Immune System Research: How a single molecule turns one immune cell into another ♦ Susceptibility to allergies can be reduced ♦ Immune cells in the skin remember

Immune cells in the skin remember, defend against parasite For the first time, researchers have found resident T cells in a tissue in response to a parasite infection. The finding could help inform efforts to develop an effective vaccine for leishmaniasis, as well as other diseases such as tuberculosis and leprosy.

How a single molecule turns one immune cell into another All it takes is one molecule to reprogram an antibody-producing B cell into a scavenging macrophage. This transformation is possible, new evidence shows, because the molecule (C/EBPa, a transcription factor) 'short-circuits' the cells so that they re-express genes reserved for embryonic development.

Cirrhosis, antibodies increase risk of poor outcome for autoimmune hepatitis patients New research reports that cirrhosis at first diagnosis and antibodies for the soluble liver antigen/liver pancreas antigen (SLA/LP) are major risk factors for poor short- and long-term outcome in patients with autoimmune hepatitis. Scientists also found that patients diagnosed in childhood were at higher risk of relapse, need of a liver transplant, and reduced life expectancy

Susceptibility to allergies can be reduced Susceptibility to allergies reduced by increased production of regulatory T cells, researchers report, adding that these new findings could lead to preventive treatments being developed for high risk patients in the future.

Health News: Clinic May Have infected Patients with Hepatitis and HIV ♦ Gut immune system effective in treating diabetes ♦ Alternating antibiotics could make resistant bacteria beatable

Clinic May Have infected Patients with Hepatitis and HIV. A Santa Barbara County clinic was closed and patients are being identified and contacted by public health officials who are investigating whether clients of the medical office were infected with Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, or HIV after determining the clinic was not following standard precautions to protect patients.

Small portions of fast food just as effective for recovery after work-out as sports supplementsA new study found there was no significant difference in glycogen recovery when cyclists ate fast food after a workout versus when they ingested traditional sports supplements

Gut immune system identified as a new and effective target in treating diabetes A commonly used drug to treat inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease, has been shown to lower blood sugar levels in obese mice, potentially identifying the gut immune system as a new and effective target in treating diabetes in humans

Multidrug-resistant shigellosis spreading in the United States International travelers are bringing a multidrug-resistant intestinal illness to the United States and spreading it to others who have not traveled, according to a new report. Shigella sonnei bacteria resistant to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin sickened 243 people in 32 states and Puerto Rico. The drug-resistant illness was being repeatedly introduced as ill travelers returned.

Alternating antibiotics could make resistant bacteria beatable Pioneering new research has unlocked a new technique to help combat the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, that cause debilitating and often life-threatening human illness.

Cancer News:12 ways to cut your cancer risk ♦ Antibiotics as new cancer treatments ♦ Hepatitis-liver cancer connection ♦ New way to use electric fields to deliver cancer treatment

12 ways to cut your cancer risk

There are many more things people can do to reduce their risk for cancer. February 4 is the World Cancer Day. World Health Organization reports that 14,000,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year and about 8,200,000 dies from cancer and its complications annually.  In the next 20 years, cases of newly diagnosed cancer are expected to increase 70% and Continue Reading

Antibiotics as new cancer treatments? Conversation with schoolgirl sparks idea

A way to eradicate cancer stem cells, using the side-effects of commonly used antibiotics, has been discovered by a University of Manchester researcher following a conversation with his young daughter. Continue Reading

Hot on the trail of hepatitis-liver cancer connection

Using whole genomic sequencing, scientists have for the first time demonstrated the profound effect that chronic hepatitis infection and inflammation can have on the genetic mutations found in tumors of the liver, potentially paving the way to a better understanding of Continue Reading

New way to use electric fields to deliver cancer treatment

A team of researchers has devised a new way to target tumors with cancer-fighting drugs, a discovery that may lead to clinical treatments for cancer patients. Called iontophoresis, the technique delivers chemotherapy to select areas.Continue Reading

FSAI Renews Advice to Boil Imported Frozen Berries

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today advised consumers to continue to boil all imported frozen berries for at least one minute prior to consumption. The FSAI stated that it is re-enforcing this advice which was originally provided last year when a food poisoning outbreak of hepatitis A virus linked to imported frozen berries was first identified in Ireland and subsequently transpired to be a multi-state European outbreak.  It is renewing its advice today following the publication of a report into the European-wide investigation into the outbreak which has concluded that contaminated frozen berries could still be circulating in the food chain.  Also this month, a few Irish cases of hepatitis A have been reported to the FSAI which cannot be explained by travel abroad and investigations are underway to establish if there may be a link with contaminated imported frozen berries or other foods.

