Tag Archives: Outbreak

California, Minnesota Health Officials Warn of Norovirus Outbreaks

Public health officials in California and Minnesota are warning about norovirus outbreaks, cautioning that the intestinal disease could sicken lots of people in those states this winter.

The California Department of Public Health announced last week that there had been 32 confirmed outbreaks of the disease since October, a number that greatly exceeds the total reported in the same window last year. Hundreds likely fell ill from the disease, officials said.

In Minnesota, the state Department of Health cautioned that the arrival of a new strain of the disease could cause some additional norovirus illnesses this winter. The department said it has investigated at least 20 outbreaks of the GII.17 Kawasaki strain since September. The strain is the same one that spurred many outbreaks in Asia last winter, officials said in a news release.

“Every few years, a new strain of norovirus emerges and causes many illnesses,” Amy Saupe, a foodborne disease epidemiologist with the department, said in a statement. “We don’t know yet if this new strain will lead to an increase in the number of outbreaks reported, but it could.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), norovirus is the top cause of stomach flu in the United States. The highly contagious virus sickens between 19 million and 21 million people, hospitalizes 56,000 to 71,000 and kills between 570 and 800 every year. Common symptoms include fever, diarrhea and vomiting. Most people recover within 1 to 3 days.

People get norovirus from eating tainted food or touching contaminated surfaces, making it relatively easy for the disease to spread in places like schools, daycares and nursing homes.

The Boston Globe reported a sick employee came to a Chipotle restaurant in the city earlier this month and 136 people — including some Boston College students — fell ill. There were some initial fears that outbreak was linked to an E. Coli outbreak at Chipotle restaurants in nine states, but the paper reported health officials ultimately determined that norovirus was at fault.

The CDC and other public health officials say proper disinfection, hand hygiene and food-handling techniques are vitally important to help prevent norovirus from spreading.

“One of the most important things you can do to avoid norovirus and other illnesses this holiday season is to wash your hands frequently with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds,” Dr. Karen Smith, the director of the California Department of Public Health, said in a statement. “This is especially important after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and before preparing or eating food. Hand sanitizers are not effective against norovirus.”

Cholera Outbreak Threatening World’s Largest Refugee Camp

A cholera outbreak is sweeping through the largest refugee camp in the world.

Doctors Without Borders, a medical charity, reported that seven people have died in Dadaab since the debilitating diarrhoeal disease first hit the Kenyan settlement back on November 23.

In a news release, the doctors said the disease has sickened more than 540 Dadaab residents in all, and doctors built a dedicated treatment center for cholera patients. Doctors said they have seen about 307 in the past three weeks, about 30 percent of whom were children less than 12.

According to the World Health Organization, an arm of the United Nations, cholera is a bacterial disease that can kill within hours if it isn’t treated. The disease is usually transmitted through contaminated food or water, and is fueled by poor hygiene. Refugee camps are particularly at risk for outbreaks because their residents often lack access to clean water and proper sanitation.

Doctors Without Borders reported that funding cuts have accelerated the outbreak, as Dadaab hasn’t received any soap in two months and there aren’t enough latrines for its residents. More than 330,000 refugees live there, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency. The doctors worry seasonal rains could lead to more cases, as the weather has already exacerbated the issue.

“After each heavy rain, we see an increase of patients in our treatment (center),” Charles Gaudry, the head of Doctors Without Borders’ mission in Kenya, said in a statement.

Doctors Without Borders said its staff is working to educate the refugees about cholera and decontaminating the living spaces of infected patients, but called for more long-term solutions and improvements at Dadaab, which is located near Kenya’s eastern border with Somalia.

“The fact that this outbreak has occurred further highlights the dire hygiene and living conditions in the camp and a lack of proper long-term investment in sanitation services,” Gaudry said in a statement.

Recalled vegetables linked to E. Coli outbreak at Costco stores

A tainted mix of celery and onions appears to be at fault for a multi-state E. Coli outbreak.

Taylor Farms Pacific recalled a list of products on Thursday after a link to the outbreak tied to Costco stores was discovered, according to a notice on the Food & Drug Administration website.

