Multistate Outbreak of Human Salmonella Enteritidis Infections Associated with Shell Eggs - August 2010
About the Outbreak:
In May 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified a nationwide increase in the number of Salmonella enteritidis isolates
On August 13, 2010 Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa voluntarily recalled specific Julian dates of shell eggs produced by their farms because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
Eggs affected by this recall were distributed to food wholesalers, distribution centers and foodservice companies in California, Illinois, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. These companies distribute nationwide.
Eggs are packaged under the following brand names: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma's, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps.
Eggs are packed in varying sizes of cartons (6-egg cartons, dozen egg cartons, 18-egg cartons) with Julian dates ranging from 136 to 225 and plant numbers 1026, 1413 and 1946.
Dates and codes can be found stamped on the end of the egg carton.
The plant number begins with the letter P and then the number.
The Julian date follows the plant number, for example: P-1946 223.
There have been confirmed Salmonella enteritidis illnesses relating to the shell eggs and traceback investigations are ongoing.
Disease Symptoms:
Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea (sometimes bloody), fever, stomach cramps, nausea, and sometimes vomiting beginning 12 to 72 hours after consuming a contaminated food or beverage.
In some persons, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized.
Infants, elderly persons, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely than others to develop severe illness.
Consumers experiencing any of these symptoms should contact their health care provider.
All salmonella infections should be reported to state or local health authorities.
Advice to Consumers:
Do not eat recalled eggs or products containing recalled eggs.
Recalled eggs might still be in grocery stores, restaurants, and consumers' homes.
Consumers who have recalled eggs should discard them or return them to their retailer for a refund.
Individuals who think they might have become ill from eating recalled eggs should consult their health care providers.
Keep eggs refrigerated at 45° F or below at all times.
Discard cracked or dirty eggs.
Wash hands, cooking utensils, and food preparation surfaces with soap and water after contact with raw eggs.
Eggs should be cooked until both the white and the yolk are firm and eaten promptly after cooking.
Do not keep eggs warm or at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Refrigerate unused or leftover egg- containing foods promptly.
Avoid eating raw eggs.
Avoid restaurant dishes made with raw or undercooked, unpasteurized eggs. Restaurants should use pasteurized eggs in any recipe (such as Hollandaise sauce or Caesar salad dressing) that calls for raw eggs.
Consumption of raw or undercooked eggs should be avoided, especially by young children, elderly persons, and persons with weakened immune systems or debilitating illness.
Advice to Retail and Food Service Establishments and Institutional Settings:
In retail and food service establishments, pasteurized egg products or pasteurized in-shell eggs are recommended in place of pooled eggs or raw or undercooked shell eggs. If used, raw shell eggs should be fully cooked. If shell eggs are served undercooked, a consumer advisory should be posted in accordance with the Food Code.
In hospitals, nursing homes, adult or childcare facilities, and senior centers, pasteurized egg products or pasteurized in-shell eggs should be used in place of pooled eggs or raw or undercooked eggs.
Eggs should be purchased or received from a distributor refrigerated and stored refrigerated at 45° F or below at all times.
Questions:
Consumers with questions should visit http://www.eggsafety.orgor call Wright County’s toll-free information number 866-272-5582.
Middlesex County Public Health Department 732-745-3100 (Inspections Division)
Middlesex County Public Health Department Hotline 732-745-4344
New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
Toll-free telephone line: 1-866-321-9571 The telephone line will be operational Monday-Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Summary: The Office of the Chief Information Security Officer (OCISO) at the CDC, with the Cyber Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) have received reports of fraudulent emails (phishing) referencing a CDC sponsored State Vaccination Program for the H1N1 “Swine Flu” contagion. CDC has NOT implemented a state vaccination program requiring registration on www.cdc.gov. Users that click on the embedded link in the email are at risk of having malicious code installed on their system. OCISO would like to remind users to take the following steps to reduce the risk of being a victim of a phishing attack:
1. Do not follow unsolicited links and do not open or respond to unsolicited email messages.
2. Use caution when visiting un-trusted websites.
3. Use caution when entering personal information online.
Non-Safety-Related Voluntary Recall of Certain Lots of Sanofi Pasteur H1N1 Pediatric (0.25 mL, for 6-35 month olds) Vaccine in Pre-Filled Syringes Questions and Answers
Register Ready http://www.registerready.nj.gov
This registration Web site allows residents with special needs and their families, friends and associates an opportunity to provide information to emergency response agencies, so emergency responders can better plan to serve them in a disaster or other emergency.
Middlesex County Public Health Department Medical Reserve Corps
The MCPHD is looking for volunteers to join the Medical Reserve Corp (MRC) to assist during a public health emergency.
MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals, as well as others interested in strengthening the public health infrastructure and improving the preparedness and response capabilities of their local jurisdiction.
MRC volunteers are able to help with call centers, researching information for education materials, assisting in investigations and other important public health activities.
The Food and Drug Administration is informing consumers of, and protecting them against, potential harm associated with unapproved products claiming to diagnose, prevent, or otherwise act against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.
Classroom programming is available for preschool through grade 6
PROGRAMS FOR THE COMMUNITY
Obesity and Chronic Disease
Know your Numbers
Parent Program
Supermarket Savvy
Dining out Healthy
Portion Distortion
Walking for Fitness
Contact the Middlesex County Public Health Department’s Health Education Division
Monday – Friday 8:30 am – 4:15 pm at 732-745-8484 to arrange for a FREE program
KEEP THE BEAT2009-2010
Each month three new Heart Healthy recipes will be available here (in Adobe PDF format) from Keep the Beat, a cookbook published by the National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute. Each recipe includes nutritional information for each serving.
The
flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses.
It can cause mild to severe illness. The best way to prevent this illness
is by getting a flu vaccination each fall.
Some
people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain
health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications.
Bird
flu is an infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses.
These flu viruses occur naturally among birds. Wild birds worldwide
carry the viruses in their intestines, but usually do not get sick from
them. However, bird flu is very contagious among birds and can make
some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very
sick and kill them.
An
influenza pandemic is a global outbreak of disease that occurs when
a new influenza A virus appears or “emerges” in the human population,
causes serious illness, and then spreads easily from person to person
worldwide. Pandemics are different from seasonal outbreaks or “epidemics”
of influenza. Seasonal outbreaks are caused by subtypes of influenza
viruses that already circulate among people, whereas pandemic outbreaks
are caused by new subtypes, by subtypes that have never circulated among
people, or by subtypes that have not circulated among people for a long
time.
Severe
acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory illness caused
by a coronavirus, called SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). SARS
was first reported in Asia in February 2003. Over the next few months,
the illness spread to more than two dozen countries in North America,
South America, Europe, and Asia before the SARS global outbreak of 2003
was contained.
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