According to news reports, at least 100 people have been sickened in a possible food poisoning outbreak in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana. Samantha Hartmann, press officer for the Louisiana Department of Health, told the News Star about this outbreak. Preliminary tests have come back positive for Salmonella, but more testing needs to be conducted. An autopsy has been ordered in the death of one man who may be part of the outbreak. Some people have been hospitalized, according to news reports. The Louisiana Department of Health said that it had been "notified of a possible food-related gastrointestinal disease outbreak." There is no more information about the outbreak available, or if a restaurant, event, or contaminated food is responsible for the outbreak. The Louisiana Department of … [Read more...]
Possible E. coli Outbreak at Silliman School in Louisiana
Silliman Institute in Clinton, Louisiana may have experienced an E. coli outbreak, according to WBRZ. The school has been closed since March 31, 2015 and will extend its Easter break through Monday, April 6, 2015. The statement on the school's website states, "Silliman is closed Tuesday, March 31st and Wednesday, April 1st to extend the Easter break that is scheduled for Thursday, April 2nd through Monday, April 6th. We will resume regular schedule Tuesday, April 7th unless otherwise notified." There is no information about the possible outbreak on the Silliman web site and nothing on the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals web site. News reports state that as many as 18 students are suffering from diarrhea and vomiting, and are being tested for E. coli and norovirus. Other … [Read more...]
USDA Lists Stores That Sold Head Cheese Linked to Salmonella Outbreak
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a list of retailers that sold tainted head cheese linked to a Salmonella outbreak that sickened six people in Louisiana. Stallings Head Cheese Co., Inc., of Houston issued a recall of 4,700 pounds of hog head cheese on January 24 after health officials discovered Salmonella infections in six people who had eaten it. Head cheese, is a jellied loaf made of pieces of a cow or pig’s head, feet, tongue and heart. It originated in Europe as a way use as much of a slaughtered animal as possible. The Norwegians call it “sylte” and use cutlery to eat slabs of it drizzled in vinegar. In the US, it’s generally eaten as a cold cut. The recalled products include 10-oz. packages of Richard’s Hog Head Cheese that have ”Use by 2 1 2013″ or “Use … [Read more...]
Norovirus Outbreak Prompts Oyster Recall In LA, MD, TX and GA
After being identified as the source of a norovirus outbreak, oysters harvested off the Louisiana coast are being recalled from destinations in Louisiana, Maryland, Texas and Georgia, according to Ken Pastorick, a spokesman for the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. The outbreak has also prompted the temporary closure of the area where the oysters were harvested. "Area 23, one of 28 coastal shellfish harvesting zones in Louisiana, will be closed for at least three weeks," said Pastorick. When oysters are harvested, they are put into burlap sacks and marked with a tag that identifies the harvesting area. There are a total of 1,141 sacks of oysters in this recall, 80 of them went to the New Orleans area. Some of those oysters, served at a New Orleans restaurant on April 28 … [Read more...]
