Daily Harvest has identified tara flour as the apparent culprit in the illnesses that may be linked to that company's French Lentil + Leeks Crumbles. The FDA reports that there have been 277 adverse event complaints received so far, and that 96 people have been hospitalized because they are so ill; some have had their gall bladders removed. There have been almost 500 anecdotal reports of illness. The FDA has not commented on this new information as of July 19, 2022. But there is no indication of just what it is about the tara flour that has made people sick. The product is not inherently toxic. And considering that the crumbles have been tested for everything from E. coli bacteria to Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, gluten, pesticides, heavy metals, and other chemicals, it's … [Read more...]
Cyclospora Illnesses Signal That the Season Has Begun With 61 Sick
Cyclospora illnesses signal that the season has begun with at least 61 people sick in 13 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Six people have been hospitalized. The case count by state was not reported, nor was the patient age range. Cases continue to be reported to government officials. Illnesses caused by this parasite are much more common in the spring and summer months in the United States. And there have been multiple cyclospora outbreaks in this country in the past six years. In the past, Cyclospora outbreaks have been linked to cilantro, mesclun lettuce, basil, snow peas, and raspberries. There are also new cyclospora illnesses in Canada. At least 84 people in three provinces are ill, and four have been hospitalized. In 2021, … [Read more...]
California Hepatitis Cases Added to List of Severe Illness Reports
California has ben added to the list of states reporting severe child hepatitis cases, joining Alabama, Illinois, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. There are seven California hepatitis cases, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The World Health Organization has received reports of at least 169 cases of severe pediatric hepatitis, mostly from Europe. In the United States, there are least 25 cases: nine in Alabama, two in North Carolina, three in Illinois, four in Wisconsin, and seven in California. So far there has been one death in Wisconsin, and four of these children have needed liver transplants. In most of these cases, the children had gastrointestinal symptoms before jaundice appeared. No common exposure has been found, but doctors think that adenovirus is a cofactor. … [Read more...]
Child Hepatitis Cases Reported in Wisconsin With One Death
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is issuing a Health Alert Network Health Advisory because child hepatitis cases and adenovirus infections have been reported in that state. Officials are investigating at least four cases in Wisconsin. One child needed a liver transplant and one child died. This alleged outbreak was first reported in Alabama from November 2021 to February 2022, where nine children were sickened. Two of those children needed liver transplants. Then, three cases were announced in Illinois on April 25, 2022, with one liver transplant reported. More than 100 cases of severe hepatitis in children under the age of 10 have been reported around the world. Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver that can be caused by alcohol use, toxins, medications, some … [Read more...]
Three Potential Severe Hepatitis Cases in Children in Illinois
The problem with severe hepatitis cases in children has now spread to Illinois, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). There are more than a hundred children sickened around the world in this outbreak that may be linked to a certain strain of adenovirus. The children are all under the age of 10. One child living in Illinois required a liver transplant. Nine children who live in Alabama are also sick. Two of those children have required liver transplants. Those children range in age from one to six years. All were previously healthy, and none had COVID-19. In Illinois, two of the cases are in suburban Chicago, and one is in Western Illinois. IDPH is working to learn of other suspected cases and is asking healthcare providers in the state to be alert for … [Read more...]
Kirkwood Breaded Stuffed Chicken Salmonella Outbreak Number 4 of 2021
The Kirkwood breaded stuffed chicken Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak is the number four multistate food poisoning outbreak of 2021, with at least 36 people sickened in 11 states. Twelve people were hospitalized because they were so ill. The patient case count by state was: Arizona (4), Arkansas (1), Connecticut (1), Illinois (10), Indiana (4), Michigan (1), Minnesota (4), Nevada (1), New York (7), Ohio (1), and Oklahoma (2). Illness onset dates ranged from February 21, 2021 to August 16, 2021. Patients ranged in age from one year to 83. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture found the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis in two samples of Kirkwood's Chicken Cordon Bleu after collecting five frozen raw breaded stuffed chicken products from a grocery store where an ill person … [Read more...]
BrightFarms Salad Salmonella Outbreak is Number Seven of 2021
The BrightFarms salad Salmonella outbreak is number seven on the list of top 10 multistate food poisoning outbreaks of 2021, with 31 sick in four states. Four people were hospitalized because they were so sick. The patient case count by state is: Illinois (18), Michigan (1), Pennsylvania (2), and Wisconsin (10). Illness onset dates ranged from June 10, 2021 to August 18, 2021. The patient age range was from less than 1 year to 86 years. The hospitalization rate was not given. Interview data and shopper card records show that 15 people ate or bought a variety of BrightFarms packaged salad greens before they got sick. The varieties they ate included 50/50 Spring & Spinach, Sunny Crunch, Harvest Crunch, and Butter Crisp. An FDA investigation found that BrightFarms greenhouse … [Read more...]