Aug 5, 2010
Salmonella outbreak linked to Mexican fast food chain
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday announced that it is investigating an outbreak of two strains of Salmonella linked to an unnamed Mexican-style fast food restaurant chain, according to Food Safety News today. The outbreak has affected 155 patients in 20 states. The two strains, Salmonella Hartford and Salmonella Baildon, are rare serotypes that can cause diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever, nausea, and vomiting. The CDC said that those infected are of a similar age and geographic distribution, with Kentucky logging the most cases. Ages range from 1 to 82 years, with a median of 47, and 74% of patients are female. Among those with available data, 40% have been hospitalized, with no deaths reported. Cases began Apr 30, with the most recent one being Jul 19. The breakdown of the 75 people affected by the Hartford strain is: Colorado (1), Georgia (1), Illinois (5), Indiana (11), Kentucky (23), Maine (2), Michigan (3), Montana (1), North Carolina (1), New Hampshire (1), New York (1), Ohio (19), Pennsylvania (1), South Carolina (1), and Wisconsin (4). The 80 who have contracted the Baildon strain by state are: Connecticut (1), Georgia (1), Iowa (1), Illinois (20), Indiana (4), Kentucky (5), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (4), Minnesota (5), New Jersey (6), New York (2), Ohio (6), Oregon (1), Washington (1), and Wisconsin (22).
Aug 5 Food Safety News report
Online training launched for pandemic H1N1, avian flu
To help advance its goal of building global capacity for influenza surveillance and detection, the Minnesota Center of Excellence for Influenza Research & Surveillance (MCEIRS) has launched two online training series, one on 2009 H1N1 pandemic flu and one on avian flu. Each series contains multiple e-learning modules that users can complete at their own pace. The pandemic H1N1 track includes modules on virus origin, epidemiology in humans, surveillance in humans, biosecurity and swine influenza, and novel H1N1 in animals. The avian flu track includes modules on avian influenza basics and field collection of samples. Continuing education credit is available, as are certificates of completion. MCEIRS is part of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, publisher of CIDRAP News.
MCEIRS training portal
MCEIRS home page
Immunity to mumps just enough to provide community protection
About 90% of Americans from 6 to 49 years old have immunity to mumps, which is at the low end of the recommended 90% to 92% needed to provide "herd immunity" to protect the population, according to a recent study. The findings highlight the importance of having children receive two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to a Reuters story. Using data from a national health study conducted between 1999 and 2004, researchers found the lowest prevalence, 86%, to be among people born between 1967 and 1976. Among those born between 1977 and 1986, who were hit the hardest by a 2006 outbreak of 6,660 cases, about 90% had antibodies to mumps. People born between 1967 and 1976 were probably less affected by the 2006 outbreak because they were old enough to be out of school and not living in close quarters, lead researcher Dr. Preeta K. Kutty said.
Jul 27 J Infect Dis abstract
