ♦ Is there a Boston College connection to the Chipotle outbreak

Children Under 5 account for almost 30% of deaths from foodborne diseases A new report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that almost 30% of all deaths from foodborne diseases occur in children aged below five years. The "WHO estimates of the global burden of foodborne diseases" report estimates the global burden of foodborne diseases.

Norovirus outbreak following catered event sickens 200 people  An estimated 200 people have reported symptoms of norovirus following a catered event held Tuesday, Dec. 1, at a downtown Seattle office tower. Two people were hospitalized and eight were treated at local emergency rooms. City health officials reportedly closed all food vendors operating at the building while the investigation continues.

Is there a Boston College connection to the Chipotle outbreak Chipotle Mexican Grill started the week being blamed for more illnesses in a potentially expanded number of E. coli infections, sending its stock diving to another post-outbreak low. But the most recent allegations — while getting plenty of attention — are not yet proven facts. .

Fresh produce causes most US foodborne illness outbreaks Fresh produce is the cause of most foodborne illnesses in the U.S., reports the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). In a study of outbreaks that occurred between 2004 and 2013, the consumer advocacy group found that fresh produce, such as cilantro, cucumbers, cantaloupes and peppers, caused 629 outbreaks and almost 20,000 illnesses

USDA and Alvin and the Chipmunks Team Up to Reduce Foodborne Illness

This News Release has a video broadcast. Click here to view it.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2015 – In an effort to educate children and their families about the importance of food safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Ad Council are joining 20th Century FOX to launch a series of public service advertisements (PSAs) featuring Alvin and the Chipmunks. The PSAs use footage from the upcoming film Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip to introduce viewers to four steps to food safety: clean, separate, cook and chill.

An estimated 1 in 6 (48 million) Americans get sick from foodborne illness each year, resulting in roughly 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children are among the most vulnerable to food poisoning because their immune systems are still developing, so caregivers need to take extra precautions when preparing food for children under five.

The partnership includes TV, radio, out-of-home and web advertising. Parents and children can also find kid-friendly activities that further reinforce the food safety steps by visiting FoodSafety.gov.

“Young children are at a higher risk for foodborne illness, and keeping them safe is a top priority for FSIS,” said Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Alfred Almanza. “These familiar characters offer USDA a great opportunity to communicate this valuable public health message in a way to get the attention of children and parents.”

The new PSAs are an extension of USDA and Ad Council’s Food Safe Families campaign, which aims to raise awareness about the risk of foodborne illness and encourage families to learn and practice key steps that will help everyone stay safe from foodborne illness through the following safe food handling behaviors:

• Clean: Wash hands with soap and warm water before and after handling raw food. Clean all surfaces and utensils with soap and hot water. Wash all produce under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking.
• Separate: Use separate plates and utensils to avoid cross-contamination between raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs and foods that are ready to eat (like already cooked foods or raw vegetables).
• Cook: Cook foods to the safe temperature by using a food thermometer.
• Chill: Chill foods promptly if not consuming immediately after cooking. Don’t leave food at room temperature for longer than two hours, or 1 hour if temperature is above 90°F.

Consumers can see these new PSAs and learn more about key food safety practices at Foodsafety.gov, by ‘following’@USDAFoodSafety on Twitter, and by ‘liking’ Facebook.com/FoodSafety.gov.

Safe Food Handling: What You Need to Know

The food supply in the United States is among the safest in the world. However, when certain disease-causing bacteria or pathogens contaminate food, they can cause foodborne illness, often called “food poisoning.”

The Federal government estimates that there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illness annually – the equivalent of sickening 1 in 6 Americans each year. And each year these illnesses result in an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.

Since foodborne illness can be serious — or even fatal — it is important for you to know and practice safe food handling behaviors to help reduce your risk of accidentally getting sick from contaminated food.

Foodborne Illness Is Serious Business

Foodborne illness can strike anyone. However, some people are at a higher risk for developing foodborne illness. These include pregnant women, young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems. If you — or someone you care for — are in one of these at-risk groups, it’s important to pay extra attention to handling food safely.

Four Steps to Food Safety

1. CLEAN: Wash hands and surfaces often
Bacteria can be spread throughout the kitchen and get onto hands, cutting boards, utensils, counter tops and food.