The European-wide trace-back investigation, which the FSAI was part of, was coordinated by the European Food Safety Authority.  The outbreak was first identified in May 2013, when Germany reported cases with a travel history to Italy and Italy identified a national increase in the number of hepatitis A cases.  To date 1,440 cases have been reported in twelve European countries, 331 of which have been confirmed by genotyping.   The majority of cases were reported in Italy.  Twenty five cases were reported in Ireland, 21 of which were confirmed.

Hepatitis A contamination of mixed berries and mixed berry containing products was identified in three countries, Italy, France and Norway.   Following the European-wide trace-back investigation, Bulgarian blackberries and Polish red currants have been identified as the most common ingredient in the food consumed by affected people, however, Poland is the largest producer of red currants in Europe, and Bulgaria is a major exporter of frozen blackberries.  No single point source of contamination has been identified; however, twelve food operators have been identified with links to cases and batches in five of the countries affected.

Prof. Alan Reilly, Chief Executive, FSAI states: “The first indications of the outbreak emerged last year when cases of hepatitis A were identified to have the same strain of the virus as that causing an outbreak in Italy.  As contaminated imported frozen berries could still be circulating in the food chain, we continue to recommend the boiling of imported frozen berries for at least one minute before eating them.  This is a precautionary measure and will destroy the virus if it is present.  There is no evidence that fresh Irish berries were the cause of the outbreak.  However, we suggest that - as with all other fruit and vegetables - fresh berries should be washed thoroughly if they are being eaten uncooked.”

Frozen imported berries are widely used in the food industry and distributed into the food service sector for use in cooked and ready-to-eat dishes.  Therefore, food businesses using frozen imported berries need to ensure that the berries they use are sourced from reputable suppliers operating effective food safety management systems and comprehensive traceability systems.

Prof. Reilly states: “This outbreak highlights just how complex the food chain can be.  No single point source of contamination has been identified, despite the trace-back investigations which looked at 6,227 transactions among 1,974 food businesses.  We reiterate our recommendation that food businesses at each stage of the food chain seek assurances regarding the effectiveness of the food safety management systems in place from their suppliers. If such assurances are not available, the imported berries should be boiled for one minute before being used in foods to eliminate or reduce the risk from foodborne viruses and bacteria.”

Hepatitis A is a disease that can be relatively mild, lasting 1-2 weeks or more severe, lasting months.  Severity of symptoms tends to increase with age. The most common symptoms are fever, loss of appetite, nausea, fatigue and abdominal pain, followed within a few days by jaundice. The incubation period (time from exposure to onset of illness) ranges from 15 to 50 days, the average being 28 days. Hepatitis A is a human virus that is primarily spread from person-to-person via the faecal-oral route. The virus is shed in the faeces of infected people. It may also be spread through food that has been contaminated by infected food handlers or by contaminated water. People who have the virus are most infectious in the week or two before onset of symptoms and may be infectious up to one week after onset.

4/11/14 Health News: PAPA JOHN’S WAS SOURCE OF HEPATITIS A SCARE ♦ Quick Health Gains After a Smoking Ban ♦ 10 Medical Tests to Avoid ♦Shorter Shifts Don't Help Medical Residents or Patients

NC HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAYS PAPA JOHN’S WAS SOURCE OF HEPATITIS A SCARE

A Charlotte, NC, Papa John’s outlet is to blame for a Hepatitis A scare, according to the Mecklenburg County Health Department. Anyone who ate food from the location on March 28 and 29 should get the Hepatitis A vaccine immediately. Officials are looking into a potential Hepatitis A outbreak from the Papa John’s location in... Continue Reading

Quick Health Gains After a Smoking Ban

The number of premature births and children’s hospital visits for asthma dropped significantly in parts of the United States, Canada, and Europe barely a year after they enacted smoking bans, researchers reported in The Lancet. The new analysis combined the results of 11 studies encompassing more than 2.5 million births and nearly 250,000 asthma attacks. Experts called it the best evidence to date that legislation creating smoke-free public places and workplaces improves children’s health, even in the womb.Source: Continue Reading

10 Medical Tests to Avoid

You may not need these common health exams as often as you think.

