Feb
8
Category: Recall Alert |
Date: Fri 5 Feb 2010
Source: FDA [edited]
<http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm199917.htm>
Haifa Smoked Fish, located in Queens, New York, is recalling Haifa
brand vacuum packaged Whole Schmaltz Herring with the lot number 20,
because the product was found to be uneviscerated.
The lot being recalled is a product of Norway, individually
vacuum-packed in clear plastic pouches with lot #20 indicated on the
label and distributed through various food retailers in the NY and NJ area.
The Whole Schmaltz Herring was sampled by a New York State
Agriculture and Markets Food Inspector during a routine inspection.
Subsequent analysis of the product by New York State Food Laboratory
personnel confirmed that Whole Schmaltz Herring was not properly
eviscerated prior to processing.
The sale of uneviscerated fish is prohibited under New York State
Agriculture and Markets regulations because _Clostridium botulinum_
spores are more likely to be concentrated in the viscera than any
other portion of the fish. Uneviscerated fish has been linked to
outbreaks of botulism poisoning.
No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.
Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look
or smell spoiled and should return it to the place of purchase.
Consumers with questions may contact the company at 718-523-8899.
Feb
7
Category: Botox |
Link:Â http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jan/27/local/la-me-botox27-2010jan27
LA Times
January 27, 2010|By Lisa Girion
Kristen Spears started getting Botox injections at the age of 6 — not to smooth furrows in her brow, but to calm spasms in her legs.
The girl was born with severe cerebral palsy, and Botox, best known as a face-lift-in-a-syringe, can relax contorted muscles and sometimes help young patients walk without surgery.
Instead, Kristen’s mother alleges, an overdose of the drug killed her.
Opening arguments in a negligence lawsuit by Dee Spears against Botox manufacturer Allergan Inc. are set for today in Orange County.
At issue is the safety of the blockbuster drug, especially in the higher dosages that are used to treat children with cerebral palsy.
It is believed to be the first Botox case alleging a fatal reaction to reach trial, and is one of several pending suits related to the drug’s cosmetic and non-cosmetic uses.
The trial comes less than a year after federal authorities mandated “black box” labels that warn of potentially serious reactions to Botox. And it opens a window on the Irvine-based drug maker’s own records of reported ill effects, showing that the company knew of some serious problems linked to neurotoxins such as Botox as early as 2005.
Allergan declined to comment on the trial. In a court motion, Allergan says that Kristen died of a bacterial infection and that her mother cannot prove Botox killed her.
When the suit was filed, a spokeswoman characterized the drug’s safety record as “remarkable.” Serious side effects, she said, were rarely reported in more than 15 million treatments over two decades.
In a confidential 2008 report to federal regulators, Allergan said it found that the risk of death among children with cerebral palsy was low and that fatalities often resulted from underlying poor health.
Approved in the United States specifically to treat frown lines, crossed eyes and other conditions, Botox yields $1.3 billion in annual sales. But the drug can be legally prescribed at doctors’ discretion for a variety of other purposes, including cerebral palsy. It is also specifically approved for cerebral palsy in many other countries. Its use for that condition alone contributed $47 million to Allergan’s bottom line in 2007.
The drug uses botulinum toxin, a powerful poison, to block neural communications, allowing muscles that produce worry lines or gnarled limbs to relax. A few injections smooth wrinkles, while larger doses are required to relax arms and legs.
Feb
6
Link: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/1465912.html
BY ELINOR J. BRECHER
To some dogs, discovering a dead lizard in the yard is like finding a slice of bacon on the kitchen floor: a Category 5 tasty treat.
It also can be deadly.
A month after frigid temperatures killed reptiles all over South Florida, veterinarians are still treating dogs that may have contracted botulism by gnawing iguana carcasses.
The result: paralysis so severe that a few had to be euthanized.
Like other cold-blooded creatures, iguanas by the thousands froze to death during the freeze. Some dogs mistaking them for chew toys have shown classic symptoms of a disease so rare that most vets don’t see a case for decades at a time.
“I think it’s botulism, although it’s nearly impossible to prove definitively,” said Dr. James Dugan, a Pinecrest vet.
