Newsday, 7/25/08 (http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny–unevisceratedfish0724jul24,0,5674251.story): 

“New York state officials are warning consumers not to eat smoked mud fish bought in the Yonkers and Rochester areas.  The state Department of Agriculture and Markets says the fish was not eviscerated and carries a heightened risk of botulism poisoning.

The fish was sold in unlabeled plastic bags and was found by an inspector in at least two African markets.   Agriculture officials say there’s no indication as of Thursday that the fish has made anyone sick. “

Intro:  It’s a good thought.  With the economy lower than the satchels under Arianna Huffington’s  eye.  There may be an influx of novices trying tosave a dime by home canning. This could predispose them to botulism.  Aids like this could fend off trouble.

Friday, July 18, 2008By Carol Savonen

The Hillsboro Argus

Special to the Argus

Rising food prices prompted many people to plant home gardens this year. To reap the benefits throughout the year, you’ll need to preserve your harvest.

The toll-free Oregon State University Extension Food Safety/Preservation Hotline is operating this year until Sept. 30. Call 1-800-354-7319, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (except holidays). Trained volunteers and Extension staff will answer questions.

The many ways to “put food by” include canning, freezing, and drying. Freezing and drying are good choices for beginners. Some preparation is needed to maintain quality during storage; for example, blanching vegetables to reduce texture and flavor loss, and coating light-colored fruit to prevent darkening. Small electric dehydrators will dry fruits and vegetables efficiently. Appropriate moisture-vapor-resistant packaging is needed for freezing.

Home canning is a science that must be done correctly. If it isn’t, a life-threatening food borne illness called botulism could result. Foods that have lower acidity (such as meat, fish and seafood, nonpickled vegetables, and poultry) must be processed in a large pressure canner to kill the harmful bacteria. Your pressure canner must be in good working order, and the gauge should be tested for accuracy.

The length of time and pounds of pressure needed to process low-acid foods will be influenced by the type of food, the way it’s prepared, the size of the jar and your altitude. It’s very important to use up-to-date instructions that have been developed by food scientists. If you use a favorite recipe instead, you’ll need to freeze the food. This is especially important for homemade salsa, which has caused botulism in the Pacific Northwest when canned improperly.

Foods higher in acid (fruits, pickled vegetables, tomatoes) may be canned safely in a boiling-water canner. Processing times must be adjusted at higher altitudes. It’s again important to follow laboratory-tested methods to ensure both safety and quality of your canned food.

Safe canning instructions, based on U.S. Department of Agriculture research, are available from the OSU Extension Service website at http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/ (Click on nutrition and foods, then on food preservation and storage.)

A printed catalog of these and other OSU Extension publications is available by calling 1-800-561-6719. Instructions for canning, freezing and drying fruits and vegetables are also available online at the Lane County office of the OSU Extension Service: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/lane/food-preservation/publications. Or, visit the OSU Extension office in Washington County, 18640 NW Walker Road, No. 1400, or call 503-725-2300.

Newsday, 7/18/08:  Environmental officials are looking into whether a botulism outbreak is to blame for the deaths of large numbers of fish and mudpuppies in Lake Erie.

Smallmouth bass, catfish and sheephead, along with mudpuppies, an aquatic salamander, are washing ashore at four western New York locations: Point Gratiot, Sunset Bay, Evangola State Park and Sturgeon Point.

Department of Environmental Conservation authorities say they suspect Type E botulism poisoning. A bacterium common in the environment produces the toxin under some conditions.

There have been no reports of any human illnesses. The same strain of botulism has affected fish and birds in Lake Huron and Lake Ontario, as well as Lake Erie, in recent years

The following comes from a North Carolina State University Blog (http://lee.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=FOOD+5).  It contains some useful information about home canning.  What’s interesting to me is that they conduct classes on home canning.

