Surveillance & Analysis on Campylobacter News & Outbreaks
Medical diagnostic test kit maker Meridian Bioscience, Inc. yesterday said it has obtained Food and Drug Administration clearance for its novel rapid test, ImmunoCard STAT! CAMPY to detect Campylobacter.
Campylobacter bacteria is one of the common causes of diarrhea and food-borne illness in the U.S, where about 20 million stool culture tests are done every…
Raw milk has been the source of numerous outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and other outbreaks in recent years. Although advocates of drinking raw milk believe there are health benefits, the risks certainly outweigh them.
An article from the Baxter Bulletin today highlights the debate over the purported benefits of raw milk versus the safety of our food supply and the duties of public health officials who must work to prevent outbreaks of Campylobacter and other foodborne illnesses:
Advocates of raw milk are behind legislative efforts in Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky and Nebraska to legalize selling raw milk. Moves to introduce legislation have begun in North Carolina and Maryland.Continue Reading Raw milk: Fit for human consumption?
The Associated Press
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – Wyoming Health Department officials have confirmed that fecal matter contaminated the water supply at an Albany County Bible camp where dozens of camp-goers have become sick.
According to the Health Department, lab tests have confirmed both viral and bacterial infections in about a dozen camp-goers, including nine cases of norovirus, six cases of Campylobacter jejuni, a bacterial infection; three people were found to have both.Continue Reading Fecal contamination responsible for Bible camp closure
Scientists who look for ways to eliminate foodborne pathogens are up against another obstacle: those pathogens that resist antibiotics. In particular, they want to single out the resistant bacteria for special attention and get rid of them.
Continue Reading Zooming in on the Campylobacter That Would Resist Antibiotics
21.jul.06
Massey University Press Release
A ban on the sale of fresh chicken meat is the not answer to preventing outbreaks of campylobacteriosis says food microbiologist Associate Professor John Brooks.
He says the media focus on the comparatively high incidence of campylobacteria outbreak in New Zealand has been triggered by incomplete information.
“No clear mode of transmission has been established between chicken meat and humans. Campylobacter is also found in cattle and sheep, ducks and domestic pets, and water and dairy farm effluent have also been found frequently to be contaminated.”Continue Reading Combating campylobacter with common sense
Illness linked to unpasteurized cheese curds: People advised not to eat raw milk products
06.jul.06
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
State of Wisconsin
MADISON – State health officials are advising individuals to avoid eating unpasteurized cheese curds produced by Wesley Lindquist of Highbridge, Wisconsin. More than 40 people have exhibited symptoms of nausea, diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever and occasionally vomiting after eating the white cheese curds produced by Lindquist.
People began getting sick between Ma 24 – June 2, 2006. Stool samples from six of the ill individuals were tested at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene and the presence of Campylobacter jejuni was confirmed in all six specimens.Continue Reading Campylobacter illness linked to unpasteurized cheese curds: People advised not to eat raw milk products
Monday, 3 July 2006
Press Release: New Zealand Food Safety Authority
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) is concerned about the continuing increase in cases of human campylobacter infection, highlighted in the latest monthly surveillance report from the Institute of Environmental Science and Research.
Campylobacter is a bacterium commonly found in animals and the environment. Since being made a notifiable disease in 1980, New Zealand’s reported cases of campylobacteriosis have risen steadily and health professionals acknowledge it as a major public health concern.
The source or sources of the latest rise in numbers are not clear and are the subject of investigations being undertaken by ESR. However, any increase in cases of the disease also increases the potential for contamination of food to occur from infected individuals, particularly in the home.Continue Reading Concern at increase in campylobacter infection
Unlicensed cheese-maker ordered to halt operations
By RICK OLIVO Staff Writer
The Daily Press
Monday, June 26th, 2006
Cheese curds infected with the Campylobacter bacteria are now being blamed for over 100 suspected cases of illness in places as far away as Oregon.
The contaminated cheese curds were manufactured by an unlicensed Highbridge cheese-maker using unpasteurized milk, says the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services.
Wesley Lindquist was ordered to cease the production of curds and any other dairy products following the outbreak, which apparently began shortly after Memorial Day when a number of visitors were in the Ashland area for graduations and other events. Over 40 confirmed cases of illness have been identified as coming from the tainted curds, and many others from different areas of the state and even other states have also become ill.Continue Reading Bad cheese curds now responsible for over 100 illnesses
June 6, 2006
National Center for Infectious Diseases
Each year, people become ill from drinking raw milk and eating foods made from raw dairy products. Unlike most of the milk, cheese, and dairy products sold in the United States, raw milk and raw dairy products have not been heat treated or pasteurized to kill germs. Although many states outlaw the sale of these items, many people including dairy producers, farm workers and their families, and some ethnic groups continue to drink raw milk and eat foods made from raw dairy products. Several types of raw cheeses such as feta, brie, queso fresco, sheep’s and goat’s milk cheese have been illegally sold in the United States.
Germs in These Products Cause Thousands of Illnesses
Raw milk and raw dairy products may carry many types of disease-causing germs such as Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, Listeria, Salmonella, Yersinia, and Brucella. When raw milk or raw milk products become contaminated, people who eat the contaminated foods can get sick. Here are a few examples of outbreaks that have been reported since 2000:Continue Reading Raw milk and cheeses: health risks are still black and white
County has 13 possible cases of bacterial illness
June 7, 2006
The Daily Press (Wisconsin)
Rick Olivo
Ashland County and state public health officials are investigating an outbreak of a diarrheal illness that is possibly related to an unpasteurized dairy product.
According to Ashland County Health Officer Terry Kramolis, one person has been confirmed with an infection by the Campylobacter bacteria, which can cause nausea, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and occasional vomiting. On rare occasions, the illness has more severe complications such as temporary arthritis or paralysis, generally after the initial symptoms have disappeared.
“Currently, 13 people from Ashland County have probable Campylobacter infections,” Kramolis said. “And several people have been hospitalized.Continue Reading Health officials investigate suspected outbreak of Campylobacter
