2 Die In Louisiana After Eating Oysters Tainted With Flesh-Eating Bacteria

CBS News: 2 People Dead After Getting Flesh-Eating Bacteria From Eating Raw Oysters, Louisiana Officials Say
Two people have died from eating raw oysters that were contaminated with a flesh-eating bacteria, Louisiana health officials said. Vibrio vulnificus is a bacteria that occurs in warm coastal waters. It is more common between May and October. The bacteria can cause illness when an open wound is exposed to contaminated waters, or when a person eats raw or undercooked seafood. Oysters are particularly risky, state health officials said in a July news release. (Breen, 8/29)

CIDRAP: Egg-Linked Salmonella Outbreak Sickens Nearly 100 In 18 States
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday announced a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak linked to eggs that are subject to a recall. The outbreak bacterium has sickened at least 95 people in 18 states. Illness onsets range from January 7 to July 26. So far, 18 people have been hospitalized, with no deaths reported. State investigations found four subclusters tied to restaurants. Epidemiologic and trace-back data found that large brown cage-free eggs distributed by County Eggs may be the source of the outbreak. (Schnirring, 8/29)

In related news about foodborne illnesses —

CIDRAP: CDC Cuts Back Foodborne Illness Surveillance Program
As of July 1, the CDC's Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), which works with the Food and Drug Administration, the US Department of Agriculture, and 10 state health departments to track infections commonly transmitted through food, has reduced required surveillance to two pathogens: Salmonella and Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Reporting of illnesses caused by Campylobacter, Cyclospora, Listeria, Shigella, Vibrio, and Yersinia is now optional, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). (Dall, 8/28)

More outbreaks and health threats —

NBC News: Outbreaks Of Rabies Rising Across The U.S., CDC Surveillance Suggests
Six deaths from rabies have been reported over the last 12 months in the U.S., the highest number in years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From rabid skunks in Kentucky to gray foxes in Arizona and raccoons on Long Island, wild animals in more than a dozen places across the U.S. have experienced a rise in the deadly disease, at least partly driven by shrinking natural habitats and better surveillance. “We are currently tracking 15 different likely outbreaks,” said Dr. Ryan Wallace, who leads the rabies team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number of human deaths over the last year is concerning, experts say. In comparison, from 2015 to 2024, 17 cases of human rabies were reported, two of which were contracted outside the U.S., according to the CDC. (Kopf, Carroll and Thompson, 8/31)

CIDRAP: HHS Details New World Screwworm Response After Human Case
In light of the recent report of a traveler-associated human case of New World screwworm (NWS) infection in Maryland, the first human US case in 50 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reaffirmed their commitment to robust surveillance and trapping strategies targeting the parasitic fly. (Soucheray, 8/27)

Bloomberg: NYC Declares Legionnaires’ Outbreak Over, Tightens Testing Requirements
New York City closed its investigation into a Legionnaires’ outbreak on Friday and announced more stringent testing requirements, after the disease sickened 114 people and caused seven deaths. The Health Department said the last day someone reported symptoms from the disease was Aug. 9, leaving three weeks of no new person with symptoms. The outbreak stemmed from the legionnella bacteria growing in multiple water cooling towers in the Central Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan. (Nix, 8/29)