The California-based manufacturer produced a diced-vegetable mix that tested positive for E. Coli, according to the posting. It was used in a rotisserie chicken salad that was sold at Costco.

The vast majority of the 19 people infected with the bacteria reported buying or eating the salad before they got sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infections have been reported in Montana, Utah, California, Washington, Colorado, Missouri and Virginia.

The recall is being conducted “out of an abundance of caution,” according to the FDA.

Costco has stopped selling and producing the salad, the CDC noted. It encourages anyone who bought the product to throw it out, even if some has been eaten and no one has fallen ill.

The particular strain of E. Coli bacteria associated with the Costco outbreak is known to be deadly.

Reuters reported it’s the same one to blame for the 1993 outbreak at Jack in the Box restaurants. Four children died and hundreds more became sick after eating undercooked hamburgers.

No deaths have been reported this time, but the CDC says five people have been hospitalized and two people have developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome.

Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreaks Nationwide; Four Dead in Illinois

Four residents of a veteran’s home in Illinois are dead after an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease.

At least 29 other residents of the Illinois Soldiers and Sailors Home have been infected with the deadly bacterium.  Those who died allegedly had severe underlying medical conditions that compromised their immune systems and left them particularly vulnerable to the bacteria.

“The Legionella bacteria can be found anywhere, but it’s usually in small doses that won’t make you sick,” Adams County Health Department Director of Clinical and Environmental Services Shay Drummond told WGEM-TV. “But when a cluster of people get sick like this, it’s very likely there’s one source point.”

Drummond believes the outbreak has been contained to just the veteran’s home.

At San Quentin State Prison in California, six inmates have been confirmed to have the disease with another 51 under observation in the prison’s medical unit.

Prison officials say all cooking at the prison has been shut down and that prisoners are eating box meals until the source of the disease can be found.

In New York City, where 12 people died from an outbreak this summer, a school had to be shut down after the bacteria was found in a cooling tower.  City officials praised the school’s quick response and also said the action showed the importance of a new city law designed to combat the disease.

“The Convent of the Sacred Heart School properly disinfected its cooling tower. Its cooling tower’s positive test result, and subsequent disinfection, underscores the importance of the new legislation the Mayor signed just two weeks ago,” the Department of Health said in a statement.

Drugmaker Shuts Down Factory After Discovering Legionnaires’ Disease

A factory for drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) was suddenly shut down Tuesday after the discovery of the deadly bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ Disease.

The plant in Zebulon, North Carolina manufactures inhaled medications and employs around 850 people.  The bacteria was discovered in one of the plant’s cooling towers leading to the factory’s immediate closure.

“We are trying to gather information on what the situation is,” GSK spokeswoman Jenni Brewer Ligday said in statement to the Associated Press. GSK is also working to gather “more details on whether product has been impacted and, if they have, what is our procedure in place to handle that.”

“The cooling tower is a standalone structure, which does not come into contact with product manufactured at the facility,” added GSK spokesman Marti Jordan.

GSK officials said that the plant remains shut down but the campus of the company remains open and there is no threat to the general public.

The plant focuses on production of drugs for asthma patients such as Advair.

GSK said the plant is tested every three months for potentially hazardous bacteria like Legionnaires’.

The news of the closure comes on the heels of New York City dealing with the worst outbreak of Legionnaires’ in the city’s history, leaving 12 people dead and over 110 sickened.

Death Toll in New York Legionnaires’ Outbreak Rises

New York City officials reported Wednesday another death from the current Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak that has now sickened almost 100 people.

“This is the largest outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease that we are aware of in New York City,” Health Commissioner Mary Bassett said.

Although officials with the city’s Department of Health and Mental Health would not say where the victim had lived, they did say that like the other deaths it was an older person with other medical issues.

In addition to the news about the death and the 11 new cases of the disease, New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio announced the city will be making a new law governing the cooling towers that have been confirmed to be the source of the latest outbreak.

“What we need and what the legislation will achieve is a complete registry of every single building that has (a cooling tower),” the mayor said. “That does not exist as a matter of law right now.”

Community residents were thankful the government was finally taking action but wondered why it took so long to happen.

