August 2, 2005
UMPQUA — Health officials are investigating an outbreak of a bacterial infection in the Umpqua area.
Seven of the attendees at Lighthouse Center Oregon, a private spiritual retreat center on Tyee Road, were confirmed to have shigella, according to a Douglas County Health and Social Services Department press release. Others may also be ill.
About 1,300 people were registered for the three-week event, with 750 to 800 people at the center at one time.

Continue Reading Attendees of Umpqua retreat contract illness

July 28, 2005
Lexington Herald-Leader
Barbara Isaacs
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/12248332.htm
Dr. Melinda Rowe, commissioner of the Lexington-Fayette , Kentucky, County Health Department, was cited as saying that Fayette Countyís ongoing shigellosis outbreak is no longer just related to kids sickened in day care, adding, “This is a community-wide outbreak going on. Itís probably going to get worse before it gets better.”
The story notes that the number of confirmed shigellosis cases has doubled during the past month, bringing the total since May to 111.
A month ago, the vast majority of shigella infections ó 49 of 55 cases ó were among children 4 and under who attend day care.

Continue Reading Shigellosis outbreak spreads

Burlington, Vermont – August 1, 2005
“We don’t see Shigella that much,” said Microbiologist Christine LaBarre at the Vermont Health Department lab.
Microbiologists test for Shigella bacteria in stool samples. They look for the organism, which can lead to serious stomach issues, including bloody diarrhea.
Usually four or five samples test positive for Shigella each year. Nine samples have tested positive already this year. The bacteria leads to an infectious disease called Shigellosis.
“We sent out an alert to health care providers around the state to encourage them to test persons with diarrheal illnesses and report those results to us,” said Dr. Cort Lohff, the state epidemiologist.

Continue Reading Shigellosis Alert

August 1, 2005
KPIC 4 News Oregon
Dan Bain
Roseburg – Douglas County Health officials are investigating a Shigellosis outbreak in Umpqua, about 20 miles northwest of Roseburg.
Seven cases of shigellosis were confirmed among the attendees at a private spiritual retreat center in Umpqua according to Bob Furlow, Douglas County Health Department Director.”There are additional unconfirmed reports of illness among attendees and other specimens are pending.at least ten retreat attendees became ill and were hospitalized at Mercy Medical Center for dehydration.

Continue Reading Shigella outbreak at gathering

Pool testers take a dip for safety
By JIM NESBITT, Staff Writer
The News-Observer
Jul 31, 2005
http://newsobserver.com/news/story/2643643p-9080452c.html
Tyler Threewitts is a Wolfpack student with a summer job that puts him on the front line of protecting the public’s health and safety. A $9-an-hour pool technician, he is one of six temporary employees Wake County brings aboard each summer to help with the seasonlong crunch of checking the water quality and safety of the almost 900 pools and spas in the county.
Every day, Threewitts patrols a swath of eastern Wake County that includes three zip codes and the towns of Garner, Zebulon, Knightdale and Wendell, pacing his Jeep to hit 10 to 15 pools and spas a day at apartment complexes, subdivisions, hotels and swim clubs.
As part of one of North Carolina’s most aggressive inspection programs, Threewitts makes sure pools and spas maintain mandated levels of chlorine and bromine — the primary and secondary water disinfectants — and stay within the narrow range of pH balance these chemicals need for maximum effectiveness.

Continue Reading Pool testers take a dip for safety

By Pam Mellskog
The Daily Times-Call
LONGMONT ó Tossing cow pies in a public pool after hours seemed like fun for somebody in CaÒon City several summers back.
The culprit likely hoped the fecal patties floating like ugly lily pads overnight would shock and disgust pool staff and swimmers.
But the prank backfired and created the worst outbreak of cryptosporidium ó ìcryptoî for short ó in recent Colorado history, said Glenn Bodnar, a drinking water expert with years of swimming pool experience at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
State regulations mandate public pools to filter all their water, which could be tens of thousands of gallons, at least once every six hours.
That process, he said, dissolved the offending fecal flotsam in the CaÒon City pool by the time the doors opened. However, the pool water that day was still teeming with crypto, Bodnar said.

Continue Reading Balancing Act: To disinfect, pools must have the right amount of chlorine, ph levels

CASES AMONG ADULTS RAISE CONCERN
By Barbara Isaacs
HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER
Fayette County’s ongoing shigellosis outbreak is no longer just related to kids sickened in day care, the county’s health commissioner said yesterday.
“This is a community-wide outbreak going on,” said Dr. Melinda Rowe, commissioner of the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department. “It’s probably going to get worse before it gets better.”
The number of confirmed shigellosis cases has doubled during the past month, bringing the total since May to 111. Shigellosis is a form of dysentery that causes diarrhea, fever and vomiting.
A month ago, the majority of shigella infections — 49 of 55 cases — were among children 4 and under who attend day care.

Continue Reading CASES AMONG ADULTS RAISE CONCERN

By Barbara Isaacs
HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER
Fayette Countyís ongoing shigellosis outbreak is no longer just related to kids sickened in day care, the countyís health commissioner said today.
ìThis is a community-wide outbreak going on,î said Dr. Melinda Rowe, commissioner of the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department. ìItís probably going to get worse before it gets better.î
The number of confirmed shigellosis cases has doubled during the past month, bringing the total since May to 111. Shigellosis is a form of dysentery that causes diarrhea, fever and vomiting.
A month ago, the vast majority of shigella infections ó 49 of 55 cases ó were among children 4 and under who attend day care.

Continue Reading Shigellosis outbreak spreads

Tuesday July 26, 2005
DETROIT, July 26 /PRNewswire/ — Whether you’re planning a family reunion at a local park or preparing some lunch for a gathering at a backyard pool, some simple picnic preparation tips from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network will help keep everyone cool, calm and well all season long.
“If you’re packing a picnic, the recipe for perfect outdoor events includes preparing your food properly. Unless you freeze dishes, don’t prepare your picnic items more than one day ahead,” says George Kipa, M.D., deputy corporate medical director for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. “Be sure foods like potato salad are quickly cooled after making to retard bacteria growth.”
Once at the site, keep this and other mayonnaise-based foods cold. One way is to serve it in a bowl kept on ice. The two more common bacteria that cause food poisoning, salmonella and shigella, are always waiting for an opportunity to become uninvited guests and ruin a good time outdoors.

Continue Reading Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network Provide ‘Food for Thought’ for Safe Summer Picnics

Preventing Foodborne Illness
July 21, 2005
What is foodborne illness?
Food contaminated by bacteria, viruses and parasites can make you sick. Many people have had foodborne illness and not even known it. It’s sometimes called food poisoning, and it can feel like the flu. Symptoms may include the following:
ï stomach cramps
ï nausea
ï vomiting
ï diarrhea
ï fever
Symptoms can start soon after eating contaminated food, but they can hit up to a month or more later. For some people, especially young children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, foodborne illness can be very dangerous.

Continue Reading Shigella Food Safety Facts