salmonella •

Live Poultry carry Salmonella.

The data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) registered a wave of Salmonella infections related to live poultry.

Some 324 people from 35 states fell sick during seven different outbreaks. Experts concluded that the outbreaks originated from human contact with live poultry including ducklings and chicks from several hatcheries. One of the outbreaks started in January when 66 people fell sick.

One death was reported, but CDC officials stated that Salmonella was not the cause of the death. Other similar Salmonella outbreaks led to 252 infected people in 43 states whereas in 2014 three strains of Salmonella caused 363 infections in Puerto Rico and 43 states.

The highest number of cases was registered in Pennsylvania (20), Kentucky (21), North Carolina (26), Ohio (33), New York (34) and Michigan (34). PulseNet, the U.S. subtyping database, is used by public health officials to determine whether other illnesses are also responsible for the outbreaks.

Plus, some 88 children (5 years old or younger) represent 27% of the total number of sick people.

After interviewing 238 infected people, public health officials learned that 217 of them (91%) had had contact with poultry one week before they fell sick. Most of them purchased live baby poultry from different suppliers, such as friends in multiple states, hatcheries, co-ops and feed stores.

The reasons why the birds were bought were to serve as pets, for egg production or as a learning material for agriculture. CDC urged people to avoid contact with live poultry and with their environments because of the risk of Salmonella infection. Even if the birds seem to be healthy, they can carry the bacteria on their bodies or in their droppings.

Furthermore, the agency underlined that children are most vulnerable to Salmonella if they are exposed to birds by kissing, touching or holding them and by touching items from the poultry’s environment, such as water bowls, feed, and cages.

Moreover, the CDC prompts people always to wash hands very well with water and soap after working with live poultry or anything from their environment. In addition to this, adults must supervise children while they are washing their hands.

Furthermore, feed store and hatcheries were urged by the CDC to inform and protect consumers so that future Salmonella infections will be avoided.

Image Source:Jillian Michelle Blog

Popular brands of pistachios have been recalled over Salmonella fears.

Three popular brands of pistachios are now being pulled from shelves as federal health authorities suspect that they may be behind a recent Salmonella outbreak which has sickened 11 people across nine states.

On Mar. 9, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked the products to the food-borne disease. CDC investigators wrote in a report that pistachios produced by Californian-based Wonderful were a “likely source” of the cross-state Salmonella contamination.

CDC researchers based their conclusions on an extensive investigation jointly carried out by local, state, and federal health authorities. The CDC also unveiled that of the 11 Salmonella infection cases, two required hospitalization.

The three brands that are currently recalled are Wonderful, Paramount Farms, and Trader Joe’s. Wonderful told customers that they can check whether a lot has been recalled by looking at the 13-digit code on the package.

The codes of the recalled products are currently available on the company’s website. The firm also said that it was taking food safety very seriously, so it agreed to collaborate with authorities to detect the source of the contamination.

The first cases of Pistachio-related Salmonella infection were reported Dec. 12. The youngest patient was a nine-year-old, while the oldest patient was a 69-year-old. The states plagued by the recent outbreak are North Dakota, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, Connecticut, Washington, Minnesota, Arizona, and Michigan.

People were advised to discard any pistachios left at home while the CDC investigation continues. You can get a full refund if you return the lot code either by mail or to the location you purchased the product.

In the U.S., about 1 million cases of food-borne disease are tied to Salmonella every year. The bacterium is also responsible for nearly 400 deaths and more than 19,000 hospitalizations annually.

Symptoms emerge between 12 and 72 hours after consumption. The most common symptoms are diarrhea, stomach pain, and fever which can last up to a week. Most patients’ immune systems can fight off the infection without medication. But if there is severe dehydration and diarrhea you should head to a hospital.

Salmonella infections usually occur in the summer and they affect small children, pregnant women, and the elderly the most. On the other hand, anyone with a weakened immune system can contract the disease, and develop a severe infection.

Image Source: Wikimedia

Live Poultry Carrying Salmonella

Pistachios being Pulled from Shelves over Salmonella Fears

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