The American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation asked more than 50 medical societies — of family doctors, oncologists, cardiologists and other specialties — to identify tests and treatments that are often unnecessary. AARP is a consumer partner with this campaign, called Choosing Wisely..Continue Reading

Shorter Shifts Don't Help Medical Residents or Patients

The notorious 24- or even 36-hour shifts that medical residents work in hospitals around the world have been widely criticized for leading to medical errors and poor patient outcomes. This led to a slew of legislation limiting on-call hours. But new research prepared by a trauma surgeon at St. Michael’s Hospital shows that shorter shifts don’t improve patient care and can actually worsen residents’ exam scores Continue Reading

4/4/14 Health News: Swimming Pool Urine Poses Health Risks ♦ Phage 'Cocktail' Wipes Out 99 % of E. Coli in Food ♦ SUPPLEMENTS NEED REVIEW BEFORE THEY CAN DO DAMAGE, NOT AFTERWARD

  SUPPLEMENTS NEED REVIEW BEFORE THEY CAN DO DAMAGE, NOT AFTERWARD

Nearly 100 severe hepatitis and liver failure illnesses — nearly half requiring hospitalization, including three transplants and one death — are raising new questions about the nation’s $32-billion-a-year supplements industry. This comes only three months after the prestigious Annals of Internal Medicine found that all those vitamin and mineral supplements peddled by the industry are...Continue Reading

Swimming pool urine combines with chlorine to pose health risks

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A new study shows how uric acid in urine generates potentially hazardous "volatile disinfection byproducts" in swimming pools by interacting with chlorine, and researchers are advising swimmers to observe "improved hygiene habits."Continue Reading

Phage 'cocktail' wipes out 99 percent of E. coli in meat, spinach

Treating food products with select bacteriophages - viruses that target and kill bacteria - could significantly reduce concentrations of E. coli, a Purdue University study shows. An injection of bacteriophages - also known informally as "phages" - nearly eradicated a toxin-producing strain of E. coli in contaminated spinach and ground beef, in some cases decreasing E. coli concentrations by about 99 percent. Continue Reading

2/27/24 Health News: THEORIES PILE UP ON RANCHO BEEF INVESTIGATION - 18 Exposed to Incurable Disease - Poor Nations Seek Hepatitis C Drug - Medical Errors

THEORIES PILE UP AS RANCHO BEEF INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

So many people are wondering why 8.7 million pounds of meat processed by Rancho Feeding Corporation in Petaluma, CA were recalled and the slaughterhouse subsequently closed. Could it be an inspector shortage? An inspector-veterinarian dispute? Cancerous cow eyes and circumvented inspection requirements? Theories abound and we’re keeping count. The union representing U.S. Department of Agriculture... Continue Reading

18 May Have Been Exposed to Incurable Disease

Doctors and hospital officials from Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, are notifying 18 neurosurgery patients that they might have been exposed to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a serious and incurable neurological disorder. "It is important to note that there are multiple variations of CJD and this case is not related to mad cow disease," Novant Health said in a statement. The hospital confirmed that on January 18, an operation was performed on a patient with CJD symptoms who later tested positive for the illness.

