Archive for May, 2008

OHIO: Health inspections - (The Gazette)

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

For the complete list of restaurant health inspection results, please visit http://wp2.medina-gazette.com/2008/05/31/health-inspections/health-inspections-6/

CANADA: Food safety snafu; St. John’s resident claims he found fishhook in McCain’s potato - (The Independent)

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

David Manuel and his 12-year-old son Josh were having a Victoria Day cookout on the Southside Hills May 17, when Josh discovered a surprise inside his baked potato — a barbed fishhook. David Manuel was quoted as saying, “It (was from) a 15-pound bag of McCain’s russet potatoes. And it says ...

PENNSYLVANIA: Raw milk raw deal for many consumers - (Lebanon Daily News)

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

Dr. Stephen Ostroff, director, Bureau of Epidemiology, Pennsylvania Department of Health writes that in light of recent discussions pertaining to raw-milk health issues, the Pennsylvania Department of Health continues to advise consumers that raw milk is an inherently unsafe product regardless of how it is produced. While the permitting process ...

Iraqi, American death tolls drop in May

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

The number of deaths among Iraqi civilians, police and insurgents fell sharply from April to May, according to data from the Iraqi government, and the monthly death toll for American troops so far would be the lowest since 2004.

SOUTH KOREA braces for rally against US beef - (Associated Press)

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean riot police were bracing Saturday for what could be the largest anti-government protest during weeks of rallies against an agreement to resume imports of U.S. beef. Some 2,500 people gathered at a protest site in central Seoul, with thousands more expected to join them after ...

Tropical storm forms near Belize

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

Tropical Storm Arthur, the first named storm of the 2008 Atlantic season, formed Saturday near the coast of Belize, the National Hurricane Center said.

Official: Afghan forces kill 100 militants

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

Afghan security forces, aided by coalition troops, killed 100 suspected Taliban militants in a two-day operation in southwestern Afghanistan, the Interior Ministry said Saturday.

Honduras jet crash kills 5

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

Five people died and more than 80 were injured when a commercial airliner overshot the runway into an adjoining street, crushing three vehicles and splitting into three sections before resting a few feet from a house, officials said.

Iraqi-U.S. security talks worry Shiites, Sunnis

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

Some Shiite and Sunni Muslim leaders in Iraq — able to agree on little else — are united in their opposition to a prospective long-term security agreement between their country’s government and the United States.

Zimbabwe army: Vote for Mugabe or quit

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

Read full story for latest details.

Race against time to drain ‘quake lake’

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

Chinese soldiers and engineers were urgently trying to dig a spillway from an earthquake-created lake Saturday that is threatening to burst its banks in the central Chinese county of Beichuan.

Thai PM threatens forces on protesters

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

Thailand’s prime minister has warned he may send in police and soldiers to disperse several hundred people who have been staging an around-the-clock protest in Bangkok for the past six days.

U.S.: Myanmar delays cost ‘thousands of lives’

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

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Blast kills 1, injures 16 in Gaza City

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

An explosion inside the Gaza City home of a Hamas member killed at least one person and wounded 16 others Saturday, a Palestinian security force official said.

China says nearly 200,000 evacuated

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

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Honduras jet crash kills 7

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

Seven people died and more than 80 were injured when a commercial airliner overshot the runway into an adjoining street, crushing three vehicles and splitting into three sections before resting a few feet from a house, officials said.

Argentine farmers say no to tax changes

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

Farmers on Friday moved quickly to reject President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner’s tax concessions made a day earlier.

ECB set to mark 10 years

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

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U.S., Libya discussing terrorism settlement

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

Negotiations between the United States and Libya that could result in compensation for past acts of state-sponsored terrorism by Libya are under way, a senior State Department official said Friday.

Airliner skids onto busy city street

Friday, May 30th, 2008

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Burden of acute gastrointestinal illness in CANADA, 1999-2007: Interim summary of NSAGI activities - (Public Health Agency of Canada)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

Introduction The National Studies on Acute Gastrointestinal Illness (NSAGI) initiative was designed to generate baseline period prevalence rates of self-reported AGI in communities across Canada, assess the burden associated with AGI, and quantify the under-reporting of AGI in Canada’s national enteric disease reporting systems. For the complete research article, please visit http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/ccdr-rmtc/08vol34/dr-rm3405b-eng.php ...