To ensure that your hands and surfaces are clean, be sure to:

• Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers and handling pets.
• Wash your cutting boards, dishes, utensils and counter tops with hot soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next food.
• Consider using paper towels to clean up kitchen surfaces. If you use cloth towels wash them often in the hot cycle of your washing machine.
• Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water, including those with skins and rinds that are not eaten.
• Rub firm-skin fruits and vegetables under running tap water or scrub with a clean vegetable brush while rinsing with running tap water.
• With canned goods, remember to clean lids before opening. 

2. SEPARATE: Separate raw meats from other foods
Cross-contamination can occur when bacteria are spread from one food product to another. This is especially common when handling raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs. The key is to keep these foods—and their juices—away from ready-to-eat foods.

To prevent cross-contamination, remember to:

• Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs from other foods in your grocery shopping cart, grocery bags and in your refrigerator.
• Use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry and seafood.
• Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs.
• Don’t reuse marinades used on raw foods unless you bring them to a boil first. 

3. COOK: Cook to the right temperaturesFood is safely cooked when it reaches a high enough internal temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause illness. Refer to the Safe Cooking Temperatures Chart for the proper internal temperatures.

To ensure that your foods are cooked safely, always:

• Use a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of cooked foods. Check the internal temperature in several places to make sure that the meat, poultry, seafood, eggs or dishes containing eggs are cooked to safe minimum internal temperatures as shown in the Safe Cooking Temperatures Chart.
• Cook ground meat or ground poultry until it reaches a safe internal temperature. Color is not a reliable indicator of doneness.
• Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm. Only use recipes in which eggs are cooked or heated thoroughly.
• When cooking in a microwave oven, cover food, stir, and rotate for even cooking. If there is no turntable, rotate the dish by hand once or twice during cooking. Always allow standing time, which completes the cooking, before checking the internal temperature with a food thermometer. Food is done when it reaches the safe minimum internal temperature.
• Bring sauces, soups and gravy to a boil when reheating. 

4. CHILL: Refrigerate foods promptlyRefrigerate foods quickly because cold temperatures slow the growth of harmful bacteria. Do not over-stuff the refrigerator. Cold air must circulate to help keep food safe. Keeping a constant refrigerator temperature of 40ºF or below is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Use an appliance thermometer to be sure the temperature is consistently 40ºF or below and the freezer temperature is 0ºF or below.

To chill foods properly:

• Refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, eggs, seafood and other perishables within 2 hours of cooking or purchasing. Refrigerate within 1 hour if the temperature outside is above 90ºF.
• Never thaw food at room temperature, such as on the counter top. Food must be kept at a safe temperature during thawing. There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately.
• Always marinate food in the refrigerator.
• Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator.
• Use or discard refrigerated food on a regular basis. Follow the recommendations in the Refrigerator & Freezer Storage Chart found athttp://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/ResourcesForYou/HealthEducators/UCM109315.pdf.

Is It Done Yet?

Use a food thermometer to be most accurate. You can’t always tell by looking. 

SAFE COOKING TEMPERATURES
as measured with a food thermometer

Food Type	Internal temperature
Ground Meat & Meat Mixtures
Beef, Pork, Veal, Lamb	160oF
Turkey, Chicken	165oF
Fresh Beef, Pork, Veal, & Lamb	145oF with a 3 minute rest time
Poultry
Chicken & Turkey, Whole	165oF
Poultry Parts	165oF
Duck & Goose	165oF
Stuffing (cooked alone/in bird)	165oF
Ham
Fresh (raw)	145oF with a 3 minute rest time
Pre-cooked (to reheat)	140oF
Eggs & Egg Dishes
Eggs	Cook until yolk & white are firm
Egg Dishes	160oF
Seafood
Fin Fish	145oF or flesh is opaque & separates easily with fork
Shrimp, Lobster & Crabs	Flesh pearly & opaque
Clams, Oysters & Mussels	Shells open during cooking
Scallops	Milky white or opaque & firm
Leftovers & Casseroles	165oF

Health News: Foodborne illness sickens over 80 child protection employees ♦ CDC 1 death 24 Illnesses in listeria outbreak linked to soft cheese

Foodborne illness sickens more than 80 Ontario child protection employees More than 80 child protection employees in Brantford, Ontario, were reportedly sickened by a foodborne illness after a recent day-long stress management conference. Andy Koster, executive director of Brant Family and Children’s Services, said that between 80-100 workers had called in sick starting last Friday,