His clinic has treated several dogs suffering varying degrees of paralysis since the cold snap. All had munched on iguanas.
“Why they want to eat a rotten reptile that smells horrible and could kill you, I don’t know,” Dugan said.
Paralysis begins in the back end then progresses to the front legs, and in some cases disables the diaphragm. At that point, dogs must be intubated so they can breathe, an expensive step that many owners can’t afford.
In at least two such South Florida cases, dogs that couldn’t breathe were euthanized.
Serious problems like pneumonia also arise when paralysis affects the esophagus.
SOUNDING THE ALARMBroward County veterinary neurologist Dr. Brian Roberts first raised the alarm about the possible botulism link in a mass e-mail to South Florida colleagues in late January.
He said that several dogs had come to Veterinary Specialists of South Florida in Cooper City with paralyzed hindquarters. The common denominator: dead iguanas.
“We didn’t have a clue what it was for days or weeks,” said Roberts, who has sent tissue samples to the state’s animal diagnostic laboratory in Kissimmee.
He diagnosed botulism after ruling out other possible conditions. There’s not much a vet can do beyond “supportive care and range-of-motion” exercises, he added.
Botulism toxin renders the nerves and muscles unable to communicate, Robert said. Typically, paralysis sets in a day or so after the iguana encounter and the worst symptoms last at least a week.
The dogs can eat but can’t stand or walk. However, they’re not in pain, vets say.
That’s the case with Baby Miller, a 68-pound, 8-year-old Pompano Beach pit bull whose human family rushed her to Dr. Kevin McAllister’s clinic on Jan. 26.
“She picked up a dead iguana in the yard and by the next day was showing signs of weakness in the back leg that progressed to the front, and she could no longer stand,” McAllister said. “She was in a little distress: high heart rate, anxious and totally down.”
The family “had no idea what it was, and I didn’t either,” said McAllister, in practice for 10 years. “We were thinking maybe a stroke or [human] drugs. In hindsight, she had the classic signs of botulism. I’d never seen it.”
Baby’s “mom,” 22-year-old Melynda Miller, said that Baby had “gotten hold of an iguana” two days before she showed symptoms.
“My brother found her on the floor, and she couldn’t move,” said Miller, a Century 21 customer service agent.
Blood tests ruled out painkillers and roofing sealer, two possible culprits.
“It was so scary,” Miller said.
The normally playful Baby is slowly recovering.
“She is more irritated than anything,” Miller said. “She’s very aware of what’s going on. She can lift her head and wag her tail and is trying to sit up.”
She has, said Miller “refused to go to the bathroom in the house,” and must be carried outside.
The tab so far: $300 at the vet; $6 a day for Pedialyte, to keep Baby hydrated.
“She’s been stable and didn’t get any worse, and that’s what we look for, McAllister said.
Dr. Jonathan Kreissler of Miami Veterinary Specialists, said his hospital has seen “five similar cases in three weeks. Three are not walking, one was euthanized,” and one didn’t return for follow-up care. Its owners can’t be reached, and Kreissler suspects the dog has died.
Two remain at his clinic getting “recumbent care to make sure they don’t get bed sores” or secondary infections.
A COSTLY CASEOne is a Cane Corso, a huge dog in the mastiff family. Kreissler said the dog weighed 110 pounds in September and weighs 70 now due to muscle wasting.
The dog had complications and spent a day on a ventilator. Care so far is in five figures, he said.
Still, Kreissler isn’t sure he’s dealing with botulism, or that reptiles are the culprit.
“It would be really convenient to blame the iguanas, but it might be premature,” he said.
Still, iguana remains are out there, Kreissler warned. “If you have a lot of property, check your yard for dead animals, and check the water. [Iguanas] float, and pets think it’s a toy.”
Feb
5
Link:Â http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/1464427.html
BY ELINOR J. BRECHER
To some dogs, discovering a dead lizard in the yard is like finding a slice of bacon on the kitchen floor: a Category 5 tasty treat.
It also can be deadly.
A month after frigid temperatures killed reptiles all over South Florida, veterinarians are still treating dogs that may have contracted botulism by gnawing iguana carcasses.
The result: paralysis so severe that a few had to be euthanized.