Continue Reading

Poor Nations Seek New Hepatitis C Drug

Now that wealthy nations have a simple pill regimen that can cure hepatitis C, calls are mounting from representatives of poor nations for the same drugs. In December, the Food and Drug Administration approved sofosbuvir, from Gilead Sciences. Under the brand name Sovaldi in the United States, it is expected to cost $84,000 per treatment. Four other companies are developing similar pills expected to reach the market in the next three years, with similarly high price tags. Worldwide, at least 150 million people — nearly five times the number with H.I.V. — are believed to have hepatitis C, which can cause liver damage and cancer. Continue Reading

Medical Errors That Shook Greece

From incorrect medical assessments and contaminated blood transfusions, to errors that left patients paralyzed or with serious disabilities, physicians in Greece have also had their share of failures over the past years and were involved in medical errors. On the occasion of the Papageorgiou Hospital in northern Greece which is planning to introduce a mobile phone signal jammer for its operating rooms so that physicians won’t be able to use their cell phones while operating..Continue Reading

EU’s Hepatitis-A Epidemic Still Going on-- 800 People Sick

After six months has passed, people are still getting hepatitis A from frozen berries. There are 800 cases of hepatitis A so far. 15 batches of berries have been recalled. Many of the illnesses are caused  by restaurants and bakeries that use berries in their cakes and desserts. Many contaminated berries are probably are still in freezers and in markets.

The ministry of health has ask people to boil berries for two minutes. Berries are supposed to be marked with a red circle instructing consumers to boil them for two minutes but it is not getting done. So far no pictures of the packaging of the contaminated berries have been released by the ministry of health.

Being able to trace raw material (berries} is a legal obligation in the EU so that they can intervene quickly and effectively to stop an epidemic. Unfortunately does not work as it should, and this undermines the efforts of scientists to do there job.     

Finding out what is causing an epidemic is not easy. The causes of many food poisoning cases are never found. but all groups need to work together to protect the public's health. The wholesalers and packing houses need to keep track of their sources so the scientists can track contamination.Bakeries and restaurants need to pay attention to health alerts so they boil berries when they should. Government agencies need inform the public quickly about contaminated products and show pictures of the products so the consumer will realize if they have a contaminated product in their house. Grocery stores need to take contaminated products off their shelves promptly and inform their customers with noticeable signage. The Customer needs to be aware of recalls to protect their family. The solution is everyone working together.   

The Symptoms of Hepatitis A are  abdominal pain or discomfort, especially in the area of your liver on your right side beneath your lower ribs,Loss of appetite, Low-grade fever Dark urine,Muscle pain and Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)

Signs and symptoms of hepatitis A usually last less than two months, but may last as long as six months. Not everyone with hepatitis A develops signs or symptoms.

If you've been exposed to hepatitis A, you may prevent infection by having a hepatitis A vaccine or immunoglobulin therapy within two weeks of exposure

Ireland: OxyELITE Pro and VERSA-1 Recalled Due to Liver Disease

OxyELITE Pro and VERSA-1 Supplements Associated with Liver Disease. USP Labs LLC, Dallas, USA is recalling OxyELITE Pro supplements, which are marketed for “energy boost, muscle building and weight loss”. This follows reports in the USA of 56 cases of liver disease that may be related to the consumption of these supplements. One person died and two people required liver transplants.   

VERSA-1 is also produced by USP Labs LLC.  Although VERSA-1 has not been associated with liver disease, both supplements contain the ingredient aegeline. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) advises consumers not to consume OxyELITE Pro or VERSA-1 as aegeline cannot be excluded as a cause of illness.

OxyELITE Pro Super Thermo capsules; OxyELITE Pro Ultra-Intense Thermo capsules; OxyELITE Pro Super Thermo powder and VERSA-1 have been on sale in Ireland.  The implicated supplements are sold via the internet and may be available through outlets that specialise in “sports supplements”.

There is a danger of developing acute non-viral hepatitis (liver disease).

Inspectors are requested to check relevant businesses including gyms, sport supplement retailers and Irish businesses selling supplements from websites. All batches of OxyELITE Pro and VERSA-1 supplements must be removed from sale and a point of sale recall notice displayed. Please notify the FSAI (rapidalert@fsai.ie) of any implicated supplements found on sale and provide the supply chain details.

Manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, caterers & retailers are requested to remove the affected products from sale and clearly display a point of sale recall notice advising customers not to consume OxyELITE Pro and VERSA-1 supplements.

