Yet another story showed up on the Intertubes about Skippy and Salmonella, so I went back to my journalistic roots and called the company.
They said, no Salmonella, just metal.
No Salmonella in Skippy; just metal
Reply
Yearly Archives: 2015
Your chewing gum is making your dog sick
If Snopes and scientific studies aren’t enough, perhaps reports at the Wall Street Journal, CBS News, and Nature World News can sway you: A sugar substitute found in chewing gum and other everyday food and household items can make dogs sick and even kill them.
Veterinary experts say xylitol—also used in toothpaste, gummy vitamins, some peanut butters, and breath mints—is about 100 times as toxic as milk chocolate to dogs, and it’s being blamed for an uptick in accidental pup poisonings, say animal poison-control centers. The ASPCA’s poison center, for instance, received more than 3,700 xylitol-related calls last year, with nearly a dozen deaths. And a toxicologist from the Pet Poison Helpline says it’s seen a “dramatic increase” in calls related to the sweetener, with only 300 in 2009, but 2,800 so far this year.
The problem xylitol poses for dogs is it causes a sudden surge of insulin after they eat it, which makes blood pressure plummet, possibly resulting in seizures, brain damage, or liver failure. And it takes just a small amount: As little as 50 milligrams of the sweetener per pound of body weight can be toxic, so even one or two pieces of gum can make a small dog ill.
30 now sick: Cider at Illinois fair
The Pike County Health Department and the Adams County Health Department along with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is investigating a cluster of gastrointestinal (GI) illness associated with the Pike County Color Drive, a large fall festival that spans several communities in Pike County, IL.
There have been 30 suspect cases of GI illness identified in attendees of the festival who consumed apple cider purchased from vendors at two locations. The etiologic agent has not yet been confirmed; health care providers should be encouraged to test for E. coli and Cryptosporidium until further information is available.
Ill individuals have reported symptoms including profuse diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and vomiting. Onset dates range from October 20 – 28. Persons have been hospitalized as a result of this illness, and additional illnesses continue to be reported. Further laboratory testing is pending. Symptoms usually last about 1 to 2 weeks (with a range of a few days to 4 or more weeks) in persons with healthy immune systems. Occasionally, people may experience a recurrence of symptoms after a brief period of recovery before the illness ends. Symptoms can come and go for up to 30 days. People who are especially vulnerable to this illness include: pregnant women, children under 2 years, elderly and immunocompromised individuals. If you attended the festival or consumed apple cider purchased from vendors at the festival and feel that you have these symptoms, contact your health care provider.
Investigators are seeking additional cases of GI illness that attended the Pike County Color Drive during October 17-18 and consumed apple cider purchased during the event. If you have apple cider that was purchased during the event that is fresh or frozen for future use, do not consume it. Contact your local health department so that the cider can be tested. Pike County Health Department: 217/285.4407 Adams County Health Department: 217.222.8440. Health officials who identify cases with this exposure history are asked to contact the IDPH Communicable Disease Control Section at 217-782-2016 or email justin.albertson@illinois.gov.
Origin of hepatitis A virus decoded
Hepatitis A virus – like HIV or Ebola as well – is likely of animal origin, according to a new large-scale study with nearly 16,000 specimens from small mammals from various continents.
Hepatitis A virus, which is found worldwide, has previously been considered to be a purely human pathogen which at most is found in isolated cases in non-human primates.
An infection with the hepatitis A virus can trigger acute inflammation of the liver which generally does not cause any symptoms in children and resolves without major complications.
“In tropical regions, nearly all young children are infected with the hepatitis A virus and from that time on, they are immune to this disease,” said Jan Felix Drexler from the Institute of Virology at the University of Bonn Medical Centre and the German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF).
By contrast, if adults become infected with the hepatitis A virus, the symptoms can be more serious, and the disease can even have a fatal outcome.
The virus has been found to date only in humans and a few non-human primates. Its origins were unknown.
Virologists from the University of Bonn Hospital, together with their colleagues, searched for viruses related to the hepatitis A virus.
They studied a total of 15,987 specimens from 209 different species of small mammals – from rodents to shrews and bats to hedgehogs.
Viruses from these mammals are very similar to the human hepatitis A virus with regard to their genetic properties, protein structures, immune response and patterns of infection.
“The seemingly purely human virus is thus most likely of animal origin,” said Drexler.
The findings may even hint at distant ancestry of the hepatitis A virus in primordial insect viruses.
“It is possible that insect viruses infected insect-eating small mammals millions of years ago and that these viruses then developed into the precursors of the hepatitis A virus,” Drexler said.
The researchers assume that small mammals were important hosts for the preservation and evolution of the viruses.
“Otherwise the hepatitis A virus would actually have gone extinct long ago in small human populations due to the lifelong immunity of the persons once infected with it,” Drexler said.
“However, patients need not fear that they could contract a hepatitis A virus infection through bats or hedgehogs,” he said.
“It has likely been a very long time since humans first contracted the hepatitis A precursor virus from animals – moreover, such incidents are very rare,” he added.
The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Sheep farts forced plane to make emergency landing
This story couldn’t be any more Australian unless Mr. G was dancing with the sheep (thanks Courtlynn for the link).
A Singapore airlines Boeing 747 from Sydney was forced to make an unexpected stopover after methane gas set off the fire alarm .
The Aviation Herald reports the cargo flight from Australia to Kuala Lumpur, with 4 crew and 2,186 sheep on-board, was flying just to the south of Indonesia when the smoke alarms sounded on October 26.
Crew on-board SQ-7108 descended the aircraft immediately and diverted to Bali where they landed about 45 minutes later.