Like other cold-blooded creatures, thousands of iguanas froze to death during the freeze. Some dogs mistaking them for chew toys have shown classic symptoms of a disease so rare that most vets don’t see a case for a decade.
“I think it’s botulism, although it’s nearly impossible to prove definitively,” said Dr. James Dugan, a Pinecrest vet.
His clinic has treated several dogs suffering varying degrees of paralysis since the cold snap. All had munched on iguanas.
“Why they want to eat a rotten reptile that smells horrible and could kill you, I don’t know,” Dugan said.
Paralysis begins in the back end, then progresses to the front legs, and in some cases disables the diaphragm. At that point, dogs must be intubated so they can breathe, an expensive step that many owners can’t afford.
In at least two such South Florida cases, dogs that couldn’t breathe were euthanized.
Serious problems like pneumonia also arise when paralysis affects the esophagus.
Broward County veterinary neurologist Dr. Brian Roberts first raised the alarm about the possible botulism link in a mass e-mail to South Florida colleagues in late January.
He said that several dogs had come to Veterinary Specialists of South Florida in Cooper City with paralyzed hindquarters. The common denominator: dead iguanas.
“We didn’t have a clue what it was for days or weeks,” said Roberts, who has sent tissue samples to the state’s animal diagnostic laboratory in Kissimmee.
He diagnosed botulism after ruling out other possible conditions. There’s not much a vet can do beyond “supportive care and range-of-motion” exercises, he added.
Botulism toxin renders the nerves and muscles unable to communicate, Robert said. Typically, paralysis sets in a day or so after the iguana encounter and the worst symptoms last at least a week.
The dogs can eat but can’t stand or walk. However, they’re not in pain, vets say.
That’s the case with Baby Miller, a 68-pound, 8-year-old Pompano Beach pit bull whose human family rushed her to Dr. Kevin McAllister’s clinic on Jan. 26.
“She picked up a dead iguana in the yard and by the next day was showing signs of weakness in the back leg that progressed to the front, and she could no longer stand,” McAllister said. “She was in a little distress: high heart rate, anxious and totally down.”
The family “had no idea what it was and I didn’t either,” said McAllister, in practice for 10 years. “We were thinking maybe a stroke or [human] drugs. In hindsight, she had the classic signs of botulism. I’d never seen it.”
Baby’s “mom,” 22-year-old Melynda Miller, said that Baby had “gotten hold of an iguana” two days before she showed symptoms.
“My brother found her on the floor and she couldn’t move,” said Miller, a Century 21 customer service agent.
Blood tests ruled out painkillers and roofing sealer, two possible culprits.
“It was so scary,” Miller said.
The normally playful Baby is slowly recovering.
Feb
5
Company Contact:Â
Israel MirzakandovÂ
718-523-8899
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 03, 2010 – Haifa Smoked Fish, located in Queens, New York, is recalling Haifa brand vacuum packaged Whole Schmaltz Herring with the lot number 20, because the product was found to be uneviscerated.
The lot being recalled is a product of Norway, individually vacuum-packed in clear plastic pouches with lot # 20 indicated on the label and distributed through various food retailers in the NY and NJ area.Â
The Whole Schmaltz Herring was sampled by a New York State Agriculture and Markets Food Inspector during a routine inspection. Subsequent analysis of the product by New York State Food Laboratory personnel confirmed that Whole Schmaltz Herring was not properly eviscerated prior to processing.Â
The sale of uneviscerated fish is prohibited under New York State Agriculture and Markets regulations because of Clostridium Botulinum spores are more likely to be concentrated in the viscera than any other portion of the fish. Uneviscerated fish has been linked to outbreaks of botulism poisoning.Â
Botulism is a serious and potentially fatal form of food poisoning, causes the following symptoms: general weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension and constipation may also be common symptoms. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.Â
No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.Â
Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled and should return it to the place of purchase. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 718-523-8899.
Feb
3
Infant botulism mimicking an acute abdomen.
Pisanti R, Vitiello R, Formicola S, Pisanti A.