PRESERVING SUMMER’S BOUNTY Posted July 14th, 2008 in Agriculture & Food: Food Safety & ProcessingIt’s about time for you to start gathering your supplies and making preparations for canning the vegetables from your garden or the ones you purchase from the Sanford Farmers’ Market or many of our roadside farm stands.Before starting to can, make sure your canner is working properly and the gage is reading accurately.  If the gauge is reading incorrectly, or if the canner is operating improperly, the higher-than-boiling temperatures that are required in pressure canning will not be reached.  All parts of the canner should be kept clean and in good working order. Check the vents and safety valves to make sure they are free of obstruction. The gasket should be in good shape in order to assure a tight seal once the canner is closed. When canning, make sure you use a recipes found in either the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, Kerr Canning and Freezing, So Easy to Preserve or the Ball Blue Book. These are research based recipes with proven processing times to make the product safe. Since its introduction, home canning has changed greatly. Today, two methods of canning are recommended: boiling water bath and pressure canning. Which process you choose is based on the acid level of the foods. Foods that are high in natural acid, that have been fermented, or that have enough vinegar added to make them high in acid can be processed in a boiling water bath canner. This would include all fruits, tomatoes, sauerkraut, pickles and relishes. Jams, jellies and preserves are also processed in the boiling water bath. All low acid foods need to be processed in a pressure canner. This includes all meats, fish, poultry and all vegetables, except tomatoes. All these foods contain very little natural acid.  Mixtures that contain both high acid and low acid foods, must also be canned in a pressure canner. An example of such a mixture might be okra and tomatoes. Failure to pressure can vegetables could cause botulism, a life threatening foodborne illness.  A temperature of 240O or 11 pounds of pressure is needed to kill the botulism spore. In addition to the temperature, the time needed to destroy bacteria ranges from 20 to 100 minutes. Never guess at the length of time to process food. Cutting the time short can be dangerous. The exact time depends on the kind of food being canned, the way it is packed into the jars and the size of the jars. Each year I receive calls telling me they have canned their vegetables the “old timey” way as well as some “modern ways”. Open kettle canning and the processing of freshly filled jars in conventional ovens, microwave ovens, and dishwashers are not recommended. Steam canners are not recommended because processing times for use with current models have not been adequately researched. We also do not recommended pressuring in excess of 15 pounds. From time to time you will find “canning powders”. These are useless as preservatives and do not replace the need for proper heat processing. Jars with wire bails and glass caps make attractive antiques or storage containers for dry food ingredients but are not recommended for use in canning. One piece zinc porcelain lined caps are also no longer recommended. Both glass and zinc caps use flat rubber rings for sealing jars, but too often fail to seal properly. Home canning is a reliable and safe method of preserving food if you follow safe processing methods.  For those of you who would like to learn how to can we will hold a beginners class on canning. This step by step, hands on class will be held Tuesday, June 19 at 9:00 am and repeated at 7:00 pm. Class size will be limited and participants are asked to call the Extension Center at 775-5624 to register and to obtain a list of supplies needed. There is $2.00 registration fee for the class. Again this year we will be glad to check your pressure canners at the McSwain Extension Center, 2420 Tramway Road, on Wednesday mornings from 10-11 a.m. or by appointment. We also have several pressure canners that we can loan out for a three-day period. Cooperative Extension has been a reliable source of food preservation information for over ninety years. Give us a call if you need any help with your canning of if you would like to obtain our latest publications on freezing and canning. Susan Condlin is the County Extension Director with North Carolina Cooperative Extension in Lee County.

Intro:  This is another blog entry (http://allicatsalley.blogspot.com/2008/07/poor-lil-guy.html)  about another infant who may have  contracted botulism.  What’s interesting is that the author claims that there is no antitoxin or treatment for it and that it must run its course.  Given the baby’s apparent age, I would think that he is a candidate for BabyBig immune globulin.  I wonder why this wasn’t mentioned as an option?

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Poor Lil Guy

I have two nephews and four nieces. Of the six, two are babies. Reagan is 10 months old, and Luke is six months old. They are adorable kiddos and I grow more fond of them every time I see them. On the 4th of July I got to spend time with all of the kids, and it was fun just to do things that kids do, like blowing bubbles and playing Hide and Seek.

So loveable!

We had another family gathering on Sunday night. As per tradition, we get together for a BBQ and then go see the fireworks at Weber State for the 24th of July. This year the fireworks were on the 13th, not the 24th, so I made the trek up to Ogden to spend much anticipated time with my family.

Little Luke was there, and not feeling at all well. He couldn’t hold up his head, and he was not acting like the curious, constantly moving baby I’d come to know. His mom and dad were worried about him, and the rest of us echoed their concern.

Yesterday, as I was leaving work and about to get onto 400 South in SLC, I got a call from my mom saying that my sister was taking Luke to Primary Childrens Medical Center. The doctor had told her that she didn’t have time to drop off her three-year-old anywhere because she needed to get Luke to the hospital as soon as possible. My mom asked if I would meet Kim at the hospital and pick up her daughter. I promptly agreed and called Kim to verify our plans. She informed me that she was already on 400 South heading east. As I turned on to 400 South, there she was, driving right behind me. We caravaned to the hospital, where she and her husband kissed Maddie goodbye and put her in my car before whisking Luke into the Emergency Room. I took Maddie to my other sister’s house, where she had dinner waiting for her.

It turns out that Luke has Clostridium Botulism. This strain of Botulism is different than the type you get from food, and unfortunately, there is no antitoxin for it. The only option is to let it run its course inside of Luke’s little body. Luckily, his mom got him to the hospital before the effects worsened. Now the docs there can monitor him and take care of him as the toxin continues to cause paralysis of his muscles, including his gag reflex.

