In case you haven’t been keeping up with the news, you might want to be wary of your eggs. There may be bacteria lurking in your eggs Benedict due to a recent suspected salmonella contamination at Hillandale Farms and Wright County Eggs in Galt, Iowa.

Wright County Eggs issued the initial recall nearly two weeks ago (Aug. 13) when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration alerted the company of salmonella contamination at one of its farms. The FDA encountered salmonella enteritidis during a routine inspection, at which point the company voluntarily sounded the alarms.

Salmonella bacteria can cause infections that may result in fever, nausea/vomiting, chills, muscle cramps and pain, and/or diarrhea. Symptoms usually pass within a few days, but can last much longer in children and people with weakened immune systems. Salmonella is more likely to be found in undercooked eggs or those stored above 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

As of now, there may be as many as 1,500 cases of food poisoning related to contaminated eggs. Wright County Eggs cautions consumers to be on the lookout for the following:

Eggs sold under the brands Lucerne, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Albertson, Sunshine, Hillandale, Farm Fresh, Trafficanda, Lund, Shoreland, Kemps and Dutch Farms.

Six-, eight-, or 18-egg cartons with labels starting with the letter P; containing code numbers 1026, 1413 or 1946, and Julian dates between 136 and 225. A label would appear as “P-(Code Number)-(Julian Date)”

The recall only affects shell eggs,  and Wright County Eggs assures consumers that its other egg products are safe. The company continues to work with the FDA to investigate possible sources of contamination. They have further taken steps to destroy any potentially affected eggs.

In the meantime, you can keep up with the latest egg updates from the Egg Safety Center or the Food and Drug Administration.

Nearly 140,000 people are diagnosed with leukemia each year in the U.S. Leukemia is the most common type of cancer found in children, including Shannon Tavarez, the 11-year-old who plays Nala in Broadway’s “The Lion King”.

Shannon suffers from a rare type of leukemia known as acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Early symptoms of the disease—fever, fatigue, paleness, bone and joint pain, and infections—are easy to confuse with more run-of-the-mill illnesses like a cold or the flu. That’s what Shannon’s mother thought.

“I started noticing she was very tired and fatigued, and it wasn’t normal,” Shannon’s mother, Odiney Brown, told ABC News. “The day we found out, we immediately admitted our lives had just changed completely.”

AML can quickly go from bad to worse. In order to recover, Shannon will need a bone marrow transplant, and like so many others with the condition, she now struggles to find a donor. Finding an exact match won’t be easy, either, because Shannon is African American and Hispanic—two highly underrepresented donor groups.

Even in the event that a donor is found, it is likely that Shannon will need additional treatment. “It is generally an aggressive disease that requires chemotherapy,” Shannon’s doctor, Dr. Barbara Asselin of Golisano Children’s Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center, told ABC News. “The first hurdle is to see if we can achieve a remission in the bone marrow and don’t see any more leukemia cells.”

Asselin says the chances of recovery are less than other forms of childhood leukemia, but that she remains optimistic about a cure. For now, Shannon is trying to enjoy life as a normal 11-year-old girl, watching movies at home and chatting online with friends between treatments.

Read more from ABC, or find out how to become a donor through the National Marrow Donor Program.

You may want to skip the salad bar this week. The FDA announced a recall on lettuce from Freshway Foods due to an outbreak of E. coli in 23 states.

The recall was issued about a week ago when Freshway reported that products with romaine lettuce may be contaminated with E. coli, a type of bacteria that dwell in the intestines.

Some strands destroyed by stomach acid are safe, but other varieties of E. coli found in contaminated food and water can cause infections that lead to severe diarrhea, cramping, bloody stools, and in severe cases organ damage and/or kidney failure.

According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of E. coli usually pass within a week for healthy adults, but can last much longer for children and people with weak immune systems. Drinking lots of water can help offset dehydration, but if symptoms persist doctors recommend seeking immediate medical attention.