CDC 1 death 24 Illnesses in listeria outbreak linked to soft cheese Whole genome sequencing has allowed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to connect at least 24 Listeria infections over the past five years to soft cheese. The 24 illnesses in nine states have been report since Aug. 8, 2010. One death was reported from Ohio. Twenty-one people were hospitalized. Five illnesses were pregnancy-related; one resulted in a fetal loss

.Novel mechanism of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes Insensitivity to insulin, also called insulin resistance, is associated with type 2 diabetes and affects several cell types and organs in the body. Now, scientists have discovered a mechanism that explains how insulin-producing cells can be insulin resistant and insulin sensitive at the same time. The findings may lead to future novel treatment strategies for type 2 diabetes,

Silk and ceramics offer hope for long-term repair of joint injuries Driven by the need to develop more effective therapies requiring less recovery time for common joint conditions such as osteoarthritis, an international team of researchers has developed an integrated two-part scaffold for implantation into damaged joints -- with cartilage scaffold made from silk, and bone scaffold made from ceramics. This combination of materials allows stem cells to successfully populate the graft and differentiate into cartilage and bone cells. The cells fill the damaged areas to reconstitute the original structure of the joint, after which the scaffold biodegrades, leaving the smooth surface required for a pain-free, functioning interface.

Patients with type 2 diabetes should be prioritized for obesity surgery When considering overall costs of healthcare, obese patients with type 2 diabetes, especially those with recent disease onset, should be prioritized for obesity surgery over those without type 2 diabetes, experts say, since many patients see a reversal of diabetes after surgery and thus need fewer expensive diabetes medications or treatment for complications in future

Health News:Nexium Recalled ♦ More than 180 children sickened by foodborne illness in Pakistan ♦ Drug inhibits infection that causes watery

.Nexium Recalled - Seroquel XR Nexium bottles Recall: Antipsychotic found in bottle labeled for GERD medication. AstraZeneca announced a voluntary recall of 34,524 mislabeled Nexium bottles following the discovery of Seroquel XR, an antipsychotic agent, in an unopened Nexium container.

More than 180 children sickened by foodborne illness in Pakistan More than 180 children at a home for orphans in Islamabad, Pakistan, were sickened Sunday, July 5, 2015, reportedly after consuming “substandard” food. The children were taken to three different hospitals after complaining of stomach pain and other symptoms of foodborne illness soon after eating breakfast. According to a newspaper report, some of the children became...

Drug inhibits infection that causes watery diarrhea Researchers have demonstrated that heparin, a type of inhibits infection with Cryptosporidium parvum, a protozoan that causes diarrhea in humans and other mammals. This will facilitate the development of anti-cryptosporidial agents.

Study reveals brain network responsible for cognitive changes in multiple sclerosis Decreased connectivity between network-specific brain regions are to blame for the central deficit common to the various cognitive changes associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). The study found that, compared to healthy controls, individuals with MS exhibit weaker brain connections between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and posterior brain regions.

Molecule linked to muscle fatigue in humans; enhances exercise tolerance when fed to mice Everyone's muscles have different limits. While professional athletes can train for hours before feeling fatigued, others struggle to mow the lawn or climb stairs. No panacea exists to create an equal playing field, nor will one likely be discovered, but a new study questions whether this limit can be nutritionally extended.

Food Research: Drinking chamomile decreases risk of death ♦ Physicians can play key role in preventing foodborne illness ♦ Fresh milk, off the grid

Fresh milk, off the grid Milk preservation depends upon refrigeration and boiling, but in developing countries these methods are costly and often impractical due to the sporadic availability of continuous electricity. New research now finds that short pulsed electric fields can be used to kill milk-contaminating bacteria. This process can prevent bacteria

How people defend eating meat Meat eaters who justify their eating habits feel less guilty and are more tolerant of social inequality say researchers. They found that the vast majority of omnivores defend consuming animals by rationalizing their behavior using one of four rationalizations, which they call the 4Ns.

Drinking chamomile decreases risk of death in older Mexican American women Drinking chamomile tea was associated with a decreased risk of death from all causes in Mexican-American American women over 65, a new study has shown. Chamomile is one of the oldest, most-widely used medicinal plants in the world and has been recommended for a variety of healing applications. It is currently widely used as an herbal remedy in Mexico and among Mexican-Americans.