Infez Med. 2009 Dec;17(4):254-6
Botulism is the acute, flaccid paralysis caused by a neurotoxin produced by Clostridium botulinum. In the infant, clinical symptoms are usually unspecific such as poor feeding, weak suck, feeble cry, drooling, followed by a symmetric, descending, flaccid paralysis beginning with the cranial nerve musculature. The initial symptoms of the disease are often similar to several diseases and therefore differential diagnosis is very difficult and rarely suspected by the physician. Since 2004 only 22 cases of infant botulism have been reported in Italy. Since most paediatricians are unfamiliar with the clinical manifestations of infant botulism, the diagnosis can be easily missed. Hence the disease may well be underestimated and underreported. We report a clinical case of botulism presenting initially with abdominal distention, thereby mimicking acute abdomen.
Feb
2
Wound botulism in injection drug users: time to antitoxin correlates with intensive care unit length of stay.
Offerman SR, Schaefer M, Thundiyil JG, Cook MD, Holmes JF.
West J Emerg Med. 2009 Nov;10(4):251-6.
OBJECTIVES: We sought to identify factors associated with need for mechanical ventilation (MV), length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, length of hospital stay, and poor outcome in injection drug users (IDUs) with wound botulism (WB). METHODS: This is a retrospective review of WB patients admitted between 1991-2005. IDUs were included if they had symptoms of WB and diagnostic confirmation. Primary outcome variables were the need for MV, length of ICU stay, length of hospital stay, hospital-related complications, and death. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients met inclusion criteria. Twenty-two (76%) admitted to heroin use only and seven (24%) admitted to heroin and methamphetamine use. Chief complaints on initial presentation included visual changes, 13 (45%); weakness, nine (31%); and difficulty swallowing, seven (24%). Skin wounds were documented in 22 (76%). Twenty-one (72%) patients underwent mechanical ventilation (MV). Antitoxin (AT) was administered to 26 (90%) patients but only two received antitoxin in the emergency department (ED). The time from ED presentation to AT administration was associated with increased length of ICU stay (Regression coefficient = 2.5; 95% CI 0.45, 4.5). The time from ED presentation to wound drainage was also associated with increased length of ICU stay (Regression coefficient = 13.7; 95% CI = 2.3, 25.2). There was no relationship between time to antibiotic administration and length of ICU stay.
CONCLUSION: MV and prolonged ICU stays are common in patients identified with WB. Early AT administration and wound drainage are recommended as these measures may decrease ICU length of stay.
Feb
2
Linden flower (Tilia spp.) as potential vehicle of Clostridium botulinum spores in the transmission of infant botulism.
Bianco MI, Lúquez C, De Jong LI, Fernández RA.
Rev Argent Microbiol. 2009 Oct-Dec;41(4):232-6.
Infant botulism is an intestinal toxemia caused principally by Clostridium botulinum. Since the infection occurs in the intestinal tract, numerous food products have been investigated for the presence of C. botulinum and its neurotoxins. In many countries, people use linden flower (Tilia spp) tea as a household remedy and give it to infants as a sedative. Therefore, to help provide a clear picture of this disease transmission, we investigated the presence of botulinum spores in linden flowers. In this study, we analyzed 100 samples of unwrapped linden flowers and 100 samples of linden flowers in tea bags to determine the prevalence and spore-load of C. botulinum. Results were analyzed by the Fisher test. We detected a prevalence of 3% of botulinum spores in the unwrapped linden flowers analyzed and a spore load of 30 spores per 100 grams. None of the industrialized linden flowers analyzed were contaminated with botulinum spores. C. botulinum type A was identified in two samples and type B in one sample.
Linden flowers must be considered a potential vehicle of C. botulinum, and the ingestion of linden flower tea can represent a risk factor for infant botulism.
Jan
30
Category: Botox |
Link:Â http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/botox-might-turn-out-to-be-the-next-bioweapon-of-mass-destruction_100310404.html
London, January 27 (ANI): Reports indicate that terrorists may use botox, which is used for wrinkle treatment, as a bioweapon of mass destruction.
Botox is the toxin that causes the deadly food poisoning botulism, but is also used in minute quantities to paralyze facial muscles and smooth wrinkles.
In 2006, a shady Russian dealer was found hawking a cheap version of Botox.
He claimed to have unlimited supplies, made in Chechnya, an alleged hotbed of Muslim extremism.
