Meat supplier linked to E-coli outbreak Sep 22, 2005
The number of cases of potentially deadly E.coli poisoning last night reached 56 as action was launched against a suspected link with the outbreak. Food Standards Agency Wales confirmed a link between the four-county E.coli O157 outbreak and meat supplied by Bridgend- based John Tudor and Son ... The company, which mainly supplies schools and other local authority institutions across South Wales, has withdrawn all its cooked meat range because of the risk of contamination with E.coli O157. (ic Wales)
E.coli outbreak meat supply link Sep 22, 2005
Caitlin Bray is having dialysis as a result of the E.coli infection. A link has been established between a meat supplier and the E.coli outbreak at more than two dozen south Wales schools, public health experts say ... The number of E.coli cases among schoolchildren in three council areas has grown again, to 58. (BBC News -- UK)
Girl, 3, on dialysis over e.coli Sep 21, 2005
E.coli schools 'should be closed ... The health service said there were usually only 30 cases of e.coli food poisoning a year in Wales ... Sources of e.coli include handling raw meat, eating undercooked meat, consuming untreated milk or dairy products, direct contact with animals, or close contact with another infected person. (BBC News)
Food companies in e.coli inquiry Sep 20, 2005
Complications from e.coli poisoning can be serious. Firms supplying food to the 12 south Wales schools hit by an e.coli outbreak are being examined as part of the public health inquiry into the disease ... The health service said there were usually only 30 cases of e.coli food poisoning a year in Wales. (BBC News -- UK)
Child e.coli outbreak in valleys Sep 19, 2005
Complications from e.coli poisoning can be serious. An investigation has been launched after 22 cases of e.coli food poisoning were identified in the south Wales valleys, mostly among children ... A spokesperson for the service said the e.coli 0157 cases had been identified in the past few days. (BBC News -- UK)
Mayor urged to slow return of New Orleans residents Sep 19, 2005
Federal officials were concerned about health and safety issues regarding the quality of mains water and concentrations of E.coli and fecal coliform bacteria, Vice-Admiral Allen said. He also raised questions about the condition of the repaired levees, questioning the wisdom of permitting tens of thousands of people back in case there were fresh problems with weakened levees or another hurricane. (Independent)
Companies To Develop E.Coli Drug Sep 16, 2005
8:00 It's down to the final three. 9:00 Series Premiere. (CBS 11, TX)
Drug-resistant E. Coli cases rising in England Sep 15, 2005
nbsp; E.Coli are common bacteria which normally live harmlessly in the gut, but can also cause urinary tract infections and blood poisoning and can be potentially deadly. In a report to a health conference in Warwick, central England, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said the new E. coli strains produce an enzyme called Extended-Spectrum Beta Lactamase, or ESBL, which makes them more resistant to antibiotics and therefore makes the infections harder to treat. (Xinhua)
E. coli "superbug" spreads in UK Sep 15, 2005
In a recently issued report, the UK Health Protection Agency warned the public of the presence of a new, toxic form of E.coli which causes blood poisoning in those who are vulnerable ... A study of an additional 54 deaths from an outbreak in the community of Shropshire linked ESBL-producing E.coli to 25% of the casualties ... Though the disease has been reported almost exclusively in those with pre-existing chronic illnesses and the elderly, urinary tract infections have been reported in almost... (myDNA.com)
Tap water could spread stomach bug Sep 15, 2005
"As water companies do not routinely look for the organism and as E.coli is not an efficient indicator for the presence of campylobacter this pathogen could potentially 'slip through the net' in terms of detection." ... Water companies are not required to test for campylobacter, although they do test for other bugs like E.coli that could indicate that campylobacter is also present. (Daily Mail - UK)
Health agency wants checks on drug-resistant E.Coli Sep 14, 2005
LONDON (Reuters) - The Health Protection Agency said on Monday it wants better monitoring of drug-resistant strains of E.Coli bacteria which have spread rapidly in England and Northern Ireland in the last two years. E.Coli are common bacteria which normally live harmlessly in the gut, but can also cause urinary tract infections and blood poisoning and can be potentially deadly. (Reuters.uk)
Infections 'link to imported meat' Sep 13, 2005
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has seen an increasing problem of infections caused by ESBL-producing E.coli strain in the UK, with one study showing it had caused a significant number of deaths in one area ... E.coli are common bacteria that usually live harmlessly in the gut, but they are also one of the most common causes of urinary tract infections (UTIs) ... In many cases only two oral antibiotics and a few intravenous antibiotics are still effective against ESBL-producing E.coli. (Daily Mail - UK)