K-STATE: Professor brings expertise - (Manhattan Mercury)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

Kansas State University’s newest Regents distinguished professor, Juergen Richt, specializes in diseases that can be transferred from animals to humans and vice versa. Most recently, he has been working with influenza viruses in swine and avian. Richt, Regents distinguished professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, spoke at the university’s bioscience ...

K-STATE gives peek at Biosecurity Research Institute - (Manhattan Mercury)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

The Kansas State University Biosecurity Research Institute invited media from across the state to the two-year-old facility Wednesday to meet with some of its top researchers in the bioscience departments about current and future research projects. Dozens of researchers work at the BRI throughout the year and several were available during ...

ABU DHABI: Food safety campaign to continue - (gulfnews.com)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

Abu Dhabi — Naming the food outlets closed for violating safety standards since last month has not deterred other errant players in the sector, Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) told Gulf News. “We closed down six food outlets from May 4 to May 21 for violating the rules and regulations ...

UTAH Wendy’s E. coli O121:H19 outbreak litigation settled today - (Marler Blog)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

After nearly two years of work, we were able to settle today the last severe E. coli O121:H19 Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) cases related to illnesses stemming in part from a teachers’ conference luncheon in June 2006. According to the Weber-Morgan Health Department (WMHD), at least three attendees had contracted ...

DETROIT: Hepatitis A concerns surround Farmington Hills Papa Romano’s - (freep.com)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

The Oakland County Health Division is asking anyone who ate uncooked items at Farmington Hills Papa Romano’s between May 17 and May 23 to contact their doctor immediately, after a restaurant employee has been diagnosed with Hepatitis A. The restaurant is located at 22310 Middlebelt Road. People exposed to Hepatitis A can ...

SEATTLE hospitals pledge to make food better - (Seattle Pi)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

Eight Seattle area hospitals have promised to change their food to make it healthier for patients, staff and visitors. The hospitals signed a Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge which “redefines healthy food beyond nutrition to include community and environmental health,” said Holly Freishtat, Sustainable Food Specialist for Washington Physicians for ...

FLORIDA: Space Florida and SPACEHAB, Inc. to send validation of validation of salmonella vaccine target to the space station on upcoming mission of space shuttle Discovery - (Space Florida)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A partnership between Space Florida and SPACEHAB’s new biotech subsidiary BioSpace Technologies Inc. paves the way to develop multiple vaccine targets on the International Space Station (ISS). “This new space age microgravity process is already revealing new opportunities in the development of life-saving biomedicines within Florida’s new ...

UK: Update on Bantry Bay Seafood mussels - (Food Standards Agency)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

The Food Standards Agency is warning against eating a further Bantry Bay Seafoods frozen mussels product because it may contain AZP (Azaspiracid Shellfish Poisoning toxins), which are known to cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and stomach cramps. AZP are naturally occurring marine biotoxins that are believed to be responsible for a number ...

Soldiers in Guinea get overdue backpay

Friday, May 30th, 2008

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IOWA: Cases of shigellosis increase in Scott County - (Quad-City Times)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

The number of shigellosis cases in Scott County has increased dramatically over the past few weeks, according to health department officials. Typically, five cases are reported monthly, but there have been 22 cases so far in May. The illness, a type of bacterial dysentery, is a stomach infection caused by the shigella ...

US beef imports set to resume in S Korea but finding it in stores may prove difficult - (International Herald Tribune)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea was cited as saying it will start allowing American beef back into the country, defying weeks of public protests and fulfilling a pledge made to the United States, but will anyone be willing — or even able — to buy it? Amid daily street demonstrations ...

UK: Incidents report published - (Food Standards Agency)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) today publishes its second Annual Report of Incidents. The new report shows how many food incidents the Agency handled in 2007 and what action was taken to protect consumers. New data in the report says that the Agency handled 1,312 investigations into food incidents in 2007, ...

NEW YORK: NYS first in the nation to reach food safety milestone - (Yeshiva World News)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

Governor David A. Paterson today announced that New York is the first state in the nation to meet, and in many areas exceed, nationally recognized food protection program standards set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). New York was among five states asked by the federal government to ...

CALIFORNIA: Restaurant inspection violations: Week ending May 30 - (OC Register)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

Restaurants’ permits can be suspended for any one of a number of major violations. During suspensions, the eateries must remain closed. Suspensions are lifted after inspectors confirm the violations have been corrected. Permit status taken from Orange County Health Care Agency Web site. See foodinspections.ocgov.com/closures/ for complete listings.