The botulinum toxins made by Clostridium bacteria are the most poisonous natural substances known.
They paralyse muscles, including the ones you need to breathe, and swallowing a speck of only 80 micrograms will kill you.
There have long been fears that a bioterrorist might slip some into the food supply. Sceptics retorted that no terrorist has ever managed to produce much.
Now, reports indicate that this barrier has been breached.
Proper Botox is sold by only a few licensed firms, for steep prices.
So, the demand for affordable wrinkle treatment by the world’s ageing population has created a lucrative black market, and labs in China, have sprung up to supply it.
The black market part is easy to believe, because of an incident in Arizona.
The toxin is also made for research and in 2004, some entrepreneurs in Arizona coolly sent off for 3000 vials of research botulinum - and got it.
Fortunately, the entrepreneurs were more interested in flogging it to doctors as cut-rate wrinkle treatment.
They were only caught when a customer used a bit too much on himself and his girlfriend.
In 2008, a blue-ribbon committee called the Graham-Talent Commission concluded that bioterror posed an enormous unmet threat.
Some of the people who have long warned about botulinum as a bioterror agent, and their colleagues, are high-level advisors on biodefence in the US government and on the Graham-Talent Commission. (ANI)
More at : Botox might turn out to be the next bioweapon of mass destruction http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/botox-might-turn-out-to-be-the-next-bioweapon-of-mass-destruction_100310404.html#ixzz0ds5ZOhEv
Jan
28
Category: Botox |
Link:Â http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-botox27-2010jan27,0,1928030.story
LA Times
The family of Kristen Spears alleges an overdose of the drug manufactured by Irvine-based Allergan Inc. killed her at age 7. The firm has said the family cannot prove the allegations.
Kristen Spears started getting Botox injections at the age of 6 — not to smooth furrows in her brow, but to calm spasms in her legs.
The girl was born with severe cerebral palsy, and Botox, best known as a face-lift-in-a-syringe, can relax contorted muscles and sometimes help young patients walk without surgery.
Instead, Kristen’s mother alleges, an overdose of the drug killed her.
Opening arguments in a negligence lawsuit by Dee Spears against Botox manufacturer Allergan Inc. are set for today in Orange County.
At issue is the safety of the blockbuster drug, especially in the higher dosages that are used to treat children with cerebral palsy.
It is believed to be the first Botox case alleging a fatal reaction to reach trial, and is one of several pending suits related to the drug’s cosmetic and non-cosmetic uses.
The trial comes less than a year after federal authorities mandated “black box” labels that warn of potentially serious reactions to Botox. And it opens a window on the Irvine-based drug maker’s own records of reported ill effects, showing that the company knew of some serious problems linked to neurotoxins such as Botox as early as 2005.
Allergan declined to comment on the trial. In a court motion, Allergan says that Kristen died of a bacterial infection and that her mother cannot prove Botox killed her.
When the suit was filed, a spokeswoman characterized the drug’s safety record as “remarkable.” Serious side effects, she said, were rarely reported in more than 15 million treatments over two decades.
In a confidential 2008 report to federal regulators, Allergan said it found that the risk of death among children with cerebral palsy was low and that fatalities often resulted from underlying poor health.
Approved in the United States specifically to treat frown lines, crossed eyes and other conditions, Botox yields $1.3 billion in annual sales. But the drug can be legally prescribed at doctors’ discretion for a variety of other purposes, including cerebral palsy. It is also specifically approved for cerebral palsy in many other countries. Its use for that condition alone contributed $47 million to Allergan’s bottom line in 2007.
The drug uses botulinum toxin, a powerful poison, to block neural communications, allowing muscles that produce worry lines or gnarled limbs to relax. A few injections smooth wrinkles, while larger doses are required to relax arms and legs.
Kristen died in November 2007 of respiratory failure and pneumonia, according to her death certificate. Experts hired by Dee Spears say Botox weakened muscles that controlled her breathing and swallowing, leading to respiratory failure and pneumonia.
Kristen’s death came more than a year before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered the labels warning of the drug’s potential to cause botulism symptoms, including “potentially life-threatening swallowing and breathing difficulties and even death.”
