Author Archives: Brendan Flaherty
E. coli Outbreak Detection Lacking in Half of States
By Brendan Flaherty on 24, March 2010
When it comes to detecting and reporting outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 and other pathogens, some state health departments are better than others.
What else could explain the large discrepancy in state by state reporting results? It’s not that certain…
E. coli Outbreak Tracing Problem Haunts Schools
By Brendan Flaherty on 10, March 2010
A USDA public meeting today in Washington, D.C., will focus on how to quickly identify suppliers of source material in products testing positive for E. coli O157:H7.
Such tracing difficulties have created a huge gap in food safety and participants in…
Vet’s Testimony on Oversight Sheds New Light on Beef E. coli
By Brendan Flaherty on 4, March 2010
Years of ground beef E. coli outbreaks will be put in new light today by a slaughterhouse veterinarian’s testimony that supervisors shelved citations written by front-line government safety personnel for dangerous and cruel practices.
The vet says writers of citations were threatened…
USDA Should Ban More Types of Shiga-Toxin E. coli From Meat
By Brendan Flaherty on 12, February 2010
Dana Boner lost her 14-year-old daughter to E. coli O111 in 2007.
Now she is a member of Chicago-based S.T.O.P.-Safe Tables Our Priority, which is renewing its plea to the USDA to declare disease-causing E. coli types other than…
Battlefront Shifts in Fight Against Beef E coli Outbreaks
By Brendan Flaherty on 9, February 2010
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates about 73,480 people are infected each year with E. coli O157:H7, resulting in 600 deaths. Contaminated beef is a leading source of these illnesses and the chronic nature of…
USDA E. coli Beef Recall at West Missouri Beef
By Brendan Flaherty on 3, February 2010
The third beef E. coli recall of 2010 hails from West Missouri Beef of Rockville, Missouri.
The West Missouri beef recall applies to 14,000 pounds of fresh boneless beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the…
Eating Snow May Have Caused Belgium E. coli Cluster
By Brendan Flaherty on 22, January 2010
Health officials in southeastern Wisconsin said a cluster of gastrointestinal illnesses, including three cases of E. coli O157:H7 in children from the Villiage of Belgium, could have been caused by eating snow or ice.
A press release from…
Massachusetts Adams Farm Ground Beef E coli Recall
By Brendan Flaherty on 12, January 2010
State and federal health officials are investigating the scope of E. coli O157:H7 contamination from ground beef products distributed by Adams Farm Slaughterhouse of Athol, Mass.
According to a recall announcement issued Monday night by the USDA’s…
More Vaccines in Works To Thwart HUS E coli
By Brendan Flaherty on 10, January 2010
A pair of USDA researchers in Ames, Iowa, have applied for patents on two vaccines they developed to curtail the growth of E. coli O157:H7 in cattle.
The research adds to similar efforts in the private sector that are…