"We are voluntarily issuing this recall because we want to do everything possible to minimize risk to public health," Freshway Foods president Phil Gilardi said in an FDA press release.

"(We are) committed to our consumers,” he says. “We practice strict food safety guidelines to ensure that our products are as safe as possible, and we will continue to look for opportunities for improvement."

The recall included products sold primarily to restaurants, salad bars, delis, etc. Bulk products and “prepackaged romaine or bagged salad mixes containing romaine for sale in supermarkets”, however, are safe.

Hey, it’s an excuse to grab a slice of pizza, right?

Get more details from the FDA’s press release, or read more at MSNBC.

Keeping the kids home from daycare when there's a bug going around won't necessarily stave off sickness, according to an article on Health Day. Guidelines from AAP and APHA say it's safe for children to go to daycare despite minor illnesses.

Kids share everything, including germs. When there’s something going around at daycare, the temptation to kids home can be too much. Daycare providers often choose to send mildly ill children home so they don’t spread it to others, but their extra efforts may be useless.

“By the time (children) start showing symptoms, the cat’s already out of the bag,” study author Dr. Andrew Hashikawa of the Medical College of Wisconsin told Health Day. By then, chances are the bug has already spread.

The survey included responses of 305 directors of metro daycare facilities in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Surveyors from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Public Health Association (APHA) briefly described five different illnesses—a cold, conjunctivitis (pink eye), stomachache, fever, and a scalp infection—to directors of childcare facilities to test their knowledge of excluding sick children from daycare.

Based on AAP/APHA guidelines, none of these situations should result in exclusion from daycare, but directors would send as many as 4 out of 5 children home. Although the state has promoted exclusion guidelines to childcare facilities since the nineties, only 38 percent of these directors were aware of the AAP/APHA’s exclusion guidelines.

“If the directors of child care facilities and centers are well-educated and understand the recommended guidelines, then it’s fairly clear which children should stay and which should go home,” Hashikawa said. “This study highlights the need for ongoing training.”

Read the original story on Health Day, or check out AAP/APHA’s book of guidelines on managing ill children in a daycare or school setting.

Today is Save a Spider Day! These eight-legged little creatures will be making their way out as the weather gets warmer, so keep an eye out for them. Spring and summer are prime time for spiders, and this is when people experience bites the most.


Spider bites resemble mosquito bites—swelling, redness and irritation—unless they are from the black widow or brown recluse spiders. Venom from these types tends to cause more severe reactions.

Black widow venom causes fever, severe pain and stiffness, but these symptoms may not appear for a few hours. A brown recluse bite has similar symptoms, but is most distinguished by a large, fluid-filled blister. When the blister drains, it leaves the victim with a gaping ulcer. These bites have been known to cause death in very rare cases, but are otherwise easily treated. Contrary to popular belief, most spider bites are harmless.

Use these tips from Mayo Clinic to minimize spider bite discomfort:

Identify the Spider
Knowing what type of spider bit you will help you properly treat the bite. Some spider bites, such as those of a recluse, are more serious than others and may require immediate medical attention.

Clean the Wound
Infection is one of the most common complications of a spider bite, and can be worse than the bite itself. Use soap and water or a cleansing solution to disinfect the area. Applying antibiotic ointment will provide further protection against infections.

Keep It Cool
Applying a cold compress can help ease some of the discomfort of a bite. It will reduce swelling, as well as soothe itchiness or burning. A cold, wet cloth or bag of ice will also do.

Isolate the Area
In the event of a black widow or brown recluse bite, cut off circulation from the affected area by cinching with a belt or tie. This will help stop the spread of venom until medical assistance arrives.

Stay Alert
On rare occasions, a person may experience a severe allergic reaction to spider bites known as anaphylactic shock. Shock can cause the throat and nasal passageways to close, making it difficult to breathe. Nausea, rapid heartbeat, dizziness and low blood pressure are other symptoms. Call 911 as soon as possible. In most cases, doctors will administer an injection of epinephrine to stop the reaction.

