Sunday, July 11, 2004

...salmonella...

From the United States food and drug administration "Bad Bug Handbook":

"S. enteritidis outbreaks continue to occur in the U.S. (Table 1). The CDC estimates that 75% of those outbreaks are associated with the consumption of raw or inadequately cooked Grade A whole shell eggs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture published Regulations on February 16, 1990, in the Federal Register establishing a mandatory testing program for egg-producing breeder flocks and commercial flocks implicated in causing human illnesses. This testing should lead to a reduction in cases of gastroenteritis caused by the consumption of Grade A whole shell eggs."

To add a little local context, from the Association of Medical Microbiologists (UK):
"Salmonella enteritidis phage type 4 was uncommon in 1981, but is now the commonest salmonella causing infections in England and Wales."

There are several other salmonellas which come from sources including milk, beef, pork and shit. In one incident 16,000 (no shit - see the first link) people got salmonella from a batch of contaminated milk.

David owes me five quid.