Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
People Warned To Avoid Some Brands Of Alfalfa Sprouts, Frozen Berries
AP: Alfalfa Sprouts Food Poisoning Illnesses Linked In Two States
Minnesota health officials are warning consumers not to eat certain brands of alfalfa sprouts that have been tied to an unusual outbreak involving different disease-causing bacteria. Officials say 23 people in Minnesota have become ill with either E. coli or salmonella infections, with two of them hospitalized. Three had salmonella, and one of them also had a strain of E. coli bacteria called STEC O168:H8. Seven other people were sickened with a different version of E. coli, called STEC O103:H25. Thirteen more had yet another strain, STEC O26:H11. (Stobbe, 8/20)
The Washington Post: FDA Upgrades Recall Of Frozen Berries To Highest-Risk Warning
The Food and Drug Administration has upgraded a recall of frozen blueberries and mixed berries to its highest-level risk warning. Last month, Publix grocery stores recalled all lots of GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries because of potential E. coli contamination, which can cause stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting, and in some cases more serious complications. This week, the FDA elevated the notice to a Class 1 recall because of a “reasonable probability” the product could cause serious health consequences or death. (Wang, 8/20)
On cyclospora —
The Washington Post: Taylor Farms Lettuce May Have Reached 7 More States, D.C. And Puerto Rico
The Food and Drug Administration previously confirmed distribution to 31 states. On Thursday, the FDA said recalled lettuce also may have been distributed to California, Delaware, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Washington state, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. (Sun, 8/21)
Grist: Who’s Most At Risk In The Cyclospora Outbreak? The Farmworkers On The Front Lines.
An expert on migrant farmworker health describes how this population has been blamed and put at risk, but seldom understood. (Garza, 8/20)
WRAL.com: Cyclospora Outbreak: Fact-Checking Claims About Taylor Farms’ Donations To Trump-Aligned Groups
After Taylor Farms de Mexico’s lettuce was identified as a potential source for a multi-state cyclospora outbreak, the company’s political dealings and contributions came under scrutiny. (Tuquero, 8/20)
NPR: Federal Funding Cuts Test Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Response
Environmental health expert Bob Custard spent four decades working with local governments on things like clean water, rabies prevention and food safety. He also represents 160 others doing that kind of work as president of the West Virginia Association of Sanitarians. With the largest-ever cyclosporiasis outbreak concentrated in nearby states, Custard – now a public health consultant – said federal funding cuts have left local food safety programs across the state grossly understaffed. Health officials are unable to keep pace with the interviews and investigations needed to track and contain the diarrhea-causing bug. "It's like we have a house, and we decided to take smoke detectors out," Custard said of the current approach to foodborne illness. (Noguchi, 8/20)
CNN: How The Humble Barcode Could Help Prevent The Next Cyclospora Outbreak
Replacing today’s one-dimensional UPC labels with two-dimensional QR-code-like alternatives could unlock some serious advantages for stores, manufacturers and consumers. Among them: It could help prevent the kind of outbreaks of deadly foodborne illnesses we’ve seen in recent months. (Goldman, 8/18)
On Naegleria fowleri, scabies, and rabies —
CIDRAP: Louisiana Confirms Naegleria Fowleri Brain Infection In Resident Who Swam In Lake Claiborne
The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) yesterday confirmed Naegleria fowleri infection in a Louisiana resident. The resident most likely acquired the infection while swimming in Lake Claiborne, located in Claiborne Parish in the northern part of the state. (Soucheray, 8/20)
North Carolina Health News: Scabies Cases Identified At NC Prison
For weeks, dozens of men at Neuse Correctional Institution, a medium-custody prison in Goldsboro, have experienced intense itching and pimple-like bumps appearing all over their bodies. Many of the men believe they have scabies, a skin condition caused by microscopic mites that burrow into the skin and lay eggs. (Crumpler, 8/21)
Boston.com: Those Packets Being Dropped On The Cape From Helicopters? They’re Rabies Vaccines For Raccoons.
If humans touch the bait they should immediately wash the contact area with warm soap and water. (Mehler, 8/19)
The latest on the Ebola outbreak in Africa —
Bloomberg: Africa CDC Says Ebola Spread Has Pandemic-Emergency Signs
Africa’s worsening Ebola outbreak is displaying several of the characteristics that health authorities consider when assessing whether a disease should be escalated to a pandemic-emergency status, according to the continent’s top public-health authority. Yap Boum, head of emergency preparedness and response at Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, stopped short of saying the outbreak should formally be designated a pandemic emergency, a decision that rests with the World Health Organization. Still, he pointed to Ebola’s severity, complex transmission and impact on health systems as among the criteria raising concern. (Kew, 8/20)
CIDRAP: WHO Delivers Ebola Vaccine To DR Congo To See If It Can Protect Against Bundibugyo Strain
Today the World Health Organization (WHO) announced it has allocated 70,000 Ervebo doses for use in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to help combat its fast-growing Ebola outbreak. (Soucheray, 8/20)