While bites and cobwebs are at the top of our list of gripes against spiders, they do play an important role in human wellbeing. In addition to keeping disease-carrying insects at bay, the common house spider has been known to eat more dangerous varieties.

Spider venom is also used to produce medicine for treating stroke. Keep that in mind the next time a spider gives you a case of the creepy crawlies and save a spider!

Your showerhead may be home to some very dangerous bacteria. A new study from the University of Colorado at Boulder may have you cringing rather than singing in the shower. People with compromised immune systems may want to take a bath.

Researchers studying the microbiology of water systems at 45 sites in seven different states across the U.S. found unusually high levels of bacteria in showerheads—almost 100 times more than any other place in the home. Although bacteria levels were high in all showerheads, some sample sites in the New York City and Denver areas had large amounts of Mycobacterium avium, a relative of the bacteria that causes tuberculosis and leprosy.

“If you’re getting a face full of water when you first turn your shower on, that means you are probably getting a particularly high load of Mycobacterium avium,” says study author Norman Pace, professor of biology at the University of Colorado.

Mycobacteria are found in soil, water, and decaying matter. Certain Mycobacteria, such as Mycobactrium avium, can cause digestive, lymphatic, and pulmonary infections. In the shower, these bacteria are delivered as aerosols. Particles are small enough to get into the lungs, and when inhaled or swallowed, can lead to a host of pulmonary problems.

The study, part of a bigger study that began as a class project, used DNA barcode testing to extract rRNA (bacterial DNA) from different parts of the shower and showerhead. Researchers sampled water flowing from the showerhead and obtained swab samples from the inside of the showerhead. Finally, samples were collected from water flowing out of the pipe after the showerhead was removed.

Homes with well water systems did not have Mycobacteria in their showerheads, a factor authors believe may be due to Mycobacteria’s chlorine resistance. Although they suggest that bathing may be safer, researchers assure that it’s not dangerous to shower.

“We did see some organisms that might be of concern if you have immune issues (such as) cystic fibrosis, AIDS, recent organ transplant, substance abuse, or are pregnant or otherwise immune compromised,” the authors wrote.

Click for more information on pulmonary disease.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization are closely monitoring the outbreaks of a new type of swine flu in the United States and Mexico to avert a potential flu pandemic. The outbreak has killed at least 16 people in Mexico and infected eight people in the United States. All the American cases have recovered. 

The new strain of flu virus is unusual because it contains gene segments from swine, bird, and human flu virus strains. It is believed that some infections were transmitted from person to person instead of from pigs

On Friday, Mexico City health officials closed schools across the city, urged people with flu symptoms to stay home from work, and encouraged people to take precautions such as regular hand washing.

Health officials have warned for many years that new flu virus strains such as the current one could precipitate a global flu pandemic, which could kill millions of people. The pandemic of 1918-19 resulted in at least 40 million deaths worldwide.

The CDC has not yet recommended against traveling to Mexico. The current season’s flu vaccine does not protect against the new swine flu virus but the CDC is apparently working on a swine flu vaccine. People cannot catch swine flu from eating pork or pork products.

Have a question about swine flu? Ask the medical students at Healia Communities.


_{Photo: treehouse1977, Flickr, Creative Commons}

In its annual report "Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, 2007," the CDC finds that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are on the rise in the U.S. In addition, the CDC points out that these diseases continue to take a disproportionately heavy toll on women and racial minorities.

The report finds that the number of cases of the most common STD chlamydia climbed to an all-time high of more than 1.1 million in 2007, equal to a rate of 370 cases per 100,000 people, up 7.5 percent from the previous year. While this increase is concerning, CDC researchers note that the increase may be at least partially explained by increased testing due to federal guidelines that recommend STD screening  for sexually active women age 25 and under. The percentage of young women being tested for the infection rose by more than ten percent between 2003 and 2007.

