Recalls + Outbreaks:
- The FDA expanded the jalapeño recall to include prepared food items from Taylor Farms (the same involved in the cyclospora outbreak). They were sold at Walmart, Kroger, Target, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, among others. (FDA, Bloomberg)
- Cyclospora symptoms can return, even after treatment, and sometimes last for weeks. (NY Times)
- But some good news: the major cyclospora outbreak appears to be ending. Recent new infections in Michigan are down to nearly zero. (YLE, MDHHS)
- There were 236,000 cases of lettuce recalled. Only 2.5% went to Taco Bell, and nearly half went to Walmart. (YLE, FDA)
Health News:
- Louisiana issued a warning to beachgoers after 5 people died from Vibrio vulnificus infections so far this year, up from an average of just one death per year. Florida also reported its second death. (CNN)
- Against medical groups’ advice, President Trump issued an executive order recommending that the MMR vaccine be administered separately. Right now, that’s not an option in the U.S…. (AP)
- …but all childhood vaccines are still available and covered on the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommended schedule. (YLE)
- Measles is picking up a bit with 117 new cases last week, 59 of which were in Pennsylvania. (MedPage Today)
- The FDA will require notice of food additives to any human or animal food. (STAT)
- Johns Hopkins University launched a U.S. disease tracker to strengthen monitoring of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, invasive meningococcal disease, and whooping cough. (JHU)
- Deaths in the Ebola outbreak are nearing 2,000, now the second-largest in history. (CIDRAP)
- Wildfire smoke is a growing danger to pregnant mothers and their unborn babies; exposure more than doubled from 2003 to 2019. (Washington Post)
- Some good news: your coffee (or tea) habit can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, and Parkinson’s, among others. (Washington Post)
Best Question
We’re near the Gulf and there’s vibrio in the water near us. Can we still serve raw shellfish?
It’s the peak season for Vibrio, an increasingly common foodborne bacteria found in coastal waters. Vibrio thrive in warm seawater or brackish water, and can contaminate shellfish. The Gulf Coast is an ideal environment for this bacteria to thrive because it has the right amount of salt and heat, but it's also spreading further up the U.S. coasts as water temperatures rise. One study showed it’s moving about 30 miles north per year, and overall cases are rising.
It’s in the news this week because there’s an unusual number of hospitalizations and deaths in Louisiana so far this year, but most of those aren’t food-related; they’re due to entering warm coastal waters with a small wound that gets infected.
Still, vibrio infections are the leading cause of shellfish-related illness in the U.S., and have increased more than any other illness caused by one specific pathogen in the U.S. food supply in the past 30 years. But there are measures that shellfish harvesters can take to ensure their catch stays cold that really do work to prevent infections. If you have a great supplier, this really isn’t a major issue, but you may want to reach out if you know there’s high vibrio in the area that your shellfish come from just to check in with them and make sure they’re taking extra precautions with refrigeration.
The good news is that this is relatively rare: there are 1.25 billion oysters eaten raw each year in the U.S., and only about 52,000 cases of vibriosis are the result of contaminated food. So, it’s not a huge risk to the average shellfish lover, but it’s absolutely something the restaurant industry should be keeping an eye on.
Sources: NOAA, CNN
Best Read:
This sci-fi like headline caught our attention, but before you panic, the viruses these are based on can only infect bacteria. The tech could eventually be used to create new medical treatments. Still, there are concerns about biological weapons, or accidentally creating new viruses capable of infecting humans.