New super-resistant 'E. coli' spreads across the country Sep 12, 2005
The lethal bug, a resistant strain of E.coli - which occurs naturally in the gut - was unknown before 2000 and only started spreading rapidly in 2003 ... The surge in infections caused by resistant strains of E.coli was first mentioned in the annual report of the Government's Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, in July ... The resistant strains of the new superbug - called extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E.coli - mostly cause urinary tract infections in elderly or... (Independent)
Concern over deadly E.coli strain Sep 12, 2005
E.coli bacteria can cause serious infection. Better monitoring of a deadly antibiotic-resistant strain of E.coli is needed as it threatens to spread more rapidly, government advisers say ... E.coli are one of the most common bacteria causing infections, particularly urinary tract infections. (BBC News -- UK)
Powell criticises storm response Sep 10, 2005
The evacuation has been ordered for health reasons, with E.coli and other dangerous germs found in the polluted floodwaters. Several deaths have already been attributed to infected wounds. (BBC News -- Americas)
Human and financial costs keep on rising Sep 9, 2005
The first tests of the water by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, released Wednesday, showed levels of E.coli and coliform bacteria at 10 times acceptable limits, as well as dangerous levels of lead. "Human contact with the flood water should be avoided as much as possible," EPA administrator Stephen Johnson told reporters. (Canada.com)
Flood survivors expelled by force Sep 9, 2005
E.coli and other dangerous germs have been found in the sewage-laden floodwaters. Several deaths have already been attributed to infected wounds, and the risk of disease outbreaks increases by the day. (BBC News)
Bush seeks $50bn hurricane relief Sep 8, 2005
The US Environmental Protection Agency says the floodwaters contain unsafe levels of E.coli and other bacteria as well as high levels of lead. As water is pumped out of New Orleans, the diminishing flood reveals dead bodies, raw sewage, fuel and rusting vehicles - nine days after Hurricane Katrina hit. (BBC News)
Is there a risk of storm disease? Sep 2, 2005
" He said viruses such as hepatitis A could be a threat as well as dangerous strains of E.coli. Dead bodies But he said dead bodies, unless they were carrying specific bacteria and viruses, were unlikely to contaminate the water with disease. Others remain confident further disaster will be averted. Dr Jean Luc Poncelet, director of the Pan American Health Organization's disaster preparedness team in the US, added: "If you look at the natural disasters that have happened over recent years,... (BBC News -- Americas)
Catering firm found lethal bug in food made for BA passengers Aug 29, 2005
TRACES of potentially fatal E.coli bacteria were found in meals intended for British Airways passengers, documents obtained by The Times reveal ... E.coli were found in a lemon-chicken salad and a prawn with lemon herbs meal in August 2003; in a honey-glazed chicken and mustard mayonnaise bloomer in October 2003; in four other unnamed sandwiches in November 2003; and in a pesto butter steak fillet in March 2004 ... E.coli can cause diarrhoea and kidney damage and can trigger fatal infections. (Times Online)
NT hopes to clear Jabiru water supply tomorrow Aug 28, 2005
The department advised residents to use bottled water yesterday, after routine testing of the town's three bores found two contained E.coli ... Department spokesman Xavier Schobben says the presence of the E.coli bacteria in Jabiru is low and there have been no confirmed cases of poisoning ... "They will take some residual chlorine readings and they'll alert me and then on Monday we will do some further testing and upon the receipt of positive results - an all clear - we will lift the boil... (ABC News Online, Australia)
Breathing new life Aug 27, 2005
6 million grant from the , Keasling has succeeded in engineering an E.coli that can produce a precursor to artemisinin, although he continues to work to add components to the organism so that it will synthesize the desired end product. Keasling expects to ultimately reduce to cost of artemisinin from about $2. (San Francisco Business Times, CA)
Nanotechs Promise Aug 20, 2005
Hydration Technologies of Albany, Oregon, has developed a semi-permeable membrane that acts as a molecular sieve, allowing water to pass through while rejecting impurities such as viruses, anthrax spores, e.Coli bacteria, heavy metals, and other health threats. Today the technology is used to clean up industrial water and in the production of some food concentrates. (Red Herring)
BBC survey another blow against UK chicken Aug 19, 2005
The BBC investigation found that about half the British chickens contained antibiotic-resistant E.coli. The BBC found the E.coli was resistant to the antibiotic Trimethaprim, which is used to treat bladder infections. (Food Navigator)
Bugs contaminate chicken samples Aug 17, 2005