On the other hand, the number of reported cases still vastly underestimates the true number of people infected with chlamydia each year; according to experts, the actual number of cases may be closer to 3 million. The number of cases of gonorrhea held steady from 2006 to 2007 at around 350,000 cases, but as with chlamydia, experts believe the true number of cases may be much higher.

The reason so many cases of gonorrhea and chlamydia go unreported is that they often have no obvious symptoms, but they can lead to complications if left untreated. While both chlamydia and gonorrhea are easily treatable with antibiotics, up to 40 percent of women with untreated gonorrhea or chlamydia infections may develop pelvic inflammatory disease, a condition that causes 50,000 women to become infertile each year. Untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea can also cause ectopic pregnancy, chronic pelvic pain, and other serious health problems.

What’s more, while these diseases can infect men, women make up an estimated three-quarters of all chlamydia cases and they have a higher risk of getting gonorrhea than men. Infected men may also show no symptoms of an infection and may unknowingly pass the diseases on to their sexual partners.

According to the report, syphilis, a disease once on the verge of being eradicated, is making a comeback, with the number of U.S. cases up 15 percent from 2006 to 2007. While the overall number of syphilis infections remains low (around 12,000 cases in 2007), gay and bisexual men represent 65 percent of those cases according to the CDC. Syphilis can be treated easily in the early stages, but if left untreated it can progress to cause serious, even fatal complications such as strokes.

Huge racial disparities also exist in STD cases. While African Americans represent around 12 percent of the U.S. population, in 2007 blacks accounted for about 70 percent of reported gonorrhea cases and almost half of all chlamydia and syphilis cases (48 percent and 46 percent respectively). According to the CDC, this is likely related to the high rate of poverty among blacks, as studies have shown one of the most important social determinants of sexual health to be socioeconomic status.

When they do occur, symptoms of gonorrhea in men include a burning sensation when urinating, or a white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis, sometimes accompanied by painful or swollen testicles. chlamydia symptoms are similar: some men may also feel a burning during urination or have a discharge. In women, in the rare cases in which symptoms of gonorrhea do occur they are mild and may include painful or burning sensation when urinating, increased vaginal discharge, or vaginal bleeding between periods. chlamydia symptoms in women may cause pain in their lower abdomen or notice a burning sensation or a pus-like discharge during urination.

The CDC recommends annual chlamydia screening for all sexually active women under 26 years old, and supports U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations to screen high-risk, sexually active women for gonorrhea. For more information about STDs, visit the CDCs STD Web site. IF you have questions about STDs but are too shy to ask them in person, join the Healia Health Community for STDs and ask the community, or ask the experts on Healia Health Communities.


_{Photo: trec_lit, Flickr, Creative Commons}

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is searching for the source of a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened nearly 400 people in 42 states so far. The CDC has not released the list of states affected nor have they provided any information about what foods may be spreading the Salmonella bacteria.

Federal health officials say that at least 388 people have contracted the same strain of Salmonella since September which has sent about 70 people to the hospital. No deaths have been reported. Other sources report that Ohio, California, and Georgia are among the states affected.

The Department of Agriculture, state health officials and the Food and Drug Administration are also involved in the investigation.

Salmonella infections are relatively common, affecting approximately 40,000 people every year in the United States, in this case all 388 people were sickened by the same strain of the bacterium, Salmonella typhimurium, as determined by genetic fingerprinting. The CDC says this type of is most common in contaminated poultry, cheese, and eggs.

Most people infected with salmonella develop fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea between 12 and 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment. Infants, the elderly, and people with chronic illnesses are at the highest risk for complications.

The CDC is likely to conduct a thorough investigation before naming any foods that could be affected. In the summer of 2008, the CDC announced that tomatoes were the likely cause of a large Salmonella outbreak, only to announce later that the major cause of the outbreak was actually jalapeño and serrano peppers.