Physicians can play key role in preventing foodborne illness Food safety awareness is key to understanding the food safety issues on the horizon, and clinicians at hospitals and doctors' offices play a key role in ensuring consumers are aware of the threats of foodborne illness, says an expert.

Health News: Man arrested in connection with illegal slaughter house ♦ Low back pain risk factors identified ♦ Use of minimally invasive surgery + more

Fourth man arrested  in connection with illegal slaughter house in South Miami Dade . A fourth individual was arrested March 24 following a 5-month-long investigation into CoCo Farm in Miami-Dade County where police allege that the operators were running an illegal slaughterhouse and animals were malnourished and killed in vicious ways.

Drinking raw milk dramatically increases risk for foodborne illness The risks of drinking raw (unpasteurized) cow's milk are significant, research shows. Investigators have determined that raw milk was associated with over half of all milk-related foodborne illness

Use of minimally invasive surgery could lower health care costs by hundreds of millions a year A new analysis of surgical outcomes nationwide concludes that more use of minimally invasive surgery for certain common procedures can dramatically reduce postoperative complications and shave hundreds of millions of dollars

Protecting nerve tissue during bowel surgery After bowel surgery, more than half of the patients suffer from irreparable nerve damage. Now scientists have developed an assistance system that warns surgeons about the risk of inflicting possible injury during operations in the pelvic area. The experts are currently working on a solution for minimally invasive surgery.

Low back pain risk factors identified New research identifies nicotine dependence, obesity, alcohol abuse and depressive disorders as risk factors for low back pain, a common condition causing disability, missed work, high medical costs and diminished life quality.

1/20/15 Health News Special :THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF FOODBORNE ILLNESS CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE

THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF FOODBORNE ILLNESS CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE

Most of the time we think of food poisoning as stomach cramps and maybe vomiting and diarrhea. Rarely do we hear or see the long-term effects it can have on... Continue Reading

Note : This is one of the most important subjects I have covered. It helps people realize the importance of food safety.

Use of Social Media to Identify Foodborne Illness

Use of Social Media to Identify Foodborne Illness

Jenine K. Harris, PhD, Raed Mansour, MS, Bechara Choucair, MD, Joe Olson, Cory Nissen, MS, Jay Bhatt, DO

An estimated 55 million to 105 million persons in the United States experience acute gastroenteritis caused by foodborne illness each year, resulting in costs of $2–$4 billion annually. Many persons do not seek treatment, resulting in underreporting of the actual number of cases and cost of the illnesses . To prevent foodborne illness, local health departments nationwide license and inspect restaurants and track and respond to foodborne illness complaints. New technology might allow health departments to engage with the public to improve foodborne illness surveillance. For example, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene examined restaurant reviews from an online review website to identify foodborne illness complaints.

On March 23, 2013, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and its civic partners launched FoodBorne Chicago (6), a website (https://www.foodbornechicago.org) aimed at improving food safety in Chicago by identifying and responding to complaints on Twitter about possible foodborne illnesses.

In 10 months, project staff members responded to 270 Twitter messages (tweets) and provided links to the FoodBorne Chicago complaint form. A total of 193 complaints of possible foodborne illness were submitted through FoodBorne Chicago, and 133 restaurants in the city were inspected. Inspection reports indicated 21 (15.8%) restaurants failed inspection, and 33 (24.8%) passed with conditions indicating critical or serious violations. Eight tweets and 19 complaint forms to FoodBorne Chicago described seeking medical treatment. Collaboration between public health professionals and the public via social media might improve foodborne illness surveillance and response. CDPH is working to disseminate FoodBorne Chicago via freely available open source software

FoodBorne Chicago tracked Twitter messages using a supervised learning algorithm . The algorithm parsed tweets originating from Chicago that included "food poisoning" to identify specific instances of persons with complaints of foodborne illness. The geographic boundaries used by the algorithm also included some neighboring Chicago suburbs. However, follow-up inspections were conducted only at restaurant locations within the city limits. Tweets identified by the algorithm were reviewed by project staff members for indications of foodborne illness (e.g., stomach cramps, diarrhea, or vomiting) from food prepared outside the home. Project staff members provided feedback on whether each tweet fit the criteria, enabling the tweet identification algorithm to learn and become more effective over time.

