Food Outbreak Scan for Jun 17, 2013

News brief

Frozen berry hepatitis A outbreak grows to 106

Seven more infections have been reported in an acute hepatitis A outbreak connected to an organic frozen berry mix, boosting the total to 106 so far, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today. The number of states affected remained at eight, all in the Southwest.

Based on information from 94 patients, 47 (50%) were hospitalized and 76 (81%) reported eating Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend frozen berry and pomegranate mix from Costco, though it was also sold at Harris Teeter stores. The most recent illness onset was Jun 8. Costco has notified members who bought the products since Feb 13.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has started inspecting Townsend's processing facility in Fairview, Ore., and it has finalized a protocol for testing berries for hepatitis A and will begin testing samples, including the frozen blend.

The company recalled the products on Jun 3.

Early analysis suggests that the outbreak strain is genotype 1B, which is rarely seen in the Americas. The same genotype was seen earlier this year in a frozen berry outbreak in Europe and a similar one in British Columbia in 2012. However, the CDC said so far there is no evidence that the three outbreaks are related.
Jun 17 CDC outbreak update

Final total for hedgehog-linked Salmonella outbreak at 26

The CDC recently issued its final report on a Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to pet hedgehogs.

Three more patients were infected since the last update in mid April, raising the total to 26 cases, the CDC said in a Jun 14 report. The number of affected states also rose by 3, pushing that number to 12. The new cases were reported by Louisiana, Missouri, and New Hampshire.

The CDC said that although patient ages ranged from 1 to 91, about a third were children age 10 or younger. Eight people were hospitalized, and one death was reported.

The outbreak was first reported on Sep 6, 2012. Investigations linked the infections to contact with pet hedgehogs purchased from multiple sources in different states. The CDC said no other outbreak updates are planned but warned that contact with hedgehogs continues to be a source of salmonellosis.
Jun 14 CDC final outbreak update

News Scan for Jun 17, 2013

News brief

CDC Angola dengue warning covers threat to travelers

The United States and other countries are seeing a rise in lab-confirmed dengue cases in people who have traveled to Luanda, Angola's capital, and health providers should be aware that the disease in Africa is endemic, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today.

So far at least 91 cases have been reported from Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Portugal, South Africa, and the United States, according to a report in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

Luanda is an international travel destination because of its connection to the oil industry. The CDC said Angola's disease surveillance system has gaps, but so far the country's health ministry has reported 517 suspected cases, all from Luanda province. One death has been reported, but the CDC said that figure could be subject to underreporting.

CDC testing of 49 specimens revealed dengue type 1, and phylogenetic evidence suggests the disease has been circulating since 1968 and is endemic in Angola, as in most other parts of Africa, according to the report.

The agency said three other African countries have reported dengue outbreaks so far this year: Seychelles, Kenya, and Tanzania.

Public health messaging in Angola has focused on recognizing dengue symptoms, especially severe ones, and minimizing mosquito breeding sites.
Jun 17 MMWR report

Attackers kill two more polio vaccinators in Pakistan

Two male polio vaccination workers were killed yesterday during immunization activities in Pakistan's Swabi district, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported today.

The two were shot by gunmen, and so far no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the report. Swabi district, where an attack on a team of charity workers occurred on Jan 1, is in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, located in the northwestern part of the country bordering the tribal areas.

At least 17 polio workers and 4 security escorts have been killed in attacks on polio vaccinators this year, the BBC said.
Jun 17 BBC report

Cambodia reports dramatic drop in malaria infections

Cambodian health officials are reporting a hefty drop in malaria cases in the first 5 months of the year, Xinhua, China's state news agency, reported today.

The Cambodia-based National Center for Malaria said the 13,700 cases reported so far this year represents a 60% drop in cases compared with the same period last year. So far only 4 deaths from the disease have been reported, compared with 27 at this point in 2012.

Dr Char Meng Chuor, who heads the center, attributed the decline to a massive mosquito net distribution program last year, along with an awareness campaign.
Jun 17 Xinhua story