The research was lead by a team of researchers at the University of Glasgow in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, the Royal Veterinary College, Scotland’s Rural College, Health Protection Scotland, and the Scottish E. coli O157/VTEC Reference Laboratory.
The study, published in the online journal PNAS, used veterinary, human and molecular data to examine the risks of E. coli O157 transmission from cattle to humans, and to estimate the impact of vaccinating cattle.
The risk of E. coli O157 infection is particularly significant when the cattle are ‘super-shedding’ – excreting extremely high numbers of bacteria in their faeces for a limited period of time. Vaccines against the bacteria exist that can reduce super-shedding.
As a consequence, the researchers predict that vaccinating cattle could reduce human cases by nearly 85 percent, far higher than the 50 percent predicted by studies simply looking at the efficacy of current vaccines in cattle.
Dr Andrew Lindsay says, as there is no on-going risk, it is not in the public interest to reveal which outlet was under scrutiny.
Bullshit.
It is most certainly in the public interest to know what caused the outbreak, where it happened and what has been done to prevent future outbreaks.
As a consumer, why would I spend money at a place that didn’t practice proper food safety? How would I know? Faith-based food safety rules.
Public health is supposed to help the public, not industry or any other group.
And for the mysterious food outlet, rather than hide behind anonymity or the magic drape of government inspection, the outlet should declare itself, or others will do it for you.
Eleven people were sickened; anyone want to step forward?
I generally ignore those endless polls that purport to rank blogs, especially if you’ll put their endorsement sticker on your blog.
This one is a little different, because I actually care about public health, and especially the inspectors who work in a largely thankless job.
So according to BestPublicHealthSchools.com – and I’m quite proud of my association with the School of Public Health within the veterinary college at Kansas State University – barfblog.com comes in at 25.
I’m especially proud we do all this with minimal resources. We’re not CDC or the Wall Street Journal. But we do have Amy to fix all our mistakes.
And this is no list of wannabes.
“The field of public health is wide ranging and varied. There are many perspectives on the field and as public health by definition affects everybody, there are many stakeholders. This list consists of the top thirty blogs in the field of public health from experts in many portions of the field. Readers will find that the list consists of a wide variety of perspectives including medical, economic, national, global, corporate, and governmental.”
In November 1996, over 400 fell ill and 21 were killed in Scotland by E. coli O157:H7 found in deli meats produced by family butchers John Barr & Son. The Butcher of Scotland, who had been in business for 28 years and was previously awarded the title of Scottish Butcher of the Year, was using the same knives to handle raw and cooked meat.
A memo at the time, unearthed by The Herald shows what many suspected: that the interests of the food and agriculture industries were given higher priority than public health.
Then Scottish Office health minister, James Douglas-Hamilton, wrote on Dec. 5, 1996 to Sir Russell Hillhouse, the under-secretary of state at the Scottish Office that, “The key issue to be addressed is that when there is an outbreak of infectious disease whether the public health interest should over-ride the food industry and agricultural interests. I believe the public health interest should be paramount, but it was not seen to do so in this case.”
The aptly named agriculture minister, Douglas Hogg, argued E. coli was a “Scottish issue” and that licensing should only be in Scotland.
A memo to Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Forsyth, on March 19, 1997, noted: “The Cabinet Office and No 10 were not impressed by Mr Hogg’s idea.”
After barfing for the sixth time, Sorenne has fallen back to sleep beside me on the couch, around 4 a.m.
For the second time this year, it appears like it’s classic foodborne illness, which means I’m wracked with guilt. I buy the food; I prepare the food; I make Sorenne’s lunch; I nag at the school about petting zoos and handwashing. And I got a PhD in this stuff.
So it’s probably my fault.
I still marvel that epidemiologists and public health types and are able to pinpoint the source of any foodborne illness, especially the obscure ones, and can apparently separate rigorous investigation from emotional tug strings.
Michéle Samarya-Timm, a registered environmental health specialist with the Somerset County Department of Health in New Jersey and one of those health types I’m thankful for, writes that Thanksgiving is more than eating. As noted in 1973 by Charlie Brown. We should just be thankful for being together. I think that’s what they mean by ‘Thanksgiving.’