Emergency services didn’t find any trace of fire or smoke and identified the cause to be the result of exhaust gasses and manure produced by the sheep.
Philly comes clean with inspection data
The Philadelphia Health Department says it has changed its policy and is moving to post restaurant inspection reports as quickly as possible.
Philly.com reports the decision announced Monday marks a shift from the department’s long-standing policy of keeping inspection reports secret for 30 days.
The website reports Philadelphia is the only major city in the country to withhold inspection results from the public for a significant length of time.
Health Department spokesman Jeff Moran says the non-disclosure period isn’t required by code and isn’t consistent with the mayor’s open-data policy.
Officials say the withholding period has existed for at least three decades.
The health department inspects about 12,000 food establishments each year, including 5,000 eat-in restaurants.
Those inspections have been an ongoing problem for one restaurant.
Joy Tsin Lau, an institution in Chinatown, has well over 250 health code violations over six years- some deemed serious a public health nuisance.
It’s a history the manager didn’t want to talk about in September.
“It’s outrageous, I just don’t understand how it’s still open,” says Sammy Green.
She was among one hundred lawyers who got sick with a norovirus after a banquet at Joy Tsin Lau in February.
Sammy says, “It was easily the worst couple days of my life.”
A health department inspection two weeks before the banquet found serious violations including a lack of soap in the employee bathroom.
A lawyer for the restaurant refused comment.
Richard Kim is representing Sammy in a lawsuit against the restaurant. “It’s a sordid history, it’s amazing to see that a business can operate with these kinds of violations in place,” Kim says.
One week after the banquet, another inspection found 41 violations. But customers wouldn’t have known because the inspection reports were kept secret for 30 days to give restaurants a chance to appeal.
3 sickened by typhoid at Colorado restaurant
There are now three cases of typhoid fever in Weld County after the people ate at a Firestone restaurant in August.
Officials from the State Health Department and the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment believe the illness was acquired from an infected food handler at a franchised Qdoba Mexican restaurant in Firestone. Qdoba management and employees have been highly cooperative in the investigation.
The infected food handler is not working at the restaurant, does not have symptoms of the illness and will receive appropriate medical treatment. Additional testing of current and former employees will be completed to make sure no other individuals are confirmed with the illness.
“Typhoid fever is very rare,” Dr. Mark E. Wallace, MD MPH, Executive Director of the Weld County Health Department, said. “The good news is the illness is treatable with antibiotics. Simply having eaten at the restaurant is not a reason to see your healthcare provider. Only those currently exhibiting symptoms should contact their healthcare provider.”
Two people were hospitalized. All three have recovered from the illness.
The Health Department has not received any reports of sick individuals since mid-October. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has issued
Sprouted chia seed powder recalled due to Salmonella
Back 2 the Garden Inc. is recalling Back 2 the Garden brand Organic Sprouted Chia Seed Powder from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below.
The following product has been sold nationally as well as through internet sales.
Recalled products
Brand Name: Back 2 the Garden
Common Name: Organic Sprouted Chia Seed Powder
Size: 200 g
Code(s) on Product: EVCH0150529-04 BB/MA JUL-2016
UPC: 6 27843 15900 1
What you should do
Check to see if you have recalled products in your home. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased.
Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems may contract serious and sometimes deadly infections. Healthy people may experience short-term symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis.
This recall was triggered by Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) test results. The CFIA is conducting a food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products. If other high-risk products are recalled, the CFIA will notify the public through updated Food Recall Warnings.
The CFIA is verifying that industry is removing recalled product from the marketplace.
There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.
Everything comes down to poo
Many are uncomfortable talking about digestion, but changes in your bowel movements could mean something is wrong, so it’s important to understand and be candid about your digestive habits.
“The digestive tract contains more bacterial cells than there are cells in the entire body,” Dr. Jean-Pierre Raufman, a gastroenterologist at University of Maryland School of Medicine, told MyHealthNewsDaily last year. “It’s very important that our bowels work well to absorb necessary nutrients but also keep out any foods, chemicals and germs that could do us harm.”
Because poop is such a taboo subject, digestive issues are a bigger problem in our country than many realize. Up to 70 million people in the U.S. are affected by digestive diseases, with nearly 50 million needing ambulatory care visits as a result. Nearly 25,000 people get stomach cancer each year and more than 10,000 die from the condition annually.
Indicators to health problems can be found in your poop, so pay attention the next time you have a bowel movement. You maybe tempted to just flush everything down the toilet, but the chart below created by HealthWorks indicates when you should worry about your poop’s smell, frequency, or color.
‘Don’t feed the birds’ Canberra’s war on bird poo
About 10 years ago I was in Canberra and got attacked by a bird.
This is common in Australia, especially in spring. You’ll often see cyclists with pointy things out of their helmets to deter attacks, which may be as effective as tar under the eyes to reflect sunlight (I’m looking at you, Tom Brady).
In 2011 I was attacked by a magpie and punched it in the face (beak).
A tongue-in-cheek video made by the ACT Government and posted to Facebook has already garnered thousands of views.
The video came with a serious message even though it was shot and edited like an Alfred Hitchcock thriller.
“It can be really tempting to feed birds but just remember what goes in must come out,” Territory and Municipal Services’ Mal Gale said in the video.
“Human food, like bread, is bad for birds’ digestive systems. They begin to see humans as a food source, which can increase their numbers in urban areas significantly and the chance of disease spreading climbs.
“If you’ve ever been to Trafalgar Square you’ll know what we’re talking about.
“Let’s keep the bush capital beautiful.”
But of course, being government, they only shared it on facebook and I can’t embed it. Put it on youtube.