The FDA, collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control, the Department of Agriculture, and state health departments, have traced a nationwide spike in Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) infections to a single firm in Iowa.

Eggs shipped from Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa after May 16,2010 have been recalled.

The CDA received approximately 200 reports of Salmonella Enteritidis every week in late June and early July, more than four times the usual 50 weekly reports over the past five years.

Wright County Egg says that the affected eggs are packaged under the following brand names: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps in various carton sizes.

Check your egg carton to see if what you have is part of the recall.

The shipment date uses a Julian format ranging from 136 to 225.  Eggs were shipped from plant numbers 1026, 1413 and 1946. Dates and codes can be found stamped on the end of the egg carton. The plant number begins with the letter P and then the number. The Julian date follows the plant number, for example: P-1946 223.

Salmonella infections often cause fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.  Infections can be serious and even fatal in young children, the elderly or frail, or people with compromised immune systems.  Cancer patients and those undergoing chemotherapy may be at high risk.

Wright County Egg and the FDA urge anyone with eggs involved in the recall not to eat them and either throw them out or return them to the store where they bought them for a refund.  If you think you are sick from eating eggs, call your doctor!

The FDA offers this advice for preparing and eating eggs in general:

• Keep eggs in their shells refrigerated at 45 degrees (Fahrenheit) or lower.
• Never eat raw eggs.
• Throw out dirty or cracked eggs.
• Wash your hands, cooking utensils, and food preparations surfaces thoroughly with soap and water after preparing raw eggs.
• Cook all eggs until both yolks and whites are firm.
• Don’t keep eggs warm or at room temperature more than 2 hours.
• Refrigerate all leftovers containing eggs promptly.
• Avoid estaurant dishes made with raw or undercooked, unpasteurized eggs. Restaurants should use pasteurized eggs in any recipe (such as Hollandaise sauce or Caesar salad dressing) that calls for raw eggs. Ask to be sure.
• Eating raw or undercooked eggs should be avoided, especially by young children, elderly persons, and person with weakened immune systems or debilitating illness.

More information about egg safety from FoodSafety.Gov.

The bill would provide $76.7 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services.  This is $3.8 billion more than last year’s funding level and about $270 million more than the President requested.

For the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the bill would provide $32 billion.  This is an increase of $1 billion over last year’s funding level or about a 3.2% increase and is equal to the President’s request for NIH.  The funding for NIH includes $50 million for the Cures Acceleration Network.

Chairman Obey’s statement identifies NIH funding as one of the bill’s priorities:

“this year’s bill puts the emphasis on translating basic research results into practical and available cures and treatments. Among other things, it permits NIH to use up to $50 million to launch a newly authorized program aimed at that objective, which is called the Cures Acceleration Network.”

For the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the bill would provide nearly $6.8 billion.  This is an increase of $32 million over last year’s funding level and $170 million over the President’s request.  The bill also appropriates an additional $594 million from the Prevention and Public Health Fund to the CDC.

The CDC funding includes:

• $7.6 billion for the Health Resources and Services Administration
• $3.58 billion for the Substance Abuse and the Mental Health Services Administration
• $411 million for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

The Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee is scheduled to consider its funding bill on Thursday.

The popular dips that combine chopped raw veggies and herbs have been implicated in 1 in 25 outbreaks of food poisoning since 1998.

Most of the problem has been in restaurants and delis where 84 percent of salsa or guacamole-associated (SGA) outbreaks were discovered.  Since the dips are prepared in large batches, many customers may be exposed to dangerous bacteria in them.  Lack of refrigeration is also an issue.

About a third of the outbreaks were traced to poor refrigeration, and one in five to food service staff.

Magdalena Kendall, an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education researcher, and her team reviewed all CDC foodborne illness reports looking for ones that had been traced to salsa, guacamole, or pico de gallo.

CDC has kept track of food poisoning outbreaks since 1975, but no there were no salsa or guacamole associated illness until 1984.  From 1984 through 1997 about 1.5 percent of foodborne illnesses were connected to the dips.  Since 1998 that percentage has more than doubled and now is almost 4 percent.

Kendall said,

Fresh salsa and guacamole, especially those served in retail food establishments, may be important vehicles of foodborne infection. Salsa and guacamole often contain diced raw produce including hot peppers, tomatoes and cilantro, each of which has been implicated in past outbreaks.

She continued,

We want restaurants and anyone preparing fresh salsa and guacamole at home to be aware that these foods containing raw ingredients should be carefully prepared and refrigerated to help prevent illness.

People with cancer and those who are receiving chemotherapy may be especially vulnerable to foodborne illness.

The research results were reported at the 2010 International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases being held this week in Atlanta.

Salsa Image by Photographer William Berry

One out of three Americans who needs colorectal cancer screening hasn’t gotten it.

There are 22 million men and women in the US who haven’t had a life-saving test than can prevent colorectal cancer.

