Author: Phyllis Entis

New Mexico, Kansas, Nebraska Report More Listeria Illnesses, Deaths

Each new day brings more tragic news in this year’s deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak.

Today, Nebraska reported its first outbreak death from listeriosis – a man in his 80’s from the western part of the state. Nebraska now has six confirmed cases of listeriosis – all of them apparently associated with the Colorado cantaloupe outbreak.

New Mexico’s confirmed and suspect case count and death toll also increased today. The state now has 10 confirmed cases, including 4 deaths. An additional three illnesses are under investigation; one of those three people has died.

According to the Denver Post, the number of cases in Colorado has increased to 15.

Finally, Kansas reported yesterday evening that five of its Listeria monocytogenes cases have been confirmed as matching the multi-state outbreak; three more cases are still pending. Two of the eight Kansas patients died.

With these updates, the number of confirmed and suspect cases – and deaths – are as follows:

  • California:- 1 confirmed outbreak case; none of the recalled cantaloupes were shipped to California.
  • Colorado:- 15 confirmed outbreak cases, including 2 deaths.
  • Illinois:- 1 confirmed outbreak case; no additional cases under investigation at this time. The infected individual is an 82-year-old woman from suburban Cook County. She became ill on September 7th, and was subsequently hospitalized.
  • Indiana:- 1 confirmed outbreak case. None of the recalled cantaloupes were shipped directly to Indiana.
  • Kansas:– 5 confirmed cases; 3 cases under investigation. Two deaths.
  • Maryland:- 1 fatal confirmed outbreak case. None if the recalled cantaloupes were shipped directly to Maryland.
  • Missouri:- 2 cases under investigation. One death.
  • Montana:- 1 confirmed outbreak case in Yellowstone County; 1 suspect case from Gallatin County. Recalled cantaloupes were not shipped directly to Montana.
  • Nebraska:- 6 confirmed outbreak cases, all 70+ years old; two victims are 90+ years old. One death.
  • New Mexico:- 10 confirmed outbreak cases, including 4 deaths. All 10 individuals were hospitalized. Victims’ ages range from 43 to 96 years, and include 6 women and 4 men. Patients are from seven different New Mexico counties.Three additional cases – including 1 death – are under investigation.
  • Oklahoma:-  8 confirmed outbreak cases, including one death. Two additional cases are under investigation. Outbreak-related illnesses have been reported from Oklahoma, Canadian, Cleveland, Love and McCurtain counties. Victims range from 61 to 96 years old; two-thirds are male.
  • Texas:- 9 confirmed outbreak cases.
  • Virginia:- 1 confirmed outbreak case. Recalled cantaloupes were not shipped directly to Virginia.
  • West Virginia:- 1 confirmed outbreak case. Recalled cantaloupes were not shipped directly to West Virginia.
  • Wisconsin:- 2 confirmed outbreak cases. Recalled cantaloupes were not shipped directly to Wisconsin.
  • Wyoming:- 1 confirmed outbreak case.
Overall, the human cost of this outbreak is now
  • 13 deaths
  • 74 infected in 16 states
  • Overall death rate of 17.6%
Earlier today, I sent an email to FDA, asking the following two questions:
  1. Does FDA have ANY plan to release a list of retailers and/or distributors who were supplied with these cantaloupes?
  2. Will FDA be releasing the Form 483 resulting from the Jensen Farms inspection?

(Form 483 is a reported that is handed to a food facility immediately following an inspection when significant violations have been found.)

I received a link to the updated list of affected states, followed by the statement, “We will make public the results of the root cause investigation when it is finished.”

Clearly, FDA has no intention of releasing any distribution information beyond a list of states to which the cantaloupes are believed to have been shipped. Unlike USDA, FDA apparently does not believe that making this information public is an appropriate part of its mandate.

For an updated list of retailers and food service distributors who may have – or who report that they have not – sold the recalled cantaloupes, please visit eFoodAlert’s updated retail distribution list.

New Hope for HUS

In one of the first rays of hope for sufferers of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), FDA announced today its approval of Soliris “… to treat patients with atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (aHUS), a rare and chronic blood disease that can lead to kidney (renal) failure and is also associated with increased risk of death and stroke.”

According to FDA, atypical HUS accounts for 5-10% of all cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome and affects children disproportionately. Soliris is the first drug to be approved in the USA for treating atypical HUS.

