I asked our AI friends – What are the pros and cons of replacing FDA Commissioner Makary with me – here is the response? This is a very timely question — Makary resigned as FDA Commissioner today, May 12, 2026, amid reports of internal tensions and policy clashes, with the vaping dispute reportedly being a […]
On September 2, 2011, the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE) announced that it was investigating an outbreak of Listeriosis. By September 9, CDPHE had determined that the likely source of the Listeria outbreak was cantaloupe; on September 12, the public health agency stated that the cantaloupe had been grown in the […]
Boar’s Head Liverwurst samples positive in Maryland and New York. The CDC reports this morning that epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback data show that meats sliced at deli counters, including Boar’s Head brand liverwurst, are contaminated with Listeria and are making people sick. As of August 8, a total of 43 people infected with the outbreak […]
14 known sick with 1 death in Montana – but how many more and where are they? On July 25th, the Flathead City-County Health Department (FCCHD) and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) received confirmatory testing results of clinical and food samples verifying ground beef as the exposure of concern. Specifically, […]
According to Food Safety News and the FDA’s Outbreak page, the FDA is investigating two new outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. One outbreak is from Salmonella Newport, and the other is from Cyclospora cayetanensis. The FDA has not yet identified a source of the pathogens. So far, each outbreak has two confirmed patients. For the Cyclospora […]
Exposure to the hepatitis A virus (“HAV”) can cause an acute infection of the liver that is typically mild and resolves on its own.[1] The symptoms and duration of illness vary a great deal, with many persons showing no symptoms at all.[2] Fever and jaundice are two of the symptoms most commonly associated with HAV infection.[3] Throughout […]
Shigellosis, also known as bacillary dysentery, is the infectious disease caused by the Shigella bacteria. Most who are infected with Shigella develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps starting a day or two after exposure. The diarrhea is often bloody. Shigellosis usually resolves in 5 to 7 days. In some persons, especially young children and the elderly, the diarrhea can […]
Listeria is a gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium that is ubiquitous and can grow under either anaerobic (without oxygen) or aerobic (with oxygen) conditions. A. The Prevalence of Listeria in Food and the Environment Listeriosis is one of the most important bacterial infections worldwide that arises mainly from the consumption of contaminated food.[1] The disease is caused by Listeria monocytogenes, which is considered […]
There are two Salmonella species: Salmonella enterica (S. enterica) and Salmonella bongori (S. bongori). S. bongori strains predominantly colonize cold-blooded reptiles, whereas S. enterica strains are capable of infecting both humans and mammals.[1] Based on factors such as morphology, structure, mode of reproduction, and other criteria, the two species are further classified into subgroups called serotypes or serovars. More than 2,600 serotypes have been described for Salmonella, […]
E. coli is an archetypal commensal bacterial species that lives in mammalian intestines. E. coli O157:H7 is one of thousands of serotypes Escherichia coli.[1] The combination of letters and numbers in the name of the E. coli O157:H7 refers to the specific antigens (proteins which provoke an antibody response) found on the body and tail or flagellum[2]respectively and distinguish it from other […]
I just got asked that via email and did not have a ready answer. So, I asked AI: If you have listeria-contaminated meat, it is important to handle it properly to prevent the spread of the bacteria. Here are some steps you can take to dispose of the contaminated meat safely: 1. **Seal the meat**: […]
1. The Flathead City-County Health Department (FCCHD) and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) continue to work together to investigate an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak originating in Flathead County.2. On July 25th, FCCHD and DPHHS received confirmatory testing results of clinical and food samples verifying ground beef as the exposure of […]
Lawsuit filed against Gunsight Saloon. Lower Valley Processing to be joined. The Flathead City-County Health Department (FCCHD) and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) continue to work to investigate an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak originating in Flathead County. On July 25th, FCCHD and DPHHS received confirmatory testing results of clinical and food samples […]
According to the Daily Inter Lake, Lower Valley Processing is voluntarily recalling all non-intact, raw products — like ground beef — produced from animals slaughtered on June 5 after being linked to an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. According to the paper, Meat from the processing facility was sent to local restaurants, where several people became […]
As of July 2, a total of 449 people infected with one of the outbreak strains of Salmonella Africana and Salmonella Braenderup have been reported from 31 states and the District of Columbia. Of these illnesses, 215 people were infected with the newly added Salmonella Braenderup strain. Illnesses started on dates ranging from March 11, […]