More than half the British chickens tested for the BBC contained antibiotic-resistant E.coli ... The E.coli was resistant to the antibiotic Trimethaprim which is used to treat bladder infections ... Richard Young, the Soil Association's policy advisor, said: "Everyone knows about superbugs like MRSA but the growing problem of drug-resistant E.coli poses a potentially bigger problem because the infection is so much more common.". (Daily Mail - UK)
Superbugs found in chicken Aug 15, 2005
Of the British-grown chickens analysed, over half were contaminated with multi-drug resistant E.coli which is immune to the effects of three or more antibiotics. More than a third of the 147 samples, which included overseas and UK produced chicken, had E.coli germs resistant to the important antibiotic Trimethaprim which is used to treat bladder infections ... Anna Sawkins, who suffered from recurrent bladder infections caused by E.coli, told Real Story how she "went back to the doctors hundreds... (BBC News -- UK)
Cooked goose? Stanley to decide Aug 10, 2005
Like other animals, the waste from geese contains salmonella and e.coli, said Jean Durch, director of the Chippewa County Department of Public Health. Unlike other animals, geese don't become rabid and they are not vehicles for ticks. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
Want your own personal genome sequenced? Aug 5, 2005
One-ninth of the current costThey said it costs about one-ninth of the current cost of sequencing a genome, which involves using E.coli bacteria as an incubator to generate the genetic material, separating it out, breaking it apart and laying it onto a gel. Tell us what you think. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Solomons warns drinking water contaminated Jul 29, 2005
The warning comes after high levels of coliforms and E.coli were found in the water supply ... "We look at ways of ensuring that the quality of water should not be allowed to indicate the presence of bacteria like E.coli especially and steps have also been taken to ensure that the quality of water sold to the consumers are of the standard that everybody is expecting," he said. (ABC News Online, Australia -- World)
No unwanted souvenirs: Sample exotic food on vacation without bringing home food-borne illness Jul 25, 2005
Nasty bacteria such as e.coli and giardia, most commonly found in water, are two common travel ailments. If you're in a developing country and you want to avoid an early flight home, always drink bottled, carbonated or boiled water. (Boston Herald--Health)
Buyers told to check beef after E.coli cases reported Jul 24, 2005
British Columbia in Brief. Saturday, July 23, 2005 Page. (Globe and Mail)
Bend, Port beaches posted Jul 23, 2005
The following beaches have no warnings for E.coli: Ipperwash Main Beach, Pinery Provincial Park, Canatara Park, Bright's Grove, Erie Rest in Port Stanley, Port Glasgow, Springwater, Port Burwell Provincial Park and public beach, Mitchell's Bay, Pier Road, Erieau Yacht Club, Bates Beach, Park West Terrace and C.M. Wilson Conservation Area. Copyright. (London Free Press, Canada)
Antibiotics 'can lead to resistant bacteria' increase Jul 21, 2005
The researchers found samples taken from people who had been prescribed antibiotics within two months of the test were almost twice as likely to carry antibiotic resistant E.coli bacteria ... " E.coli bacteria The E.coli bacteria, naturally found in the human gut, were tested for resistance to the common antibiotics Amoxicillin and Trimethoprim. Patients who had taken antibiotics 12 months before the test did not have increased levels of resistant bacteria because the time period was too long... (Daily Mail - UK)
Survey shows research gap over kids cranberry use Jul 20, 2005
Last year France became the first country to approve a health claim for the North American cranberry species vaccinium macrocarpon, which states that it can help reduce the adhesion of certain E.coli bacteria to the urinary tract walls. Initially the claim was only valid for products using the fruit concentrate or extract in powder form as it required daily consumption of 36mg, but in February of this year it was extended to juice drinks or cordials with a minimum of 27 percent cranberry, with... (Food Navigator)
Beach sand could be at risk Jul 19, 2005
A series of recent studies suggest that the nation's beaches are filled with E.coli and other organisms that may threaten human health. Scientists conducting the studies say E.coli may not be the only infectious worry ... Whitman, who researches beach closures for the U.S. Geological Survey, took 2,000 sand samples and an equal number of fresh and marine water samples from the Great Lakes outside of Chicago and found E.coli levels were 10 times higher in sand than in the water. (Newsday)
Letters:Tuesday, July 19, 2005 Jul 19, 2005
We are gravely concerned about ground water pollution with disease-causing microorganisms: E.coli bacteria, Salmonella, Tuberculosis, Brucella, Anthrax, Protozoa-single-celled animals-that cause diarrhea and serious gastrointestinal disease (Giardia, Cryptosporidiosis). The list goes on and on. (Fairfield Daily Republic, CA)
