Archive of May, 2024

Antibiotics resistance among bacteria (superbugs) is a large and growing problem, with huge health and economic consequences in the US and around the world.  According to a new report issued by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD) millions of people worldwide will die from superbug infections unless countries prioritize fighting the growing threat posed by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Currently, around 29,500 people die annually in the USA due to infections to superbugs. According to new research, drug-resistant bacteria killed more than 33,000 people in Europe in 2015. In the report, the OECD said 2.4 million people could die from superbugs by 2050, about...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigated a 26 state outbreak of multidrug-resistant Salmonella in raw turkey products. On November 8, 2018, the CDC reported that 74 more ill people from 26 states were added to this investigation since the last update on July 19, 2018. The outbreak dates back to November 2017 but was first reported in July of 2018. As of November 5, 2018, 164 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Reading have been reported from 35 states. The states that have most cases include Texas, Minnesota, Illinois and New York. The outbreak strain has been identified in samples taken...

Contaminated romaine lettuceNBC Newsquoted the FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said that California may be the source of romaine lettuce outbreak due to E. coli and that the E. coli strain of the current outbreak is very similar to an outbreak of E. coli that killed one person and made at least 25 people ill in 2017.  “The timing is exactly the same. So it’s likely associated with end-of-season harvests in California, where most of the romaine that is currently on the market is from.” The FDA said that California may be the source of romaine lettuce outbreak due to E....

Several articles got our attention this week. Elevated Inactivation Efficacy of a Pulsed UVC Light-Emitting Diode System for Foodborne Pathogens on Selective Media and Food Surfaces Applied and Environmental Microbiology published an article by Do-Kyun Kim and Dong-Hyum Kang on action required to replace short- wavelength ultraviolet (UVC) light that is being used extensively to disinfect surfaces in the food industry. By 2020 the use of use of low-pressure mercury lamps will be discontinued and a new source of UV will be required. This study investigated the use of a UV light -emitting diode (UV-LED) as an alternative. The study found that...