Salmonella sickens eight at Maryland nursing home

Salmonella sickened eight people at Homewood at Crumland Farms nursing home in Frederick, Maryland over the past four months.

The News-Post reports one person died after being hospitalized for salmonella, although Homewood’s executive director, Eric Nichols, said the death was from other complications.

Darlene Armacost, communicable disease program manager for the Frederick County Health Department said,

"The last onset of a case was in early November. We are still monitoring the situation."

Health department officials have inspected Homewood repeatedly, Armacost said. The entire Environmental Health Services branch of the department, the section that inspects restaurants, has visited the kitchen many times, she said.

Nichols said the kitchen was found to be very clean in all inspections.
 

Listeria and Mother’s Milk

Doug wrote a book called Mad Cows and Mother’s Milk about a decade ago. I still haven’t read it. I feel bad about that, but I don’t think it has the answers to my recent nursing questions.

When we were meeting with the lactation consultant in the hospital (Melanie – you are fabulous, by the way), we asked her if foodborne illness could be passed on to the baby. She said no. She said not to worry about viruses such as flu or colds and that the baby cannot get Listeria or Salmonella from anything I eat.

Once home from the hospital, I immediately went for the pâté, brie, goat cheese (thank you Graduate Students!), and smoked salmon. Who knew that motherhood could be so delicious?