Family suspects flu shot triggered syndrome

Posted by Campylobacter Attorney on September 17, 2007
Annette Saldivar, 38, was living a normal life as a dialysis technician and as a mother of two teenage girls.

Then, in February, she began to experience restless leg syndrome, a tingling sensation that kept her awake at night.

Later, she complained about headaches, vertigo, weakness and vision problems. She was fatigued all the time.

Finally, after seeing several physicians and undergoing all sorts of tests, a doctor diagnosed her illness as Guillain-Barré syndrome, a debilitating disease that strikes one in 100,000 people.

"She was getting so bad, I thought she was going to die," said Joe Saldivar, her father. "My twin girls are my pride and joy. I thank God he didn't take her from me."

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Healthy-looking salad may contain deadly bacteria

Posted by Campylobacter Attorney on September 17, 2007
Washington - Danger could be hiding in your dinner salad.

Food most people consider healthy, such as raw sprouts, salad greens, cooked fruit and rice, can pose serious health risks if they are improperly prepared and stored.

Sprouts are considered risky because they grow in a bacteria-friendly moist environment. Outbreaks have involved raw alfalfa and mixed sprouts that were contaminated with salmonella, which can lead to fever, cramps, diarrhea and even death, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Thorough cooking significantly reduces health risks for sprouts, as well as other foods.

Certain people are at greater risk, including young children, the elderly, the immune-compromised and pregnant women, according to Sam Beattie, a food safety extension specialist at Iowa State University.

The bacteria campylobacter, salmonella and E. coli, as well as Norwalk and Norwalk-like viruses, cause the most commonly recognized food-borne infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC is working on analyses to estimate the number of illnesses each year in the United States from various foods. Initial reports are expected in 2008.

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