EUROPE: Camembert tests `raw’ rule in appellation d’origine - (Bloomberg.com)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

Larger industrial makers of Camembert cheese have, according to this story, asked the government to extend the Appellation d’Origine Controlee designation — France’s gastronomic stamp of approval — to Camembert made from pasteurized milk, saying it’s safer. Pasteurizing does away with the need for repeated tests for bacteria, and the ...

ABSTRACT: Evaluation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 internationalization into romaine lettuce tissues and detection of metabolic changes of internalized bacteria in response to bioavailable carbon using developed bioluminescent assay - (Purdue University)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

E. coli O157:H7 has been identified as the causative agent of food-borne illnesses associated with bagged lettuces and spinach. It is hypothesized that the acts of processing, the environment within bagged leafy greens, and exposure to temperatures above 4°C can work in concert to promote the persistence and growth of ...

WISCONSIN: Officials not sure what caused 50 hotel guests to fall ill - (Gannett and Wisconsin Newspapers)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

MADISON, Wis.–Madison health officials are, according to this story, still investigating why dozens of visitors fell sick this weekend while attending a science-fiction convention. Officials with Dane County and the Madison Public Health Department were cited as saying the illness that struck about 50 people still hasn’t been identified. Investigators say the ...

Airliner overshoots runway in Honduras

Friday, May 30th, 2008

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TAIWAN: 59% of dried bean curd contaminated: CF - (The China Post)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

TAIPEI, Taiwan–Fifty-nine percent of dried bean curd sampled by the Consumers’ Foundation (CF) contained hydrogen peroxide, the foundation said yesterday, citing results from its survey. The study, which sampled 22 dried bean curd products from 20 traditional markets in Taipei and Taoyuan, showed 13 of them, or 59 percent, contained hydrogen ...

NEW YORK’S tap water - (The New York Times)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

Emily Lloyd and Thomas R. Frieden, commissioners of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, respectively, write regarding, “A Fountain on Every Corner” (Op-Ed, May 23), to say that Elizabeth Royte rightly identifies the many virtues of New York City’s tap ...

SOUTH TEXAS health officials urge handwashing more often - (MySA.com)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

An outbreak of diarrheal illness in Bexar and other South Texas counties has prompted public health alerts to parents, teachers and school administrators to make sure children and their caregivers wash their hands thoroughly and often, and that sick children be kept home. At least 67 lab-confirmed cases of shigellosis, commonly ...

MINNESOTA: Food illness not linked to pizza restaurant - (Alexandria Echo Press)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

An e-mail about a potential food-borne illness in Alexandria last week spread more quickly than the real thing would have. And as it turned out, the restaurant that the e-mail said was initially linked to the outbreak, Godfather’s Pizza, had nothing to do with the illness. The e-mail was intended to be ...

AUSTRALIA: Hepatitis linked to Melbourne café - (The Age/ABC News/)

Friday, May 30th, 2008

Five people have been struck down with Hepatitis A in an outbreak traced to a café in Melbourne’s city centre. Victoria’s Department of Human Services was cited as saying the outbreak has been linked to a food handler at the Zanzibar Café in Latrobe Street, who also worked part time as ...

Worshippers shot dead at Yemen mosque

Friday, May 30th, 2008

A man opened fire at a Shiite mosque Friday in northern Yemen, killing seven and wounding 11, state-run news agency SABA said.

Japanese homeless woman evicted from closet

Friday, May 30th, 2008

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The Beatles: Two days in the life

Friday, May 30th, 2008

When Honey magazine commissioned photojournalist Michael Ward to follow and photograph an up-and-coming music group called The Beatles in February 1963, he had never heard of the Liverpool-based rock band.

Logistics hamper Myanmar relief

Friday, May 30th, 2008

Logistical challenges have kept help from reaching much of Myanmar’s cyclone-ravaged Irrawaddy delta region, relief agencies reported Friday.

Countries agree cluster bomb ban

Friday, May 30th, 2008

More than 100 countries attending a conference in Dublin, Ireland formally adopted a treaty Friday to ban cluster bombs — a large, unreliable and inaccurate weapon that often affects civilians long after the end of armed conflict.

ETA: We will continue Basque fight

Friday, May 30th, 2008

The Basque separatist group ETA warned on Friday that its violent 40-year-fight for Basque independence “will continue” if the Spanish government doesn’t offer “an adequate response to the root of the problem.”