This is the time of year to reflect and appreciate life’s blessings. For some families, this holiday is anything but traditional. Nearly 4 weeks after Hurricane Sandy left a path of destruction in the northeast, there’s a lot to think about, but there’s also much to be thankful for.
Thousands of folks were hit hard by this Frankenstorm, and still have challenges ahead. Despite the stereotypes promoted by television, folks in New York and New Jersey are among the most resilient around. among other things, they turned to MREs as a solution to food supply and food safety problems. Warm, safe food in an empty stomach truly fosters a feeling of thanks.
The Meal, Ready-to-Eat – commonly known as the MRE or heater meal – is a self-contained, individual buffet of food. Shelf stable, the packaging is required to maintain a minimum shelf life of three and a half years at 27 °C (81 °F), nine months at 38 °C (100 °F), and short durations from −51 °C (−60 °F) to 49 °C (120 °F). Unopened, they can be tossed around or dropped like a Bowl-Game football without damage — MREs are designed to withstand parachute drops from 1,250 ft, and non-parachute drops of 98 ft.
Spreading the warmth is made easy — MREs come packaged its own method of heating. The flameless heater uses a simple chemical reaction to provide sufficient energy to warm the food – 165ºF is the standard – in a nearly foolproof way (if you follow the easy directions, that is).
These culinary delights are a blessing when there is no power, no unspoiled fresh food, no [legally] open restaurants, and when the Doritos and canned beans have run out. Unlike the packaged rations of Grandpa’s day, these MREs have a reasonable menu selection – like roast beef, vegetable lasagna, and Ratatouille. And during natural disasters, anything that comes with a serving of chocolate is welcome.
Luckily, MREs are NOT on the menu here tomorrow. On a sheltering oversight call this morning, the American Red Cross assured that a traditional Thanksgiving meal – turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing — will be provided on all their feeding routes tomorrow.
Much gratitude to them and all the folks who stepped up to supply, feed, and serve the victims, responders, and public health professionals. Everyone brought their A-game, and these folks continue to assure food is readily available and safe.
In the aftermath of disaster, and on a routine day, food safety is assured by many dedicated professionals, who truly deserve our thanks.
At the table this year, let’s echo Peppermint Patty — Are we going to have a prayer? It’s Thanksgiving, you know.
There is nothing more condescending to sick people than to tell them it’s their fault, especially if the cause was something like needle-tenderized steak, that they had no way of knowing about. But that’s exactly how the Saskatchewan (province in Canada) Ministry of Health led off in “reminding consumers to use safe beef handling and cooking practices, in the wake of the recent recall of Alberta beef products by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
“The Ministry of Health is aware of 13 reported cases of E. coli infection in Saskatchewan in September; the usual number of cases in that month ranges from zero to four. Public health authorities are investigating these cases and conducting tests to determine whether they are linked to the recall. Laboratory results are expected within the next few days.”
And it gets worse:
“People can reduce their risk of E. coli infection by taking very simple, common sense steps,” Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said. “Consumers should be vigilant about thorough hand washing when handling or preparing food, and ensure that all meat is cooked thoroughly.”
But what about the cross-contamination? Hockey goon and microbiology professor Kevin Allen at the University of British Columbia got it exactly right when he told The Province today it isn’t worth the risk to cook beef products if you’re unsure about their safety adding, “If you suspect it’s part of the outbreak, not even to try, especially if you have children.”
The daily grind for health department professionals is underappreciated.
Armchair quarterbacks are quick to point out the failings of health types without recognizing the pressures of a standard epidemiological investigation, along with requirements to test pools, investigate dog bites, and soothe political egos.
As reported by The Daily Courier, Brian Supalla went before the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors Monday (that’s in Arizona) with new food safety regulations expecting a rubber stamp.
Instead, he found himself under fire.
Supalla, county health program manager, was holding a "courtesy public hearing" intended to introduce the board to the 2009 FDA Food Code – safety regulations which the Yavapai County Community Health Services Board of Health wants the supervisors to adopt.
Supalla wasn’t far into his PowerPoint presentation when he mentioned one of the provisions of the new code – that restaurants would not be allowed to offer hamburgers cooked less than well-done on their children’s menus.
He said that’s because kids don’t have well-developed immune systems and are more susceptible to food-borne illnesses.
But Supervisor Chip Davis stopped him. "Do we have a lot of kids getting sick in Yavapai County from eating rare hamburgers?" Davis asked.
