Public Health Matters Blog Posts
CSI Atlanta: Foodborne Outbreak
During the recent investigation of the outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul, CDC often mentioned that the overall “outbreak investigation is complex and difficult.” This complexity and difficulty extends to the hundreds of outbreaks that never make national headlines as local public health officials trace outbreaks to specific venues and food items. CDC assists local public health Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentSalmonella Saintpaul Outbreak: Epilogue
I’ve spent many years roaming this planet and, without doubt, we have amongst the safest food in the world. However, the largest foodborne outbreak in the last 10 years with an estimated 15, 000 cases is a vivid reminder that a number of factors will continue to drive outbreaks even here in the US. A Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentNovel Arenavirus Causes Mystery Illness in Zambia and South Africa
An active, young Zambian safari guide fell ill last month with an unexplained illness that rapidly progressed to her death after medical evacuation to South Africa. Three additional people who had close contact with her or her body fluids, a paramedic, a nurse and a hospital worker, also shortly became ill — and despite all Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsProduce Strikes Back: Salmonella Saintpaul Outbreak
McDonald’s stopped serving sliced tomatoes on their burgers. Other businesses in the food industry have also recently joined this precautionary movement — actions that follow a trail of health reports all over the United States in what has become one of the largest multistate outbreaks in history. Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentMosquitoes: The World’s Deadliest Animals
The area surrounding Antananarivo, Madagascar, was not predicted to be a high risk area for Rift Valley Fever this year. Yet as I stepped off the plane from Italy last week, I reviewed a request from the MoH (Madagascar Ministry of Health) through their embassy for U.S. assistance as the epidemic that began in February Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentNew Brain Disease is Blowing Minds
Just saw an email from Alex Thiermann. Of the twelve countries OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) has corresponded with (Australia, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Philippines, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom), none have observed anything similar to the newly identified brain illness that is linked, curiously, to the practice of blowing pig brains. Read More >
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