Consumers are advised NOT to consume OxyELITE Pro and VERSA-1 supplements. Consumers who may have already taken these products and are feeling unwell should seek medical advice.

10/26/ 2013 Daily Health News: Catholics Exposed to Hepatitis, Faster Tests for Sepsis and Lyme disease, Urine Test Detects Blood Clots

North Dakota Catholics warned of possible hepatitis exposure from bishop during communion

Hundreds of people may have been exposed to hepatitis A during ...the communion wafer and wine, "Catholic mass will continue," he said. Continue Reading

New Blood Test 'Detects Sepsis in Hours'

A rapid blood test to diagnose blood poisoning, or sepsis, at the hospital bedside could potentially save thousands of lives..Continue Reading

Nanotechnology Urine Test Could Detect Deadly Blood Clots

Blood clots, often unexposed until they break away and result in a stroke or heart attack, can form for a number of reasons in anyone. But now, researchers from MIT have developed a simple urine test that uses nano particles to detect thrombin, a major blood-clotting element.Continue Reading

Lyme Disease Tests Draw Scrutiny

The announcement spread quickly through the Web to Lyme disease patients across the United States. A small private lab had made an exciting breakthrough, the email said, developing a surefire way to identify the debilitating disease in people. To throngs of sick people in New England, where Lyme disease has become a major health concern, the note offered hope that finally, they would have proof that their chronic health problems were caused by Lyme disease. Continue Reading

OxyElite Pro Associated With 29 Cases of Non-viral Hepatitis

The FDA, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH), are investigating a growing number of reports of acute non-viral hepatitis in Hawaii. The Hawaii DOH has reported that 24 of these cases share a common link to a dietary supplement product labeled as OxyElite Pro.

BACKGROUND: OxyElite Pro is distributed by USPlabs LLC of Dallas, Texas, and is sold nationwide through internet and retail stores that sell dietary supplements.

There have been 29 cases of acute non-viral hepatitis with an unknown cause identified in the state of Hawaii.  Eleven of the 29 cases have been hospitalized with acute hepatitis, two cases have received liver transplants and one person has died. CDC is also looking at other cases of liver injury nationwide that may be related. Symptoms of all types of hepatitis are similar and can include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, clay or gray-colored bowel movements, joint pain, yellow eyes, and jaundice.

The  investigation is being conducted by the Hawaii DOH and the CDC. As part of FDA’s associated investigation, the agency is reviewing the medical records and histories of patients identified by the Hawaii DOH. The FDA is also analyzing the composition of product samples that have been collected from some of these patients. Additionally, the FDA is inspecting the facilities involved in manufacturing the product and reviewing production and product distribution records. Because USPlabs LLC has informed FDA that it believes counterfeit versions of OxyElite Pro are being marketed in the US and have been on the US market for some time, FDA is also investigating whether counterfeit product is related to any of the cases of acute  hepatitis.

The FDA advises consumers to stop using any dietary supplement product labeled as OxyElite Pro while the investigation continues. Consumers who believe they have been harmed by using a dietary supplement should contact their healthcare practitioner.

Healthcare professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of these products to the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program:

• Complete and submit the report Online: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm
• Download form or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178

Ten patients had liver biopsy data available at the time of this report. Seven had histology consistent with hepatitis from drug/toxic injury.. Three patients had liver biopsy findings of acute hepatitis associated with other etiologies such as autoimmune hepatitis. Eleven patients were hospitalized, with a median duration of seven days. One patient died, and two patients received liver transplants. Two remain hospitalized, and all other hospitalized patients have been discharged.

Of the 29 identified patients, 24 reported using OxyELITE Pro during the 60 days prior to illness onset. There was no other dietary supplement or medication use reported in common by more than two patients.

National case finding efforts have identified several individuals from states outside Hawaii with reported OxyELITE Pro or other weight loss or muscle building dietary supplement use prior to the development of acute hepatitis of unknown cause. CDC, in collaboration with state health departments, is collecting additional information from these individuals to determine if this outbreak is national in scope.

USPlabs LLC has agreed to stop distributing its energy and-fat burning supplement OxyElite Pro after Hawaii officials have linked it to 24 cases of acute non-viral hepatitis, FDA announced Tuesday.

