In their latest report on the deadly Salmonella Poona outbreak linked to Andrew & Williamson cucumbers imported from Baja, Mexico, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that tests on the outbreak strain shows that 100% of the bacteria are not resistant to antibiotics. That is good news. Still, the hospitalization rate for this outbreak is 31%, which is 11% higher than the usual rate for Salmonella infections. There may be two reasons for this discrepancy. First, a large proportion of patients in this outbreak (52%) are children. Because children's immune systems are still developing, they have a harder time fighting off these types of infections. Second, there may have been so many bacteria on the cucumbers that they overwhelmed patients' immune systems and … [Read more...]
Andrew & Williamson Feels Bad for Victims, But Unsure if it is Salmonella Outbreak Source
There's a difference between feeling sorry for something and feeling bad about it. And Andrew and Williamson, the San Diego produce company identified by health officials as the likely source of the deadly cucumber Salmonella outbreak, wants families of those sickened or killed to know that it feels bad for them, but isn't sure it is responsible. In a statement issued today, coinciding with updates from the CDC and the FDA saying the outbreak has expanded to 30 states, with 341 sick, 70 hospitalized and two dead, the company said: "Our thoughts go out to the victims, their families and their loved ones. We want to let those who are affected know we are fully cooperating with health officials to ensure we are doing everything possible to learn if we are responsible and how this could … [Read more...]
