Product Issues Bulletin

INFORMATION AND ANALYTICAL SERVICES

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

 

This edition of the PIB updates the Avian Flu H5N1 crisis

You can find details about the disease at:  http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian 

INDONESIA

Ø      Indonesia Struggles to Track H5N1 Source, Two More Die

On May 22, 2006, health officials in Indonesia are still investigating the source of a family cluster of H5N1 bird flu infections while tests showed two more people have died of the same disease. One of the latest victims belonged to a Sumatran family, which also lost several members in early May 2006 to bird flu.  Health officials said the deaths were suspicious for human-to-human spread of the disease, adding to fears of a possible pandemic.  While H5N1 is still regarded as a bird disease, experts have warned that it might mutate and pass efficiently between humans. 

Details: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP120843.htm

 

ROMANIA

Ø      New Cases of Bird Flu in Romania

On May 22, 2006, Agriculture Minister Gheorghe Flutur reported the European reference laboratory had confirmed 34 new cases of bird flu in Romania, with another 24 were suspected.  Reports indicated the disease had re-emerged in the country on May 12, 2006.   Tests conducted at the European reference laboratory in Weybridge, England, confirmed the presence of the H5N1 virus in seven samples taken from central Brasov county, including one from an industrial farm considered the source of the latest spread of the disease, Flutur said.

Details: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060522/hl_afp/healthfluromania_060522151744;_ylt=AkYvuksdoQfuxRPSIO8ifv2JOrgF

;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA

 

 

General Items

UNITED STATES

Ø      Food and Drug Administration Finds too much Benzene in Five Beverages

On May 19, 2006, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said a government analysis of more than 100 soft drinks and other beverages revealed benzene levels exceeding federal drinking water standards in five. The companies that make the drinks have been alerted and either reformulated their products or plan to do so, the FDA said. The five drinks are: Safeway Select Diet Orange, Crush Pineapple, AquaCal Strawberry Flavored Water Beverage, Crystal Light Sunrise Classic Orange, and Giant Light Cranberry Juice Cocktail.

Details: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/3876089.html

Ø      Imported Tea Tests Positive for Salmonella

On May 19, 2006, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin reported samples of a Jamaican specialty tea tested positive for salmonella, a sometimes fatal infection. Laboratory technicians from the Georgia Department of Agriculture confirmed the contaminant in packages of Caribbean Dreams Cerasee Tea tested positive for salmonella.  The tea was imported from Kingston, Jamaica and distributed to Ocho Rios, a store in Tucker, Georgia.  The product was also distributed to additional unidentified locations in the state, and possibly other locations, according to state.

Details: http://www.ledger−enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/polit ics/14623231.htm

 

AVIAN FLU UPDATE

UNITED STATES

Ø      US Shipping Antiviral Stockpile to Asia

On Monday, May 22, 2006, Mike Leavitt, US Secretary of Health and Human Services, said the agency had shipped Tamiflu to a secure location in an unnamed Asian country.   The product is expected to be used as a first defense against a possible flu pandemic. The drug is regarded as the best initial defense against a widespread outbreak resulting from a possible mutation of the H5N1 bird flu virus into a strain easily passed between people.  “It is a stockpile that would belong to the United States and we would control its deployment,” Leavitt said.  The doses sent to Asia will be used to support international containment efforts in the event of a human pandemic, but the US could redirect the stocks for domestic use should it become clear that containment overseas was not feasible.

Details: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp−dyn/content/article/2006/05/22/AR2006052200521.html

Ø      US Provides Avian Flu Detection Equipment to Pakistan

On May 20, 2006, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced it will provide polymerase chain reaction (PCR) equipment for the Pakistani National Reference Lab. The new equipment will enable the lab to test samples to determine the strain of avian flu virus within six hours. The existing equipment requires 24−72 hours. By streamlining the process for identifying the disease, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock officials will be able to eliminate unnecessary culling to further reduce the risk of spreading the disease to humans. Pakistan has had 28 small-scale poultry farms with confirmed cases of the H5N1 strain, resulting in the culling of more than 120,000 birds.

Details: http://www.pakistantimes.net/2006/05/22/national3.htm

 

 

 

Selected Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Statistics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

19th week table of reported foodborne diseases in the United States (Week ending May 13, 2006).  All numbers are 2006 cumulative to date.

 Reporting Area

 Current Week

 Previous 52 Weeks

Cumulative

 Med

 Max

2006

2005

 US TOTAL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Cryptosporidiosis

24

70

861

817

726

 

 Hepatitis A

33

75

243

1,256

1,401

 

 Salmonella

413

854

2,249

9,102

9,606

 

 E. Coli O157:H7

17

52

281

345

502

 

 Shigella

141

299

679

2,875

3,918

 New England (CT, ME, NH, RI, VT)

 

 Cryptosporidiosis

-

4

35

49

41

 

 Hepatitis A

-

6

22

67

150

 

 Salmonella

1

38

118

456

565

 

 E. Coli O157:H7

-

3

14

32

47

 

 Shigella

-

5

22

86

75

 Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, NY CITY, PA)

 

 Cryptosporidiosis

-

10

598

119

96

 

 Hepatitis A

5

10

24

68

240

 

 Salmonella

41

91

274

979

1,191

 

 E. Coli O157:H7

-

5

102

6

50

 

 Shigella

3

18

70

216

412

 Northeast Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)

 

 Cryptosporidiosis

7

13

162

159

155

 

 Hepatitis A

7

6

15

95

133

 

 Salmonella

45

100

241

1179

1334

 

 E. Coli O157:H7

4

9

35

82

86

 

 Shigella

8

19

96

273

324

 Northwest Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 

 

 Cryptosporidiosis

1

10

51

128

100

 

 Hepatitis A

3

2

29

50

46

 

 Salmonella

15

45

90

622

659

 

 E. Coli O157:H7

2

7

35

58

72

 

 Shigella

68

39

65

330

244

 South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)

 

 Cryptosporidiosis

11

15

54

228

146

 

 Hepatitis A

2

13

34

188

205

 

 Salmonella

146

263

520

2,443

2,377

 

 E. Coli O157:H7

7

7

39

65

97

 

 Shigella

35

51

122

808

576

 Southeast Central (AL, KY, MS, TN)

 

 Cryptosporidiosis

4

3

29

30

16

 

 Hepatitis A

-

3

15

43

91

 

 Salmonella

28

51

105

465

564

 

 E. Coli O157:H7

-

3

11

16

24

 

 Shigella

8

14

46

203

517

 Southwest Central (AR, LA, OK, TX)

 

 Cryptosporidiosis

-

4

30

56

24

 

 Hepatitis A

-

8

77

100

142

 

 Salmonella

22

86

880

930

803

 

 E. Coli O157:H7

-

2

43

4

18

 

 Shigella

-

67

267

254

964

 Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY)

 

 Cryptosporidiosis

-

2

9

25

41

 

 Hepatitis A

-

5

19

104

119

 

 Salmonella

22

49

110

620

610

 

 E. Coli O157:H7

-

5

15

34

62

 

 Shigella

12

17

47

217

203

 Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA, AMER SAMOA, CNMI, GUAM, PR, VI)

 

 Cryptosporidiosis

1

4

52

23

107

 

 Hepatitis A

16

19

163

541

275