Maui resident Jeanette Kaipo told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that her 48-year-old sister Sonnette Marras died last week after taking OxyElite Pro for several weeks to lose weight that she gained during her last pregnancy.

The reported illnesses and epidemiological probe represent another setback for USPlabs, whose products containing a stimulant known as DMAA have been linked to more than 100 illnesses including six deaths.

Dallas-based USPlabs has told the press it stands by its product, which is distributed online and at retail stores.  

"The cluster of liver issues in Hawaii is a complete mystery and nothing like this has ever been associated with OxyELITE Pro in all of the years our products have been in the market," the company said in a statement released to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. "We know of no credible evidence linking OxyELITE Pro to liver issues. The ingredients have been studied for safety, are consumed in the food supply and widely used in dietary supplements. The studies and consumption history show no negative liver issues."

Pork Sausage Can Carry the Hepatitis E Virus

There is increasing evidence that Hepatitis E  is a food borne illness. In one study, one in ten sausages were infected with a potentially deadly virus Hepatitis E  Scientists have warned about the acute risk of hepatitis E from the French delicacy figatellu – a smoked pigs liver sausage – which is often eaten raw.  The infection was once considered very rare but cases have risen by nearly 40 per cent in a year.

The virus usually causes only relatively mild symptoms such as sickness, a temperature and muscle pain, It will clear up within a month. But it can be fatal for the elderly, cancer victims, pregnant women and  others with existing liver problems. Around one in 50 of those infected will die, but in pregnant women one  out of five will die. There is also a risk that the virus will be passed to the baby. Men over 50 are more susceptible  to the virus as they tend to drink more and have weaker livers.,

Sausages are regarded as particularly dangerous as they often contain liver meat and traces of pig’s blood as well as a casing from the animal’s intestine.Sausages have to be cooked 158F for at least 20 minutes to kill the virus but most people do not cook them that long. Tests have showed that the virus can survive at 140F after an hour.

It is common in the developing world, where it is usually transmitted through contaminated water. It ‘is increasingly being recognised’ as a major disease.Hepatitis E causes around 20 million infections a year worldwide, which result in around 57,000 deaths. It was first found in 1955 in New Delhi, India, following contamination of water. It is endemic in much of the Far East and Africa, where sanitation is poor.

China developed The world’s first vaccine but is not available worldwide.

..

Italy: Over 400 Cases of Hepatitis A caused by Berries

During the Summer  there were over 400 cases of Hepatitis A in Italy caused by mixed frozen berries The Ministry of health reported the hypothesis that the berries causing the outbreak are the red currants. They are working with health authorities in Europe to support this possibility..  ,  

Even though they had hundreds of people sick with hepatitis A  they did not make a recall until the German Government complained about their citizens getting sick with Hepatitis A while visiting Italy

" BoscoBuono "produced by the firm Green Ice , already involved in the recall of two months ago. added batch number 13136 , 13129 and 13004 .

To identify the causes of the epidemic the Ministry has alerted the northern regions where it has been found a greater number of cases, and has carried out analytical studies of case-control study. The research showing a strong correlation between the consumption of frozen berries raw or used as an ingredient in desserts, cakes, fruit salads, etc., and pathology.A few months ago Ireland also reported cases of hepatitis A caused by the same virus isolated in Italy and present in packages of frozen berries.

The Ministry of Health can not be ruled out that this product is contaminated packaging are still on the market or are kept in the freezer of citizens, recommended to use the fruits only after they have been boiled for at least 2 minutes. These berries may be in brands that have not been recalled.

Three companies that were named in the original recall (Asiago Foods, Green Ice and Erica), have put  warnings to alert consumers their websites Equally alarming is the attitude of various supermarket chains that despite the legal obligations do not have adequate signs posted to inform customers despite having sold the contaminated batches in their stores.Note: Laws in Italy must be much different than in the United States. In the United States there would be numerous lawsuits against the grocery Stores  and there suppliers

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red  currant

    

Sweden: Frozen Strawberries Contaminated

On the advice of Sweden's National Food Agency strawberries that came from Morocco and Egypt. have been taken off the store shelves at Ica Grocery stores.