“The health (commissioner) of the City of New York needs to step up her game,” said Alexander Freeman, 57, a cook at the East Side House Settlement, told the New York Daily News. “I’m still afraid that it might come down here.

“Everybody is nervous. How would you feel if this was your backyard?”

Head of CDC Heads to Sierra Leone

Concerns about the new Ebola scare in Sierra Leone has the head of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) flying to that nation.

The report of the trip comes on the heels of Sierra Leone officials admitting they have two more new cases of the virus connected to the first victim who died last week.

“We now know where the virus is and we are tracking its movement, by surrounding, containing and eradicating its last remaining chain of transmission,” ational Ebola Response Centre’s OB Sisay said.

CDC Head Dr. Tom Frieden reportedly will help assess the situation and provide advice on steps needed to control the new outbreak.

Officials say the problem with controlling the virus early is that the initial symptom of fever is similar to that of other diseases such as malaria and typhoid.  That would lead some folks who have Ebola to not seek treatment or isolate themselves because they don’t know they have the deadly virus.

The Ebola outbreak has killed more than 11,200 people worldwide although the overwhelming number of deaths were in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.

Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak In New York Kills Two

An outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease in the Bronx has killed two people and left dozens more sickened according to city health officials.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reported 31 cases of the disease since July 10th.

“We are concerned about this unusual increase in Legionnaires’ Disease cases in the South Bronx,” Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett told reporters.  “We are conducting a swift investigation to determine the source of the outbreak and prevent future cases. I urge anyone with symptoms to seek medical attention right away.”

Officials say they are testing water from cooling towers along with humidifiers and air conditioning systems to determine the source of the outbreak.  City officials are worried with the hot weather striking New York that if the bacteria is in a drinking supply the number of cases could escalate.

The disease presents with pneumonia-like symptoms including fever, chills and headaches.  It cannot be spread from person to person.

The last major outbreak of the bacteria in New York was in December and January when 12 people were sickened in Co-op City.  The source was found to be a contaminated cooling tower.

Superbug Kills 2 At UCLA Hospital

A deadly superbug has killed two people at UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center and at least 180 patients have been exposed to the deadly bacteria.

The two dead are among seven patients who have the drug-resistant superbug known as CRE.  The outbreak is the latest in a string of incidents across the U.S.

The bacteria, if it spreads to a patient’s bloodstream, can kill up to 50% of patients.

The bacteria reportedly spread through two improperly cleaned endoscopes.  The scopes are used on 500,000 patients annually to treat diseases from cancers to gallstones.   Medical experts say because of their design they are difficult to clean.

UCLA says it notified public health authorities immediately wen they discovered the bacteria in a patient.

One hospital safety consultant said that current outbreak is unprecedented.

“These outbreaks at UCLA and other hospitals could collectively be the most significant instance of disease transmission ever linked to a contaminated reusable medical instrument,” Lawrence Muscarella said.

Last month, 32 patients were sickened by a bacteria similar to CRE at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle.  Eleven of those patients died from the illness.

30 Babies Placed Under Home Isolation In Measles Outbreak

An outbreak of measles that started at Disneyland is causing massive problems throughout California according to the LA Times.

Thirty babies are now in home isolation in Alameda County because of possible exposure to measles. Sherri Willis of the Alameda County Public Health Deaprtment told the LA Times that the children were not infected but had contact with measles patients.

“It is our job to try to determine who has been exposed,” Willis said.

There have been 87 confirmed cases of measles connected to the Disneyland strain.  Officials say that most of the people who have contracted the disease were not vaccinated against it and urged all people to get vaccinations if they did not as a child.

Measles is spread through the air by coughing or sneezing.  The U.S. had a record number of cases last year, with 644 infections in 27 states.

Other precautions being taken include over two dozen high school students from Huntington Beach High School being sent home because they were unvaccinated and one student was confirmed to have measles.

“Unimmunized students are excluded from school for 21 days past the date of exposure, during which they need to monitor themselves for signs of measles,” Deanne Thompson, Orange County health care agency spokeswoman said. “This is to avoid spreading the disease.”