For tweets meeting the criteria, project staff members used Twitter to reply. For example, Tweet: "Guess who's got food poisoning? This girl!" Reply:"That doesn't sound good. Help us prevent this and report where you ate here (link to Foodborne Chicago and a web form to report the illness)." The information in submitted forms went directly into the Chicago 311 system that handles all requests for non emergency city services. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate FoodBorne Chicago over its first 10 months of use and to compare the results of complaint-based health inspections of food establishments resulting from FoodBorne Chicago use with health inspections of food establishments based on complaints not submitted through FoodBorne Chicago. The comparisons did not include reinspections or routine inspections not based on a complaint.

During March 2013–January 2014, FoodBorne Chicago identified 2,241 "food poisoning" tweets originating from Chicago and neighboring suburbs. From these, project staff members identified 270 tweets describing specific instances of persons with complaints of foodborne illness. Eight of the 270 tweets (3.0%) mentioned a visit to a doctor or an emergency department. A total of 193 complaints of food poisoning were submitted through the FoodBorne Chicago web form. However, project staff members were not able to track how many of the 193 came from persons led to the form via Twitter and how many came from persons who visited the FoodBorne Chicago site on their own.

Of the 193 FoodBorne Chicago complaints, 19 (9.8%) persons indicated they sought medical care. The complaints identified 179 Chicago restaurant locations; at 133 (74.3%) locations, CDPH inspectors conducted unannounced health inspections. These 133 inspections amounted to 6.9% of the 1,941 health inspections of food establishments prompted by complaints during the study period. Of the 133 FoodBorne Chicago–prompted health inspections, 122 (91.7%) inspection reports identified at least one health violation, compared with 91.8% of inspection reports following complaints filed outside of FoodBorne Chicago during the same period.

Of the 133 FoodBorne Chicago–prompted health inspections 27 (20.3%) identified at least one critical violation, compared with 16.4% of the 1,808 inspections not prompted by FoodBorne Chicago. Critical violations indicate an "immediate health hazard" resulting in a high risk for foodborne illness. Critical violations must be fixed while the inspector is present or the restaurant fails inspection, has its license suspended, and is closed.* Twenty-nine restaurants (21.8%) reported via FoodBorne Chicago had at least one serious violation compared with 27.8% of restaurants not reported via FoodBorne Chicago. Serious violations indicate a "potential health hazard" that must be corrected within a timeframe determined by the health inspector, typically 5 days. If the serious violation is not fixed on re-inspection, the license is suspended, and the business is closed. Overall, at least one critical or serious violation was found in 37.6% of inspections prompted by FoodBorne Chicago and 37.2% of inspections from other complaints during the same period.

Some differences were noted in the distribution of specific violations between FoodBorne Chicago inspections and other complaint inspections. For example, 13.5% of FoodBorne Chicago inspections resulted in (critical) violation 3 (i.e., food not stored at appropriate temperatures), compared with 8.2% of other complaint inspections (Table). In addition, 14.3% of other complaint inspections reported (serious) violation 18 (i.e., food not protected from contamination), compared with 6% of FoodBorne inspections.

A total of 21 (15.8%) of the 133 restaurants reported through FoodBorne Chicago failed inspection and were closed; an additional 33 restaurants (24.8%) passed with conditions, indicating that serious or critical violations were identified and corrected during inspection or within a specified timeframe. Of the inspected restaurants with complaints not reported through FoodBorne Chicago, 25.8% failed and 14.2% passed with conditions. During the study period, among all restaurants inspected, FoodBorne Chicago–prompted inspections accounted for 4.3% of failed inspections and 11.4% of pass with conditions inspections.

Discussion

Foodborne illness is a serious and underreported public health problem with high health and financial costs. Emerging evidence on the effectiveness of social media for foodborne illness surveillance suggests mining tweets and restaurant reviews might aid in identifying and taking action on localized foodborne illness complaints that would otherwise go unreported (5,8,9). Using a new surveillance and response strategy, the CDPH identified and responded to 270 tweets about foodborne illness over 10 months in the Chicago area; 193 Chicago FoodBorne forms reporting foodborne illness were filed during this period. The majority of the 193 forms did not indicate that medical treatment was sought and so would likely not have been included in the usual surveillance numbers nor prompted inspections by the health department. Twenty-one of the reported restaurants failed inspection and were closed; 33 additional restaurants passed with conditions. Rates of critical and serious violations and failing inspections prompted by FoodBorne Chicago complaints were similar to those from inspections in response to other complaints during the same period.