In April, health authorities warned that a hepatitis A outbreak in Sweden could be linked to frozen berries. Experts with the Swedish Institute for Communicable Disease Control (SIC) advised berry lovers to take caution when consuming any strawberries bought in Sweden that were sold frozen.

At the time, there were 44 confirmed cases of hepatitis in the Nordic countries that could be traced back to the same source: 26 from Denmark, ten from Sweden, five from Norway and three from Finland.

This is the same strain of hepatitis that was found in the Townsend’s berry mix in the United States which lead to 136 cases of hepatitis..

Recall: Woodstock Frozen Organic Pomegranate Kernels

Scenic Fruit Company of Gresham, Oregon today announced it is voluntarily recalling (61,092 eight ounce bags of Woodstock Frozen Organic Pomegranate Kernels. Based on an ongoing  investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) of an illness outbreak, the kernels have the potential to be contaminated with Hepatitis A virus. There are no illnesses yet.. People usually become sick 15 to 50 days after being exposed to Hepatitis A.

Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that can be mild and last for weeks, or in more serious cases, can last for months, according to the Department of Consumer Protection.  Symptoms include fatigue, abdominal pain, jaundice, dark urine and pale stool   

These  Pomegranate Kernels were imported from Turkey and may be associated with the imported pomegranate kernels implicated in the ongoing Townsend Farms frozen berry hepatitis A outbreak that has sickened at least 122 people in eight states. There were 17 cases in Arizona, 62 in California, 25 in Colorado, five each in Hawaii, New Mexico and Nevada, and two in Utah and one in Wisconsin. Over 50 people were hospitalized.

Products were shipped from February 2013 through May 2013 to California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington State. There may be some shipped to other states.

Woodstock Organic Pomegranate Kernels are sold in eight-ounce (227 gram) resealable plastic pouches (see image) with UPC Code 0 42563 01628 9. Specific coding information to identify the product can be found on the back portion of these pouches below the zip-lock seal. The following lots are subject to this recall:

• C 0129 (A,B, or C) 035 with a best by date of 02/04/2015
• C 0388 (A,B, or C) 087 with a best by date of 03/28/2015
• C 0490 (A,B, or C) 109 with a best by date of 04/19/2015

Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that can be mild and last for weeks, or in more serious cases, can last for months, according to the Department of Consumer Protection.  Symptoms include fatigue, abdominal pain, jaundice, dark urine and pale stool

Hepatitis A vaccination can prevent illness if given within two weeks of exposure to a contaminated food. In rare cases, particularly consumers who have a pre- existing severe illness or are immunocompromised, Hepatitis A infection can progress to liver failure.

Persons who may have consumed affected product should consult with their health care professional or local health department to determine if a vaccination is appropriate, and consumers with symptoms of Hepatitis A should contact their health care professionals or the local health department immediately.

More People Sickened by Berries Sold at Costco

More People Sickened by Berries Sold at Costco

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention there are now 106 cases of a rare form of hepatitis A. These are attributed to eating Townsend antioxidant mix which was sold at Costco.

So far 47 people have been hospitalized.  The ages of those that were infected is from two  to 87 years old.
There are more women than men ( 61%) infected. Costco has taken all the product from its shelves. Several people have filed lawsuits over this incident.

Berry Recall Botched

Berry Recall Botched

It is important to get recall information out quickly. The faster the news gets out  the less gets eaten. It should take 24 hours or less. Here is a timeline for the berries that were recalled from Townsend Farms.

May 31 Colorado state public health warned that Townsend Farms berrys contained Hepatitis A followed by federal officials.

Costco removed berries from shelves.

June 3 Townsend recalls its berry mix with errors in its press releases

June 4 Townsend corrected its recall so the public knows which berries not to eat.

Became public that Harris Teeter stores carried the berrys.

June 7  Reporter finds that no one verified that the berries were actually organic even though they were stamped USDA Organic. When a product comes from a foreign country we take there word for it that they are organic. These berries came from Chile,Mexico and Turkey

Seventy Nine Infected with Liver disease.  There will be more. for more information check my blog from June 5