Salmonella Outbreak

An E. Coli outbreak was recently reported in sixteen states. The centers for disease control and prevention investigated the situation and found that chopped romaine lettuce grown in Yuma, Ariz was the source of the problem. The article states that “at least 53 people in 16 states”(Romo, 2018, p.1). have been affected. An amount of five people have already “developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome”(Romo, 2018, p.1). Also “The CDC said people in the previous outbreak were infected with a different bacterium, as determined through DNA tests”(Romo, 2018, p.1). So, they encourage people to stay away from “any pre-cut romaine lettuce from the region”(Romo, 2018, p.1). This outbreak has caused mild to severe symptoms, so it is important for public to abide by the CDC, while they strive to seek out a cure.

For the module 1 SLP, we’re going to take a brief look at Salmonella and some of the factors that play a role in a foodborne outbreak. We’ll look at etiologic agent, host factors, and environmental factors as well as host factors and how they can play a role in the occurrence. First and foremost, we need to see what salmonella is and then we can break it down when we look at the other factors.

Initially, the outbreak and recall was set for bagged spinach on September 14th, but the very next day the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalled all spinach, both bagged and fresh. The outbreak was due to a suspected E. coli O157:H7. Because of the outbreak, 200 people were reported to the CDC from 26 states as having been infected with that particular outbreak strain; more than 100 of those cases were hospitalized, and 31 of them developed a form of kidney failure, which resulted in the deaths of three people. So why is a breakout that may only have affected 200 people so important and relevant to everyone? It’s important to make sure that our food is edible and not contaminated because in this situation with spinach—according to data collected through surveys— nearly half (48%) of Americans reported that they ate fresh spinach before the recall and did so frequently. There was no complete resolution on the exact cause of E. Coli on spinach, but it was believed to be from samples taken from a stream and from feces of cattle and wild pigs present on ranches, due to a genetic match from those who were infected. For some consumers, the spinach recall may be a type of “signal event” indicating a wider problem that they do not yet see as having been solved. Although spinach is something that is generally looked at as “healthy” to its consumers, it is apparent that there is still a problem with the safety and health concerning fresh produce for the public. This occurrence in 2006 was a turning point for many, realizing that even what should be our freshest food can be contaminated, and that more effort needs to be taken in order to protect the public from

This case study, finalized and updated onto the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, talks about the Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Wandsworth Infections Linked to Veggie Booty. Publishing this outbreak onto their website makes it very beneficial and helps the public realize the importance of food health. Food health is just as important as overall public health. It is essential because people need to consume food in order to live, and if their food is tainted or contaminated, it would cause health problems and sickness and in some extreme cases, death. Ensuring food health will overall promote public health in the long run.

The USDA issued interim regulations that restricted the interstate sale and transportation of eggs and poultry from flocks to protect the community from salmonella- infected eggs. The USDA has to collects samples from the flock, and if any of the test came out positive and its movement in interstate commerce would be restricted. In 1990, salmonella outbreaks were traced to three houses owned by Rose Acre Farms. Because the “test flocks” tested positive, USDA officials removed and killed sixty hens from the

Foodborne illness, or food poisoning, happens everyday in the U.S. and it is estimated that 48 million people are affected by it every year. Of these 48 million, 128,000 end up in the hospital and 3000 of them die from foodborne pathogens (Tucker, 2014). Foodborne illnesses can be caused by biological, chemical, or physical contaminants. The biological contaminants consist of bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. Chemical contaminants are pesticides, cleaning supplies, and toxic chemicals. Physical contaminations are dirt, glass, wood, splinters, stones, hair, jewelry, and metal shavings (Tucker, 2014). Salmonella, a bacterium, has been the most common reported cause of food poisoning. Salmonella is most commonly exposed to humans through animal feces and it is usually from animals that give us beef, poultry, and dairy products. People who do not wash their hands after being around animals can also transmit salmonella into our food. The symptoms of Salmonella are abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and fever (Tucker, 2014). The symptoms will usually resolve on their own in healthy people but may become life threatening in those with compromised immune systems. In order to prevent Salmonellosis, raw eggs should be avoided, as well as undercooked meat, shellfish, and unpasteurized milk and juice (Tucker, 2014). It is also important to always practice hand hygiene before handling any uncooked food products. Escherichia Coli, otherwise known as E. coli, is

A report done by the CDC indicates that within the year of 2013, there have been two reported cases of E. coli. In one case, and investigation done by local, state and federal officials revealed that two consumptions of ready to eat salads produced by Glass Onion Catering and sold at Trader Joe’s had a total of 33 people infected with an outbreak strain of STEC O157:H7. Of the 33 there was 1 person in Arizona, 28 in California, 1 in Texas and 3 in

Food hygiene is very important to prevent cross contamination. If strict guidelines are not adhered to in the handling of food serious illness can be caused.