The findings in this report are subject to at least two limitations. First, the Twitter application programming interface does not allow precise geographic filtering, and FoodBorne Chicago only used the keyword "food poisoning" to identify tweets. Second, it was not possible to determine how many of the 193 web form complaints were from persons directed to the form via Twitter. Project staff members were able to link 30 tweets directly to a corresponding complaint when report submitters clicked on the link in the "reply tweet" to access and complete the form. However, the number of persons who tweeted, did not click the link, and later accessed the Foodborne Chicago web form is unknown.

CDPH food inspectors and supervisors initially were concerned that use of Twitter would overburden them with increased inspections. However, by understanding the process better and seeing the success in finding violations, CDPH staff members have become supportive of obtaining potential foodborne illness information via Twitter.

CDPH and its partners are actively working to improve and disseminate the FoodBorne Chicago program. In an effort to increase the effectiveness of staff replies to complaints via Twitter, CDPH held four focus groups and plans an online survey. In addition, CDPH is currently working with the Boston Public Health Commission and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to adapt FoodBorne Chicago for use in those two cities. FoodBorne Chicago also is available as open-source software on GitHub, an online host for sharing computer code with the public or a private audience

8/8//14 Health News: 5 Die From Food Poisoning ♦ TRUE IMPACT OF FOODBORNE ILLNESS ♦ Vibrio Illnesses Prompt Closure of Samish Bay’s Oyster Harvest

5 Die From Food Poisoning From Southern Chinese Snack

At least five people have died and another 17 others were poisoned in China’s southern Yunnan Province after they ate fermented corn flour snacks. Continue Reading

REAL-LIFE STORIES REVEAL THE TRUE IMPACT OF FOODBORNE ILLNESS

Alex Donley was a tender-hearted 6-year-old who dreamed of someday being a paramedic when he was stricken with an E. coli infection in 1993 after eating a hamburger made from contaminated ground beef. Four days later, he died in a hospital room after suffering a horrific bout of hemolytic uremic syndrome, a kidney disease stemming... Continue Reading

Vibrio Illnesses Prompt Closure of Samish Bay’s Oyster Harvest Until Sept. 30

Confirmation that shellfish from Samish Bay in northwest Washington state was the source of at least one illness, and possibly three others, caused by the bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus, has prompted the state’s health department to close commercial oyster harvesting in the bay until Sept. 30.Continue Reading

6/3/14 Gut Bacteria Help Make Us Fat and Thin ♦ Skin Cancer Trial Results 'Exciting' ♦ Restaurants Gambled with Diners’ Health ♦ Foodborne illness places heaviest burden on youngest kids

Skin Cancer Trial Results 'Exciting'

The results of two international trials against advanced skin cancer have been hailed as "exciting and striking". Both treatments, for advanced melanoma, are designed to enable the immune system to recognise and target tumours. Continue Reading

Foodborne illness places heaviest burden on youngest kids

With the incidence of 9 major foodborne diseases not changing significantly since 2006-2008, according to a new preliminary report for 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says more needs to be done for prevention.

For 7 of the diseases the incidence was highest among children aged younger than 5 years. Those pathogens were: Campylobacter; Cryptosporidium; Salmonella; Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157 and non-O157; Shigella; and Yersinia. Continue Reading

Food safety storm — restaurants gambled with diners’ health

ALMOST 40 eastern suburbs restaurants and cafes tried to sell food which might have gone off after a severe storm cut power for up to two days. In a report to the Eastern Health Authority’s May meeting, acting senior environmental health officer Nadia Conci says inspectors visited 55 premises in the wake of the February 4 storm. Ms Conci said many of the businesses failed to throw out food that could have been contaminated after being unrefrigerated for up to 48 hours.Continue Reading

How Gut Bacteria Help Make Us Fat and Thin

For the 35 percent of American adults who do daily battle with obesity, the main causes of their condition are all too familiar: an unhealthy diet, a sedentary lifestyle and perhaps some unlucky genes. In recent years, however, researchers have become increasingly convinced that important hidden players literally lurk in human bowels: billions on billions of gut microbes. Fortunately, researchers are beginning to understand the differences between the wrong mix and a healthy one Continue Reading