But the good news is that screening rates are going up.  In 2000, half of people who should have been screened reported a current test.  Now almost two-thirds have colorectal cancer screening up-to-date

The bad news is that screening rates for the uninsured are almost half those for people with insurance. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 62.9 percent of US adults from 50 to 75 were current with colorectal cancer screening.  They either had a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) in the past year or a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy during the past 10 years.  That’s up from 51.9 percent in 2000.

The figures come from the 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey.  The BRFSS surveyors randomly dial nearly half a million Americans to ask about their health.  In 2008 BRFSS reached over 201,000 adults from age 50 to 75 to ask if they had ever used “a special kit at home to determine whether the stool contains blood (FOBT)” or had a “tube inserted into the rectum to view the colon for signs of cancer or other health problems (sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy)” and when these tests were last done.

Overall US Screening in 2008

• 14.1 percent said they had an FOBT within the past year.
• 58.5 percent had sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy sometime in the past 10 years.
• 62.9 percent had either FOBT or an endoscopy and were up-to-date.

However, screening rates weren’t consistent.  Some groups fell substantially below the national 62.9 percent, particularly those with no health insurance, less than a high school education, or limited income.

There was little difference in rates for men or women or for black or whites.

Health Insurance

• Insured — 65.7 percent
• Not insured — 35.6 percent

Age

• 50 to 59 — 53.9 percent
• 60 to 69 — 71.1 percent
• 70 to 75 — 75.8 percent

Race and Ethnicity

• White — 65.9 percent
• Black– 62.0 percent
• Asian/Pacific Islander — 55.5 percent
• American Indian/Alaskan Native — 54.4 percent
• Non-Hispanic — 64.2 percent
• Hispanic — 49.8 percent

Income

• Less than $15,000 — 47.6 percent
• $15,000 to $34,999 — 54.0 percent
• $35,000 to $49,999 — 61.3 percent
• $50,000 to $74,999 — 72.9 percent

Education

• less than high school — 46.1 percent
• high school graduate — 58.1 percent
• some college/technical school — 63.7 percent
• college graduate –70.6 percent

There are also differences in screening rates among the states with 74 percent of people up-to-date  in 3 northeastern states in Maine, Delaware, and Massachusetts. The lowest rates occurred in the central and western regions in Oklahoma (53 percent), Arkansas (53 percent), and Idaho (54 percent).

The CDC estimates that if current trends in health behaviors, screening, and treatment continue, there should be a 36 percent decrease in the rate of colorectal cancer deaths by 2020.

Led by L.C. Richardson, MD, the CDC team concluded,

CRC screening rates continue to increase in the United States. Underscreening persists for certain racial/ethnic groups, lower socioeconomic groups, and the uninsured.

SOURCE:  Richardson et al., Vital Signs: Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Adults Aged 50–75 Years — United States, 2008, CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, online July 6, 2010.

C3′s Grassroots Action Committee Chair Pam Seijo, Grassroots Action Committee Members Florence Kurttila, Arlene Murphy, and Ed Murphy, along with C3 advocates Patti Hollenback, Cindy Robinson, and Regan Weaver are all participating in the annual One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC) Lobby Day.

Follow us on Twitter @FightCRCAdvocacy for the latest updates from the hill.

During their meetings today, C3 advocates will be asking Congress to support the following funding requests for fiscal year 2011:

• $35.2 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• $5.79 billion for National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• $240 million for the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD)
• $601 million for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cancer programs
• $50 million for CDC’s National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program
• $50 million for CDC’s Colorectal Cancer Screening, Education & Outreach Initiative
• $65 million for CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries
• $2.857 billion for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

This year we have a unique opportunity to demonstrate the tremendous advances made in the fight against cancer thanks to recent increases in federal funding and urging Congress to build on this progress.  Want to help us?  Register today as a C3 advocate and we will keep you posted on future opportunities to make your voice heard in the fight against colorectal cancer.

C3′s Grassroots Action Committee Chair Pam Seijo, Grassroots Action Committee Members Florence Kurttila, Arlene Murphy, and Ed Murphy, along with C3 advocates Patti Hollenback, Cindy Robinson, and Regan Weaver will be heading to Capitol Hill tomorrow to talk to Congress about the importance of increasing federal funding for cancer research and cancer control programs.

Today, the advocates will be getting advice from former Representative Bud Cramer and from a number of Congressional health staff, including:

• Anne Morris, Professional Staff, House Committee on Energy and Commerce
• Jeremy Sharp, Legislative Director, Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT)
• Adrienne Hallett, Professional Staff, Senate Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services

The training the advocates receive today will get them ready to take on Congress tomorrow during meetings with their Senators and Representatives.  C3 is participating in the OVAC Lobby Day along with numerous other cancer advocacy groups.  Interested in learning more about the OVAC coalition?  Check out their website.

The sprouts are sold under the brand names

• Caldwell Fresh Foods in 4-oz plastic cups, 1-lb plastic bags, 2- and 5-lb plastic bags in cardboard boxes with a Caldwell Fresh Foods sticker
• Nature’s Choice in 4-oz plastic cups
• California Exotics brands in 5-oz plastic clam-shell containers

FDA reminds the public that children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems should avoid all kinds of raw sprouts, even those grown at home.