"That’s a difficult question to answer," Supalla said, because most people who become ill from contaminated food will never go to a doctor. "In the 15 years I have been with the county, we have never had a death reported to us determined to be associated with food (contamination)," he said.
Supalla went back to his presentation, outlining the changes to be adopted.
When he was finished, Supervisor Carol Springer spoke up.
"I have a real problem with this," she said. "How did all of us manage to survive without health departments?"
With that door open, she began to talk about events like farmers’ markets and chili cook-offs, which are not specifically addressed by the food code changes.
"I think that’s kind of a trend these days, and we’ve had a number of complaints about the health department stepping in," Springer said. "I’m having a real problem with our county health department saying, ‘No, you can’t have this kind of event’ because you’re serving some food product."
Supalla, unprepared for the topic, did his best to answer Springer, but she pressed on.
"I think this is too much government control when you say, ‘You can’t have a salsa contest," she said, referring to Cottonwood’s Old Town Sizzlin’ Salsa competition, which was planned for spring.
"We have not disapproved any requests for a chili cook-off or a salsa competition," Supalla replied. "Every facet of that salsa-tasting complaint, our investigation found, was based on a complete misunderstanding by the event organizers," who were new to the event this year.
Davis called the new regulations "burdensome" and said he didn’t "see the necessity to increase to an additional level of scrutiny on the restaurant business."
As food inspection regulators in the U.S., Canada, Australia and elsewhere grapple with how best to get the most bang per regulatory buck, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences has issued a report identifying the future skills veterinarians should possess to actually implement such changes.
With more than half of veterinary students seeking training in companion animal medicine, many veterinary sectors, including academia, industry, food animal and public service, face potential shortages of qualified veterinarians that could have significant effects on public health, according to a National Research Council of the National Academies of Science report released May 30, 2012.
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The report, written by the Committee to Assess the Current and Future Workforce Needs in Veterinary Medicine, warned that without immediate action, the academic veterinary community may not successfully prepare future generations of veterinarians for faculty teaching and research positions, jobs in state diagnostic laboratories and federal research and regulatory agencies, and the pharmaceutical and biologics industry.
This potential shortage could be exacerbated by a strengthening economy that could create many new jobs in industry, according to committee member Fred Quimby, retired vice president and senior director of the Laboratory Animal Research Center at Rockefeller University in New York.
The rising cost of veterinary education contributes to the situation, as costs could deter some veterinarians from pursuing advanced degrees and others from applying for lower paying positions, including government jobs in food safety, epidemiology and wildlife management. Moreover, the report found that a declining return on investment for veterinary education could reduce the quality of future applicants to veterinary school and diminish the quality of the education itself.
This potential shortage of veterinarians with advanced training could diminish food safety and animal health standards, human and veterinary drug development, infectious disease control and wildlife and ecosystem management, according to the report.
“Companion animal medicine and its growing number of specialties that improve the health and lives of pets has been a success story, but it dominates veterinary schools’ curriculum and resources, sometimes to the detriment of equally critical fields,” said Alan Kelly, chair of the committee that wrote the report and emeritus professor of pathology and pathobiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. “We must ensure that schools train qualified veterinarians in sync with the diverse and growing array of societal needs.”
Food safety and zoonotic disease prevention are among those societal needs, especially as meat production in developing, and often hot and humid, countries, according to Kelly.
“The fact that 60 percent of all infectious diseases in humans are of animal origin and 75 percent of emerging infection diseases in the last decade arose from animals underscores the importance of maintaining expertise in other areas of veterinary medicine,” he said.
The 320-page report culminates with five conclusions and 10 recommendations, including discussion of shortening the length of veterinary education by combining the DVM degree with other advanced degrees (notably MPHs, Ph.D.s, and MBAs).
The report is available for download at: www.nap.edu.
Alysa Golden didn’t want to become an egg mogul. She just wanted a good egg – farm fresh, free from hormones, laid by chickens raised in a cruelty free environment.
Her quest for the perfect egg led her to a Mennonite community in Southwestern Ontario. The farm delivered them to her front door.
"The eggs were wonderful, full and thick and rich," says Golden. Two months ago Golden started ordering eggs for her east end Toronto neighbours. She leaves the eggs on her porch and her neighbours pick them up, cross their name off a clipboard and stuff a cheque in a box.
