US CDC’s Vital Signs for June focuses on foodborne illness. Each year, roughly 1 in 6 people in the US gets sick from eating contaminated food. The 1,000 or more reported outbreaks that happen each year reveal familiar culprits—Salmonella and other common germs. We know that reducing contamination works. During the past 15 years, a dangerous type of E. coli infection, responsible for the recall of millions of pounds of ground beef, has been cut almost in half.
For more information on Vital Signs, see this MMWR.
A large outbreak of shiga toxin-producing E. coli O104 is occurring in Germany, with cases identified in travelers to Germany. This strain of E. coli is very rare and has not been seen in the United States prior to this outbreak.
Maine CDC issued a Health Alert on Monday, asking health care providers to report any suspect cases of STEC in Maine residents with a history of travel to Germany immediately to our disease reporting line: 1-800-821-5821.
US CDC has issued the following travel notice: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/outbreak-notice/2011-germany-europe-e-coli.htm?source=govdelivery
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is posting related updates at: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm257814.htm
