Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Inability To Find All Sources For E. Coli Outbreak Raising Concern About Food Safety In U.S.
The Wall Street Journal: Regulators Hunt For Source Of Lettuce-Borne E.Coli Outbreak
Federal officials discovered one source of a growing nationwide E.coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce that has revived concerns over a leafy green industry that has long grappled with how to produce safe food. But questions still remained over the origins of most U.S. illnesses. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday said it has traced the whole-head romaine lettuce that sickened eight inmates in an Alaska jail to Harrison Farms in Yuma, Ariz., but that it is still looking for the source of chopped lettuce that sickened dozens more Americans. (Newman, 4/27)
Reuters: Ninety-Eight Now Sick From Romaine Lettuce-Linked E. Coli: CDC
Fourteen more people fell ill from an E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce, U.S. health officials said on Friday, bringing the number of people affected to 98 across 22 U.S. states. The reported strain of E. coli, which produces poisonous substances known as Shiga toxins, can cause severe abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting. (Mishra, 4/27)
The Washington Post: 22 States Now Affected By Dangerous Outbreak Of E. Coli Illness From Romaine Lettuce
The latest numbers make this the biggest multistate outbreak involving E. coli since 2006, when contaminated baby spinach was the culprit. Three more states have now reported ill people: Mississippi, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Forty-six people out of 87 on which information is available — or 53 percent — have been hospitalized. Ten of those developed severe kidney failure, including three children. (Sun and Achenbach, 4/27)
Columbus Dispatch: Romaine Lettuce In Central Ohio Thought To Be Safe From E. Coli Contamination
Local restaurant chains saw little disruption from the romaine issue. A few Wendy’s in Western states had no romaine, but only for a short period of time. “A majority of restaurants were already being supplied with whole head romaine lettuce from California at that time,” said spokeswoman Heidi Schauer. (Malone, 4/28)
In other news —
Miami Herald: Why Did 32,000 Pounds Of Food Get Recalled? There Might Be Diarrhea-Causing Toxins
Some sturdy toxins might be in two production days of Armour Ground & Formed Sliced Dried Beef, so 32,479 pounds have been recalled. As explained in the USDA-posted recall notice posted Saturday night, the problem is "a possible processing deviation that may have led to staphylococcal enterotoxin and clostridial toxin contamination." (Neal, 4/29)