Until a cause of the outbreak is confirmed, the CDC recommends that you thoroughly cook all meats, poultry, and eggs, as well as cautioning you to avoid consuming raw or unpasteurized milk and other dairy products. Produce should be thoroughly washed as well, especially if it is eaten raw. Wash your hands frequently when preparing food and don’t use the same utensils or cookware to hold both raw and cooked meat and poultry unless they have been thoroughly washed.

For more information about Salmonella, join the Healia Health Community for Salmonella Infections.

Related blog post: The 4 Most Common Causes of Foodborne Disease


_{Photo: CDC/Janice Haney Carr, Public Health Image Library}

"Food poisoning” or foodborne disease sickens an estimated 76 million people each year in the United States. That means nearly one in every four people is sickened each year by exposure to through contaminated food or drink. But what are the most common causes of foodborne diseases?

Many cases of food poisoning are actually caused by infectious organisms. There are actually around 250 disease causing organisms that can sicken people when they are consumed. Foodborne disease can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Some diseases are caused by toxins from disease-causing microbes while others are caused by the human body’s reactions to the microbe itself. Other diseases are true poisonings, caused by harmful toxins or chemicals that have contaminated the food, such as poisonous mushrooms.

While there are several possible causes of foodborne illness, four microbes are responsible for the majority of all foodborne illness in the United States. Worldwide, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, and cholera are still common foodborne diseases, but improvements in food safety and vaccination have virtually eradicated these diseases in the United States.

The 4 most common causes of foodborne illness in the United States are:

• Campylobacter. This bacterium causes fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is the most commonly identified bacterial cause of diarrheal illness in the world. Campylobacter bacteria live in the intestines of birds and most raw poultry harbors the bacteria. Eating undercooked chicken or food that has been contaminated with raw chicken juice is the most frequent source of Campylobacter infection. 


• Salmonella. This bacterium is also widespread in the intestines of birds, along with reptiles and mammals. It can spread to humans via a variety of foods of animal origin, but raw or undercooked chicken is a major source of infection. Like Campylobacter, Salmonella also tends to cause fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps, but in people with underlying health problems or weakened immune systems it can invade the bloodstream (bacteremia) and become life threatening. 


• E. coli. E coli is a bacterium that lives in the intestines of cattle and other similar animals, including humans. There are many strains of E. coli bacteria but only certain types cause illness. The strain that is responsible for most cases of foodborne illness in people is called E. coli O157:H7. In humans, exposure usually occurs through consumption of food or water that has been contaminated with microscopic amounts of cow feces. The illness that occurs is often a severe and bloody diarrhea and painful abdominal cramps, without a fever (or with a very low-grade fever). In up to 5 percent of cases, a complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) develops several weeks after the initial symptoms.  HUS causes temporary anemia, profuse bleeding, and kidney failure and may lead to death.


• Norovirus. Also known as calicivirus, Norwalk virus, or Norwalk-like virus, norovirus is an extremely common cause of foodborne illness. However, due to the lack of a widely-available diagnostic test, the disease is often suspected but rarely diagnosed. It causes an acute gastrointestinal illness, usually with more vomiting than diarrhea, which tends to resolve within two days. Unlike the other foodborne pathogens listed above, it is believed that norovirus spreads primarily from one infected person to another via food they have touched, instead of through animals. Infected kitchen workers can contaminate a salad or sandwich as they prepare it, if they have the virus on their hands. Thus, large outbreaks of norovirus are common in places with central eating locations such as cruise ships, schools, and even hospitals.

For more information about foodborne illness, see the UDSA’s Food Safety Information Center or the CDC’s Food Safety Office. If you have questions about foodborne illness, ask the people in the Healia Health Community for E. Coli Infections or the Healia Health Community for Salmonella Infections, or ask an expert at Healia Health Communities.


_{Source: CDC – Foodborne illness, Jan 2005. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/foodborneinfections_g.htm#mostcommon}

_{Photo: [n], Flickr, Creative Commons}