At the same time, the agency required Allergan to notify physicians that the toxin could spread beyond the injection site and to prepare a patient guide saying that it was not known whether Botox was safe for children or for other patients whose conditions it had not been approved to treat.
Spears alleges that Allergan knew problems had been reported at least two years before Kristen died. What’s more, she alleges, Allergan encouraged Kristen’s pediatrician to treat cerebral palsy patients with Botox and helped with his training.
“I don’t want this to happen to anyone else’s child,” she said in a statement.
In preparation for the trial, Allergan was required to produce safety assessments of Botox and other confidential internal reports. Portions of some documents were obtained by The Times after Orange County Superior Court Judge Ronald L. Bauer unsealed them.
The documents include a 2005 letter sent by a European health official that alerted Allergan of reports that botulinum toxin had spread beyond the injection site among patients who sought cosmetic treatment. There was at least one similar drug manufactured by another company in the European market, and the letter did not specify which products the reports related to.
Trouble with swallowing and “aspiration have been reported to occur secondary to muscle weakness in the muscle in the neck region,” the letter says. “Fatal cases of aspiration have been reported.”
In a confidential response dated Sept. 16, 2005, Allergan said its internal database contained 436 “serious adverse event” reports related to Botox.
Of those, 201 were “serious, healthcare professional-confirmed cases with events possibly due to remote spread of the toxin,” including 42 after facial wrinkle treatments.
Also in 2005, documents show, Allergan sent a confidential report to the FDA, saying that an analysis identified 38 patients — 20 children, most of them with cerebral palsy, and 18 adults — who had suffered seizures after Botox injections.
In May 2007, European regulators asked Allergan and two competitors to add information to labels and warn doctors that the toxin could spread, causing botulism symptoms.
Two months later, on July 16, 2007, consulting firm BioSoteria Inc., in a confidential report to Allergan, identified 207 patients with medical problems, including several deaths, associated with the spread of toxin.
A third of the cases identified by BioSoteria occurred in people treated for wrinkles; the rest were treated for muscle spasms, muscle spasticity and eye problems. Proportionally more problems were reported among children.
Kristen’s care proceeded as such reports flowed into Allergan, according to depositions and documents filed in court.
The Amarillo, Texas, pediatrician who treated Kristen said in a deposition that he learned to use Botox on children with cerebral palsy at Allergan-sponsored seminars in 2000 and 2001.
Dr. Rolf Habersang, who is a critical care pediatrician and medical professor at Texas Tech University, and his nurse practitioner wife, Pia, both testified that they believed that Allergan arranged and paid for them to fly to an Irving, Texas, seminar.
Allergan also sent Habersang to Little Rock, Ark., to train with a pediatric neurologist, the Habersangs said.
The doctor testified that he learned to dose children with 15 units of Botox per kilogram of body weight.
That is nearly twice the maximum dosage that Allergan considers safe for children, according to the deposition testimony of Allergan executive and neurologist Mitchell Brin.
But, Brin testified, the company never shared its maximum dosage information with physicians because of a federal ban on marketing for non-approved uses that it believed prohibited such communications.
Still, Allergan’s sales agents discussed the use of Botox for juvenile cerebral palsy patients with the Habersangs repeatedly, visiting the practice about 50 times over several years, according to motions and depositions.
One sales agent told the Habersangs that other physicians were using Botox “in the range of 10 to 15″ units per kilogram, Pia Habersang said in her deposition.
Allergan said in a court motion that Rolf Habersang was aware of the risks of Botox when he treated Kristen, although Habersang testified that he was unaware of the reports of seizures and breathing, swallowing and other difficulties among pediatric cerebral palsy patients. He said he would have shared such information with parents.
In June 2006, the suit alleges, Kristen’s health was stable. Over the next 15 months, the 33-pound girl got seven Botox treatments in her legs, groin and chest.
Kristen’s health deteriorated dramatically, the suit alleges.
Already subject to seizures, Kristen got them more frequently, and they got worse, according to one motion.
She was hospitalized 10 times for repeated bouts of breathing and swallowing difficulties and pneumonia, it says.
About six weeks after her last treatment, Kristen stopped breathing.
She died on Nov. 24, 2007, at the age of 7.