During our class discussion last week, we discussed Microbes Help Grow Better Crops, by Richard Conniff. In the article by Richard Conniff, he states that, “Adding bacteria to a crop to prevent human disease could be the start of a whole new path to food safety.” This statement by Richard Conniff explains to us the idea of preventing diseases by adding bacteria to a crop. As a result, we will be able to prevent most human diseases from existing in the first place. We as a society haven’t implemented the idea about adding bacteria to crops yet, but suggesting ideas that can help prevent problems for us as a whole is the first step to making our future better for us. Diseases such as, salmonella and E-coli can be prevented with the new understanding

In August-October 2011 there was an outbreak of the Bacteria Listeriosis coming from a Colorado farm called Jensen Farm. Jensen farm held a press conference on September fourteenth and voluntarily recalled their cantaloupe. The cost associated with just one food borne illness shocked me. The symptoms of this outbreak were the same for many of the victims which included: fever, muscle aches, and diarrhea. The causalities were extremely high in this outbreak. There were 146 total infections, 30 deaths, and even a miscarriage roaming over 28 states in total. Most People who became ill were over sixty and fifty-eight percent were female (Multistate Outbreak of Listeriosis Linked to Whole Cantaloupes from Jensen Farms,

In the world today, nobody is safe. Whether it is from terrorist attacks, falling meteors or food outbreaks. Recently, there have been food produce outbreaks related to raw sprouts, especially alfalfa sprouts. These outbreaks have been related mostly to the pathogens Escherichia Coli 0157:H7 and Salmonella. Some symptoms related to these pathogens include diarrhea, cramps, stomach pain, and potential fever. These symptoms alone make people want to be extra careful when picking out their produce at the supermarket. The hardest part of these outbreaks are that people are dealing with raw spouts. Raw sprouts can be a great carrier of these pathogens, and there are no one way to get rid of every single pathogen exactly (Winthrop et al., 2002). These outbreaks can be from poor cleaning practices, imports of produce from other countries, or buying from larger food chains.

coli, another undisclosed truth comes to light in this documentary. To get rid of the E. coli, our meat products are thoroughly cleansed with ammonia. Ammonia is a chemical that most Americans recognize as a household cleaning item, and now this chemical is in our meat. We are being secretly exposed to this chemical and it is not even guaranteed to work 100% of the time. However, this is not the only chemical used in our food. When eating an out of season fruit, Americans run the risk of eating a fruit that is artificially ripened. Since tomatoes cannot grow in America in the winter, they are picked while green from overseas. Once they arrive in America and are ready to go to market, they are ripened with ethylene gas. Ethylene gas “contains traces of arsenic and phosphorus hydride” (Siddiqui). These traces can cause chronic health defects such as “vomiting, diarrhea with or without blood, burning sensation of the chest and abdomen, thirst, weakness, permanent eye damage, etc.” (Siddiqui). As we can see, the major food companies hide very serious issues from the public, because if they knew the truth, many consumers would be appalled and possibly stop buying their products.

Corn is the number one grain used to feed animals for slaughter. Feeding cows corn instead of their natural diet lead to the unintentional creation of 157H7 E. coli, a deadly bacteria that can kill. The film reveals how food standards have dropped, with only 9,164 safety inspections from the FDA each year as compared to over 50,000 in 1972. The food industry has become consolidated to the point of a few companies having a great deal of power and influence via the government. The USDA is no longer able to shutdown plants with contaminated meat. A bill titled “Kevin’s Law” had the intent of changing that, but, after 6 years, the bill still has not been passed. Food companies have made some attempts to reduce E. coli by cleaning their meats in an ammonia solution. However, unhealthy food is being subsidized and contributing to American obesity and the rise of type 2 diabetes in adolescents.

This assists physicians by supplying them with new knowledge about the diseases they are treating (Isabel). By identifying unknown pathogens, scientists are able to develop new vaccines that can control or even prevent illnesses from becoming serious. On the other hand, outbreaks can also begin in the pre-packaging of vegetables and uncooked meats. Recently, a case of cyclospora infection found in salad mixes reported to have a microscopic parasite. According to Dr. Marc Siegel, a professor at NYU Langone Medical Center, “The parasite is around people at all the time. However, the parasite found in the mixed salad cannot be transmitted from one person to another. But this seems to be from the handling of the mixed salad during production.”

Food gets contaminated after a certain period of time because bacteria start growing in it. Food contains certain preservatives like salts and other chemicals. However, they do not last long and so if food is not