From the FDA:

All consumers and restaurant/delicatessen operators should immediately stop using Caldwell Fresh Foods raw alfalfa sprouts. FDA reminds consumers that children, the elderly, pregnant women and persons with weakened immune systems should avoid eating raw sprouts of any kind (including alfalfa, clover, radish and mung bean sprouts). More information for consumers about avoiding the risks associated with eating sprouts is available. from FoodSafety.Gov.

The Centers for Disease Control are also investigating the outbreak.  More information is available from the CDC.

Important Dates:

• May 12, 2010 – Last day to submit scholarship application
• May 24, 2010 – Last day to register for OVAC Lobby Day
• May 24, 2010 – Last day to reserve a hotel room at the special OVAC rate
• June 16, 2010 – Lobby Day begins at 12:00 PM
• June 17, 2010 – Lobby Day ends at 5:00 PM

Location: The Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel (415 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC  20001)

OVAC has negotiated a discounted room rate of $269 a night at the The Liaison Capitol Hill hotel, and all training sessions will be held at this hotel.

Register today for the OVAC Lobby Day.

During the Lobby Day, you will be going to the hill to ask Members of Congress to support increased funding for cancer research.  Specifically, you will be asking Members to support the following funding requests:

• National Institutes of Health (NIH) – $35.2 billion ($4.2 billion (13.5%) over FY 2010)
• National Cancer Institute (NCI) – $5.79 billion ($691 million (13.5%) over FY 2010)
• National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) – $240 million ($29 million (13.5%) over FY 2010)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (CDC) – $601 million ($126 million (26%) over FY 2010)
• CDC’s National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program – $50 million ($29 million over FY 2010)
• CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries – $65 million ($14 million over FY 2010)
• CDC’s Colorectal Cancer Screening, Education & Outreach Initiative – $50 million ($5 million over FY 2010)
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – $2.857 billion ($500 million (21%) over FY 2010)

This year we have a unique opportunity to demonstrate the tremendous advances made in the fight against cancer thanks to recent increases in federal funding and urging Congress to build on this progress.  Register today to let your voice be heard regarding the importance of increased funding for cancer research.

Register today for the OVAC Lobby Day.

The registration deadline is May 24, 2010.  When you register, you will be asked to select a participant type.  You should select “OVAC Partners” and be sure to identify yourself as a C3 advocate.  If you have any problems with the registration form, or would like additional information about the OVAC Lobby Day please contact Catherine Knowles at Catherine.Knowles@FightCRC.org.

On January 23, 2010 the US Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service announced that the Rhode Island company, Daniele International, was recalling over a million pounds of ready-to-eat Italian sausages, including salami.  The USDA FSIS lists the products being recalled.

The Rhode Island Department of Health found the salmonella Montevideo strain in an open container of black pepper at Daniele, Inc.  That particular brand of pepper is only distributed to Daniele, limiting risk of contamination of foods from other manufacturers.  Daniele is recalling all its products that contain black pepper.

The CDC provides the following information about salmonella infections, which may be of particular worry to people with cancer where chemotherapy has compromised their immune systems and to the elderly.

Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12–72 hours after infection. Infection is usually diagnosed by culture of a stool sample. The illness usually lasts from 4 to 7 days. Although most people recover without treatment, severe infections may occur. Infants, elderly persons, and those with weakened immune systems are more likely than others to develop severe illness. When severe infection occurs, Salmonella may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics.

If you have questions about the recall you can contact the Daniele hotline at (888) 345-4160.

The CDC warns that potentially contaminated products may still be in stores or in home freezers.  Check the list of recalled meats on the USDA FSIS list and either return the package to the store or seal it securely so it cannot be eaten by people or animals and throw it in the trash.

African Water Frog

The Centers for Disease Control are warning of an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium connected with handling water frogs, including African Dwarf Frogs.  More than 50 people, mostly young children, have been diagnosed with the disease since June of 2009.  About one in four have had to go into the hospital, but none has died so far.

The CDC stresses that people with compromised immune systems, including cancer patients on chemotherapy, should avoid handling frogs and reptiles and anything that comes in contact with them like aquariums, habitats, and water.  These animals should not be in households with children under five.

Infections have been discovered in 25 states.  In talking with patients, the CDC found that many had handled the frogs before getting sick.  Bacteria were also found in aquariums housing the frogs in several different places.

The CDC recommends:

• Always wash your hands after handling any amphiphian (like frogs) or reptile (like turtles) or their housing, food, or anything that may have touched them.  Parents should help children with handwashing.
• Be aware of the signs of Salmonella infection such as diarrhea, fever, or abdominal cramps.  Call your health care provider right away if anyone in the family has them.
• People at risk for serious problems with Salmonella infections — children under 5, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems — should not handle frogs or turtles or anything that comes in contact with them.
• Animals that carry Salmonella infection should be kept out of the households of children under 5 and people with weakened immune systems.

Jason A. Bradley took the photograph of the African water frog.