Baby carrots source of Shigella outbreak

Posted by Shigella Attorney on August 20, 2007
On Saturday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency warned consumers not to eat baby carrots produced by the Los Angeles Salad Company because the baby carrots had been identified as the source of a Shigella outbreak.  According to the CFIA warning:
The affected product, Los Angeles Salad Company Genuine Sweet Baby Carrots, is labelled as product of Mexico and imported by Los Angeles Salad Company. It is sold in 672 g/1.5 lb plastic bags bearing ITM 50325, UPC 8 31129 00137 7 and Sell By dates up to and including 8 /13 /07.

This product was sold in Costco stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland.

There have been four reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

California Shigella outbreak investigation ongoing

Posted by Shigella Lawyer on August 17, 2007
Pasadena Health Department investigators continue to work to determine the source of a Shigella outbreak that was traced to a restaurant earlier this month.  Yesterday's Arcadia  Weekly reported on the outbreak.
Pasadena Public Health Department's ongoing shigella outbreak investigation, in coordination with Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, has identified 44 confirmed or suspected cases linked to the [restaurant] in Pasadena.

Thirteen of the cases have been verified by laboratory testing; the samples are undergoing additional testing to determine if the strain is related to any other outbreaks in the U.S. Additional reported cases are awaiting confirmation and are under investigation.

On Aug. 2 Pasadena Public Health Department narrowed down the site of the outbreak to customers who ate at the [restaurant] in Pasadena between July 22 and July 25.
Shigella is a bacterium that can cause sudden and severe diarrhea (gastroenteritis) in humans. Shigellosis is the name of the disease that Shigella causes. The illness is also known as “bacillary dysentery.” Shigella bacteria can infect the intestinal tract after the ingestion of relatively few organisms. This is why shigellosis is the most communicable of the bacterial-induced diarrheas.

Shigella identified in child attending daycare

Posted by Shigella Lawyer on August 15, 2007
Montgomery County, Ohio, health officials are investigating a case of Shigellosis in an 8-year-old child who attends a daycare center, according to a report in the Dayton Daily News.  The child is one of approximately 40 who share a classroom at Clara's Heart day care center, which closed after the child was diagnosed. 

The 8-year-old, classmates, and the center's staff members will all be tested for Shigella bacterial infections.  The Daily News interviewed Bill Wharton, spokesman for Public Health-Dayton and Montgomery  County for the article that appeared today:
"We're still in the early stages" of the investigation, Wharton said.

Clara's Heart director Val Jackson said the center conducted a "major cleaning" Tuesday.

"Every precaution has been taken," Jackson said.

The center has approximately 110 children enrolled, she said.