A German risk assessment agency has issued an opinion after STEC was frequently found in flour samples. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) was detected in multiple flour samples (wheat, spelt and rye) from mills during routine food monitoring in Germany in 2018. The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) asked the German Federal Institute for Risk [...]
I recently took a drive-through COVID-19 test at the University of North Carolina. Everything was well organized and efficient: I was swabbed for 15 uncomfortable seconds and sent home with two pages of instructions on what to do if I were to test positive, and what precautions people living with or tending to COVID-19 patients [...]
While most fast foods are based on cheap, unhealthy ingredients, many fast-food establishments now offer healthy alternatives. Some major chains even focus exclusively on providing healthy fast food. These can be life-savers when you don't have the time or energy to cook a healthy meal. Here are 10 fast-food restaurants that have some healthy options on the menu. [...]
Limited data are available about transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), among youths. During June 17–20, an overnight camp in Georgia (camp A) held orientation for 138 trainees and 120 staff members; staff members remained for the first camp session, scheduled during June 21–27, and were joined by 363 campers [...]
Company Announcement Thomson International Inc. of Bakersfield, California is recalling Red, Yellow, White, and Sweet Yellow Onions shipped from May 1, 2020 through the present. The onions are being recalled because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with [...]
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common intestinal disorder that produces distressing symptoms like abdominal pain, significant bloating, and altered bowel movements that can shuttle between diarrhea and constipation. While changing what you eat won’t cure you, an evidence-based approach called the low-FODMAP diet is the most frequently prescribed food plan to help relieve IBS symptoms. Studies [...]
Clinical Laboratories Data from clinical laboratories (the percentage of specimens tested that are positive for influenza) are used to monitor whether influenza activity is increasing or decreasing. Read more CDC...
The term “biofilm,” with specific respect to microbiological applications, was coined by the late Professor J. William (Bill) Costerton, of the University of Montana. Professor Costerton observed that bacteria and other cellular microorganisms often create their own living space to support their long-term survival, propagation, and spread. And with that, Bill Costerton opened a new [...]
As our society and culture become more connected through technology, the use of headphones has increased. Headphones allow people to enjoy music and have conversations from anywhere at any time. The ease of headphone use and the mobility that they afford cannot be overstated. This is particularly true currently, as our society spends more time [...]
“I shouldn’t have lived through it,” Katie said, reflecting on her fight with E. coli poisoning. On an early summer evening in 2016, Katie Ruffolo, a 36-year old mother of three, was battling diarrhea. She had no idea this signaled the start of an E. coli poisoning that would eventually attack her kidneys and stop her heart three [...]
