Child in Idaho Has Plague
WEDNESDAY, June 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- A salmonella outbreaklinked to melons and fruit salad mixes continues to expand, say officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
So far, 70 people have been sickened across seven states after eating fruit salad mixes that included pre-cut watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe and cut fruit medley products from the Caito Foods facility in Indianapolis, the CDC said in its update late Tuesday. The company has recalled the products.
Of the 63 patients with available information who became ill between April 30 and June 8, thirty-four have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
Illnesses have been reported in Illinois (7), Indiana (11), Kentucky (1), Michigan (38), Missouri (10), Ohio (2) and Tennessee (1).
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said consumers should not eat the recalled products, which were distributed in Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio.
The products were packaged in clear, plastic clamshell containers and distributed to several major retailers, including Costco, Jay C, Kroger, Pay Less, Owen's, Sprouts, Trader Joe's, Walgreens, Walmart and Whole Foods/Amazon.
People who think they might have a salmonella infection should see a health care provider, the FDA advised.
"There's still a lot to learn about this outbreak, but we're confident that most of the illnesses in this outbreak are linked to pre-cut melon from a facility in Indiana," FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said in an agency news release released earlier this month.
"While we've made important progress, work remains to address the risks and pinpoint the source of the contamination. FDA field staff have sampled the facility and are conducting an inspection that'll help identify the actions the company will need to take to prevent an outbreak from happening again. We will continue to share our progress toward these goals and provide updates as we learn more," Gottlieb said.
-- Robert Preidt
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SOURCES: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, news release, June 19, 2018; U.S. Food and Drug Administration, news release, June 13, 2018
Health Tip: Understanding Mono
(HealthDay News) -- Once you contract mononucleosis, the virus behind it stays in your body, the Nemours Foundation says.
Latest Infectious Disease News
In fact, about 95 percent of adults have the virus inside them, Nemours says.
You won't always be contagious, but symptoms of the virus -- usually Epstein-Barr -- can resurface. Common symptoms include fatigue, fever, muscle pain, headache and sore throat.
Once you're infected, it can take four to seven weeks to have symptoms. But you are prone to infecting others well before then, Nemours says. Many people, despite harboring the virus, never develop symptoms.
After you recover, experts aren't sure for how long you're contagious.
They say the best thing you can do to prevent mono -- or most any germ -- is to wash your hands well and frequently.
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Florida Teen First Human Case of Another Mosquito-Borne Virus
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WEDNESDAY, June 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- The first confirmed human case of Keystone virus has been diagnosed in a Florida teen, but it's likely that infection with the mosquito-borne disease is common among state residents, researchers report.
The virus can cause a rashand mild fever. It's named after the location in the Tampa Bay area where it was first identified in 1964. It has been found in animals along U.S. coastal regions from Texas to the Chesapeake Bay.
University of Florida researchers describe the case of a teenage boy who went to an urgent care clinic in North Central Florida with a rash and fever in August 2016, during the Zika virus epidemic in Florida and the Caribbean.
Tests on the patient were negative for Zika or related viruses, but did reveal Keystone virus infection, according to the study published June 9 in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
"Although the virus has never previously been found in humans, the infection may actually be fairly common in North Florida," said corresponding author Dr. J. Glenn Morris. He is director of the university's Emerging Pathogens Institute.
"It's one of these instances where if you don't know to look for something, you don't find it," he added in a university news release.
According to the study's first author, John Lednicky, "This virus is part of a group commonly known as the California serogroup of viruses." Lednicky is a research professor in the department of environmental and global health and a member of the Emerging Pathogens Institute.
"These viruses are known to cause encephalitis [inflammation of the brain] in several species, including humans," he noted.
The teenager in Florida did not have symptoms of encephalitis. But the study authors reported that the virus grew well in mouse brain cell cultures, which suggests that Keystone can infect brain cells and may pose a risk for brain infections.
While this is the first documented case of Keystone infection in a human, it's long been suspected that such infections occur.
A 1972 article in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene reported Keystone virus antibodies in 19 to 21 percent of the people tested in the Tampa Bay region.
The likelihood that Keystone virus is a common but previously unidentified infection among people in North Florida highlights the need for more research into vector-borne diseases in the United States, Morris said.
"All sorts of viruses are being transmitted by mosquitoes, yet we don't fully understand the rate of disease transmission," he added. "Additional research into the spread of vector-borne diseases will help us shine a light on the pathogens that are of greatest concern to both human and animal health."
-- Robert Preidt
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SOURCE: University of Florida, news release, June 19, 2018
Kellogg's Honey Smacks Cereal Recalled Due to Salmonella Risk
In a news release, the company said it "launched an investigation with the third-party manufacturer who produces Honey Smacks immediately after being contacted by the Food & Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control regarding reported illnesses."FRIDAY, June 15, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- The Kellogg Company announced Thursday it was recalling certain boxes of Honey Smacks cereal due to the possibility of contamination with salmonella.
According to the CDC, 73 illnesses potentially tied to contaminated cereal have been reported across 31 states. Twenty-four people have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported. Illnesses have been reported from May 3 through May 28.
The cereal under recall includes Honey Smacks 15.3 oz. size with the UPC code of 3800039103 (on the bottom of the package) and a Best if Used By Date of JUN 14, 2018, through JUN 14, 2019 (at the top of the package).
Also included are Honey Smacks in the 23 oz. size with the same "Best Before" date and the UPC code of 3800014810.
No other Kellogg products are affected by the recall, and people who find they have purchased one of the recalled products should "discard it and contact the company for a full refund," the company said. The cereal has a shelf life of about a year if left unopened, the FDA noted.
More details can be found at Kellogg's website.
The FDA issued its own news release on the recall, with agency commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb saying that the recalled cereal has been linked to "an outbreak of illnesses across the country."
"The FDA has already initiated an inspection of the facility that we believe is linked to the salmonella contamination," he said. "We'll continue to work with Kellogg to identify not only the source of the contamination, but the actions needed to prevent this kind of outbreak from happening again."
The FDA said it is also requesting that all retailers who sell Honey Smacks to "immediately put up signs that Honey Smacks cereal has been recalled and to remove the potentially contaminated product from shelves."
Salmonella can trigger serious illness, and can even be fatal for children, frail or elderly people and people with weakened immune systems. Illnesses typically last four to seven days, with symptoms including fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
-- E.J. Mundell
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SOURCES: June 14, 2018, news releases, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Kelloggs Co.
Child in Idaho Has Plague
A child in Idaho has been diagnosed with the plague and people need to be on alert for the potentially fatal disease, state health officials said Tuesday.
The child -- from Elmore County, located between Twin Falls and Boise -- is only the fifth person to be infected with the bacterial disease in Idaho since 1940, the Idaho State Journal reported.
The last human case in the state was in 1992, but the disease has appeared in pets and wildlife in recent years in Idaho.
The child is recovering, but no additional information on the youngster's conditions or identity was provided by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
The department said the child recently returned from a trip to Oregon, but it's not known whether the youngster contracted the plague in that state or in Idaho, the Journal reported.
"The case serves as a reminder to recreationists in southern Idaho that plague is dangerous to people and pets, but with proper awareness, precautions and prompt treatment when needed, plague should not discourage you from enjoying the Idaho outdoors," state health officials said in a news release.
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