Soliris (eculizumab) is a humanized monoclonal antibody that was first approved by FDA in 2007 to treat a rare type of blood disorder (paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria), and is classified as an orphan drug. It is marketed in the USA by Alexion Pharmaceuticals.

While today’s FDA approval of Soliris is limited to atypical HUS, the agency’s action represents the first hint that a specific treatment for more common forms of hemolytic uremic syndrome may be in the offing. HUS is a life-threatening syndrome that affects a significant percentage of people – especially children – who are infected with E. coli O157:H7 and other shiga-toxin producing strains of E. coli.

More than 900 victims of this summer’s E. coli O104:H4 outbreak developed HUS, and 34 of those people died of the disease. The death toll might have been even higher, had doctors not administered eculizumab (Soliris) to 3 children with severe HUS and central nervous system complications. The children were at risk of permanent neurologic damage and not responding to conventional treatment.

All three children responded to the Soliris treatment, and eventually were discharged from hospital with apparently normal neurological status and little or no residual effects of their illness. Six months later, all three children were “in full remission,” according to a report published in New England Journal of Medicine.

Doctors who want to use Soliris to treat HUS must jump through a few extra hoops, due to the limited nature of its clinical trial. Soliris is available only through a restricted program, according to FDA, and prescribers must enroll in a registration program and provide a medication guide to patients who receive the drug.

Nevertheless, today’s approval is major news for HUS sufferers, so many of whom are children. Parents whose children are suffering from HUS – and physicians who treat HUS patients – should educate themselves about this new treatment possibility.

Recalls and Alerts: September 22, 2011

Here is today’s list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals, allergy alerts and miscellaneous compliance issues. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the sidebar link.

United States

  • Food Safety Recall: Mergimtari Meat & Grocery (565 E. 187th Street, Bronx, NY) recalls in-store made “Dry Sausage” (all packages), due to the presence of Listeria monocytogenes.
  • Food Safety Recall Update: USDA releases retail distribution list for breaded chicken breast products recalled by Roundy’s Supermarkets Inc. due to undercooking.
  • Veterinary Medicine Safety Recall: Pfizer Animal Health recalls Dexdomitor (Lot #1391999; Expiry January 2014) and Antisedan (Lot #1399276; Expiry March 2014), after foreign particles originating from a glass vial manufacturing defect were found in the products.
  • Outbreak Alert: A female student at Chatham University (Pennsylvania) has been diagnosed with typhoid fever. No other cases have been reported, according to WPXI news.
  • Outbreak Alert: The Montana Department of Health and Human Services has received several reports since early September of gastroenteritis outbreaks involving several hundred people throughout the state in schools, child day care settings and nursing homes, according to a statement released today. In outbreaks where lab testing was performed, the cause of the illness was found to be Norovirus.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert (UK): The Co-operative recalls Free From Pure Oat Muesli, 450g (Best before 22/07/12), due to intermittent contamination with wheat gluten.
  • Allergy Alert (UK): Delicious Alchemy recalls its Gluten Free Rolled Oats, 450g (Best before 4 August 2012, 5 September 2012, 6 September 2012) and Gluten Free Purely Oaty Fruity Nut Muesli, 450g (Best before 4 August 2012, 5 September 2012, 6 September 2012), because the products may contain undeclared wheat gluten.
  • Food Safety Recall (UK): Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC recalls Morrisons Value Low Fat Fruit Yogurt (4-pack; Use by 28 September 2011), because it might contain small metal pieces.
  • Food Safety Recall Update (Belgium): Delhaize recalls three additional lots of Frozen Cocktail Shrimp (51/60 size). The additional lots are #1071525, 1072177 and 1074286. The recall was initiated due to the presence of an antibiotic residue.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1286): Suspicion of shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (O 26 (potentially present), vtx1 positive, vtx2 positive, eae positive) in veal meat from the Netherlands; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1287): Salmonella in whey powder in bulk from the Netherlands; distributed to Germany and the Netherlands.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1288): Salmonella in sprouting seeds dispatched from Germany, via Switzerland; distributed to France.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1290): Mold infestation in orange jelly-filled sponge cakes from Poland; distributed to the Czech Republic.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1291): Unauthorized chlortetracycline in fresh beef from Germany; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1292): Campylobacter jejuni in chilled whole chicken from Germany; distributed to Denmark.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1294): Mercury in chilled dogfish from France; distributed to Italy.

Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket’s recall web site.

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.
**Includes Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Dominick’s, Genuardi’s, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs and Pak N’ Save.