FLORIDA: CHOLERA 075 INFECTED OYSTERS

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show details 09:11 (19 minutes ago)

CHOLERA O75 - USA: (FLORIDA) RAW OYSTERS, WARNING
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Tue 10 May 2011
Source: Agence France-Presse (AFP) [edited]
<http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gNbMYDzfbT7tbN118PgbtC2kRHYA?docId=CNG.60d5b39646e58529e4788d62cae3ee2e.431>


As many as 11 people have reported getting sick from eating raw
oysters contaminated with cholera bacteria in northern Florida,
officials said on Tuesday, 10 May 2011.

The oysters came from Apalachicola Bay, near Panama City in northern
Florida, about 300 miles (482 kilometers) from New Orleans along the
Gulf of Mexico coast, and the FDA issued a warning not to eat them.
"There is ongoing, collaborative discussions among all state and
federal partners as we look at this new pathogen to analyze the 1st
ever outbreak of this unique strain of _Vibrio cholerae_," Florida's
Department of Agriculture said in a statement.

State officials said 11 cases of illness were reported, while the FDA
said 8 of those have so far been confirmed as "caused by toxigenic
_Vibrio cholerae_ O75... No one was hospitalized or died."

The high number of cases is unusual, given that the Centers for
Disease Control typically logs 1 to 2 cases per year, an FDA spokesman
told AFP. "From 2000-2010, a total of 17 persons with toxigenic _V.
cholerae_ O75 infection were reported to CDC, the numbers are greatest
when the water is warm," spokesman Douglas Karas said in an email.

The FDA said the affected oysters were harvested from Area 1642 in
Apalachicola Bay between 21 Mar and 6 Apr 2011. The Florida Department
of Agriculture said it closed the area to oyster harvesting on 29 Apr
2011 and was investigating the cause of the outbreak. "To date, we
have learned of 2 events that may be the cause of the cholera related
illnesses. First, there was a dredging operation near the 1642
harvesting area that may have stirred up organisms on the floor of the
ocean," it said. "We have also learned there was a sewer break in East
Point and we are investigating whether it had any impact on oysters in
1642. The harvesting area will remain closed until our investigation
is complete."

Area 1642 is home to about 10 percent of the state's oyster harvest,
and oysters taken from there are mainly consumed in Florida, Georgia,
and Alabama.

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UK:MUMPS

MUMPS - UK (03): (ENGLAND) UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
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A ProMED-mail post
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org/>
Date: Thu 5 May 2011
Source: BBC New UK [edited]
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-13295418>

University mumps vaccine outbreak advice
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Students across north west England have been advised to check their
vaccination records after outbreaks of mumps at 2 universities. The
disease has affected 47 students at the University of Central
Lancashire (UCLan) and 35 at the University of Manchester since
February [2011].
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has advised students to ask their
GPs [general practitioners] if they have had the full MMR [mumps,
measles, and rubella] vaccine. It said some may have missed out on
their 2nd protective dose of MMR.
Dr Sam Ghebrehewet of the HPA said: "Mumps is an ever-present risk in
universities and further education colleges. It is an infectious
disease that spreads easily amongst young adults who missed out on the
protection of 2 doses of MMR vaccine when they were children. 2 doses
of the MMR vaccine are necessary for full protection."
Mumps is a viral illness marked by symptoms of swollen neck glands,
fever, and headache. Its complications can result in meningitis and
deafness.
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[Mumps outbreaks often occur in congregate settings, where prolonged,
close contacts facilitate transmission. Mumps is spread by droplets of
saliva or mucus from the mouth, nose, or throat of an infected person,
usually when the person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Items used by an
infected person, such as cups or soft drink cans, can also be
contaminated with the virus, which may spread to others if those items
are shared. Most mumps transmission likely occurs before the salivary
glands begin to swell and within the 5 days after the swelling begins.
Therefore, mumps sufferers should be isolated for 5 days after their
glands begin to swell. The level of immunity produced by a single dose
of the MMR triple vaccine may not be fully protective (with regard to
mumps) and may decline with time. A 2nd dose of vaccine may be
required to produce adequate protection in all circumstances, and in
particular in the case of young adults who may have received only a
single dose of vaccine previously.

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Ontario government-paid fees fall by 1.25% over 40 years.

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A reason why many GPs`are moving into NON-OHIP practice: COSMETIC MEDICINE inc HAIR TRANSPLANT; ORTHOTICS; PSYCHOANALYSIS (psychiatry covered by OHIP);SPORTS MEDICINE; & EYE TESTING 20y-64y(not OHIP covered in Ont. except for Welfare clients and those with established eye disease)