It’s based on an honor system. And she hasn’t lost a dime.
According to the Toronto Star, Golden’s venture spoke to the untapped need of many consumers to get back to basics and to understand where their food is from at the most elemental level.
The locavore movement is not new, of course. Buying food from nearby farms makes sense, both from a health and carbon footprint standpoint, although Toronto Public Health warns consumers against purchasing eggs outside normal channels.
Many high-end restaurants exploit the farm fresh movement in their marketing. But this wasn’t about eating a fancy dinner. It was about city parents, tired of stuffing processed food into their kids, wanting to introduce their children to a "real" egg, says Golden.
Buoyed by her success, Golden started distributing eggs from her company, which she called Eggy Weggs. The other "depots" included a couple of health food stores in Toronto and most recently the popular Lazy Daisy Café in the Leslieville neighbourhood.
Chapman doesn’t make a profit off the sales. Her café is simply a pick up station. And like Golden’s home, the honor system is in effect, with egg buyers picking up their trays and crossing their name off the clipboard.
The eggs cost $6.50 per dozen, which is about a buck and a half below what comparable products might sell for, says Golden.
But Jim Chan, manager of healthy environments for Toronto Public Health, says shoppers should ask if the eggs have been graded and are legal. "Just because it says farm fresh, that’s not good enough. Everything’s farm fresh, it’s not like the guy got them out of his basement," says Chan.
Chan’s staff cracked down on egg vendors in February and March. Six vendors were notified they will be charged for having ungraded eggs. By law, eggs must be sorted, washed, and inspected to be free of leaks and cracks. Only Canada Grade A eggs are allowed for human consumption.
"If there is a hairline crack you could get salmonella or bacteria inside the shell which can lead to real health problems," says Chan.
Last February, Toronto Public Health charged six other vendors. Farm Fresh Supermarket at Sheppard Ave. E was fined $10,000 on egg-related charges.
Golden says her eggs are from farms that have their produce graded at the Green Meadow Eggs grading station in Southwestern Ontario.
An official from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency contacted by the Star said Green Meadows is a certified grader.
This showed up on a public list, although the authors may have wanted it private. Regardless, it’s out there, and shows the kinds of questions and leads public health types are constantly pursuing, in conjunction with the medical community.
Toronto Public Health reportsas of Feb. 28, 2012, it has received reports of 114 cases of salmonellosis, compared to the previous 10-year average of 70 cases for the same period. This increased activity is affecting individuals across the city and related to several potential sources.
The known clusters of recent Salmonella infection include:
1) a large catered event in York Region on February 11 that resulted in transmission of S. typhimurium to numerous attendees who continue to report illness since that time; 2) an outbreak of a less common species of Salmonella (S. heidelberg) across the GTA. This is under investigation by Public Health Ontario;
3) an increase of S. enteriditis (the most common strain of Salmonella reported in Toronto) linked to recent travel to Cuba.
In addition, with a general increase in circulating Salmonella infection there is higher chance of person-to-person transmission.
TPH recommends:
• Consider salmonellosis in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with signs and symptoms of gastroenteritis.
• Infants, elderly and immunocompromised individuals are at higher risk of bacteremia. Extraintestinal focal infections (e.g., arthritis, meningitis, pneumonia) can occur in those with bacteremia.
• Remind ill patients of the potential for transmission to others.
• Emphasize the importance of proper hand hygiene and safe food handling practices.
• Public Health requires individuals infected with Salmonella who work in or attend high risk environments such as food premises and child care facilities to be excluded from these settings until symptom-free for 24 hours (or until cleared with two negative stool specimens if asymptomatic with poor hygiene practices).
Veterinary College, Scotland’s Rural College, Health Protection Scotland, and the Scottish E. coli O157/VTEC Reference Laboratory.
Community Health Services Board of Health wants the supervisors to adopt..jpeg)
prepare future generations of veterinarians for faculty teaching and research positions, jobs in state diagnostic laboratories and federal research and regulatory agencies, and the pharmaceutical and biologics industry..jpg)
It’s based on an honor system. And she hasn’t lost a dime..jpeg)
2) an outbreak of a less common species of Salmonella (S. heidelberg) across the GTA. This is under investigation by Public Health Ontario;