Luke will be in the hospital for at least six weeks, which should be enough time for the toxins to completely leave his body. I was relieved to hear that most of the time, babies don’t have any lasting damage from Botulism, but my heart still hurts for Luke and the hard road he has ahead of him for the next month and a half. Please keep Luke and his family in your prayers as they go through this difficult time!

Bladen Journal, 7/14/08:  The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has been recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its work last year to remove potentially harmful food from shelves across the state.The department received a special citation from FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach during the federal agency’s annual honor awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

“We are thrilled to have our work to protect North Carolinians recognized by the FDA,” Agriculture Comm-issioner Steve Troxler said. “We share this award with our other state and local health agencies who worked hard on the Castleberry’s recall. We appreciate their efforts. Food safety is truly a collaborative that involves many agencies and individuals, and this award would not have been possible without teamwork.”

Last summer, Georgia-based Castleberry’s Food Company recalled 90 products because of possible contamination with a toxin that causes botulism. The products included 27 brands of chili, beef stew, corned beef hash and flavors of canned dog food.

Concerned that the products weren’t being removed from sale quickly enough, NCDA&CS inspectors, along with other state and local health authorities, conducted a blitz to check shelves at locations across the state. In 15 days, they visited 16,000 locations and removed 35,000 cans of product.“FDA salutes the efforts of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services during the 2007 recall of certain canned products,” von Eschenbach said. “In response to reports of botulism illnesses that were subsequently confirmed through FDA analytical testing to be associated with hot dog chili sauce, FDA oversaw a massive recall involving approximately 49 million cans of foods potentially contaminated with the deadly Clostridium botulinum toxin.

“NCDA&CS employees helped prevent poisonings and even deaths by working quickly and effectively to discover and remove recalled products not only from retail locations, but also from daycare centers, summer camps and elder care facilities.

“As a result, there were no reports of illness as a result of ingesting recalled products in the state. Because of our strong collaborative working relationships with key partners like NCDA&CS, our ability to protect the American public from food borne illness is strengthened.

“We are very grateful for their contribution, and delighted to honor NCDA&CS with this citation.”

The department was nominated for the award by FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs recognizing its prompt, organized and effective response to protect citizens of North Carolina and collaboration with FDA.

Columbus (OH) Dispatch, 7/15/08 (http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/07/14/duckded.html?sid=101): “Botulism killed 22 ducks in ornamental ponds at the Britton Woods apartment complex, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

A cracked cement overflow basin drained the pond and left it shallow despite recent rains, said Brad Kiger, a state wildlife officer. Lower water levels and higher temperatures left less oxygen in the water, he said, creating ideal conditions for bacteria to grow and release the toxins that cause botulism.

Because residents were feeding the ducks, an abnormal number of them congregated near the ponds, he said. That created more feces and increased the chance of botulism.

The dead birds were found on July 1. More ducks were taken to the Ohio Wildlife Center for treatment.

 Dr. Donald Burton of the Ohio Wildlife Center said waterfowl dying of botulism is common in the summertime in ornamental ponds.”

LA Times, 7/10/08 (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-botox10-2008jul10,1,7622786.story):   “More than a dozen Botox (botulinum toxin type A) users and relatives filed a lawsuit Wednesday contending that the blockbuster wrinkle-buster injured them or killed their relatives, and they blamed maker Allergan, Inc. for failing to warn them of the dangers.” The case, “filed in Orange County (Calif.) Superior Court near Allergan’s Irvine headquarters, links the toxin-based drug to three deaths.” The lawsuit “also contends that Botox injections both for approved uses, such as smoothing frown lines, and unapproved uses, such as treating migraines, left 12 other plaintiffs with a range of disabilities, including blurred vision, numbness, allergic reactions, flu-like symptoms, muscle weakness, and difficulty breathing.” Many “plaintiffs in the suit were hospitalized, and suffer from chronic, life-altering conditions. The most-common side effect cited in the suit is a loss of the ability to swallow, which causes a slow death from starvation or asphyxiation.”

Intro:  The following is an excerpt from a blog (http://mirandam.wordpress.com/2008/07/13/196/) about a baby named Carson who apparently got infant botulism.

“Here is an excerpt from an email I got a few days ago that is sort of a summary (well, like cliff notes version) of what Carson has been going through. This is from Brandy, his mom:

Carson was admitted to the hospital on Friday the 4th.  On Saturday he had an MRI that was normal.  Blood was drawn to look at the typical numbers and that was normal.  Not much could be done on Sunday but did take a stool sample for testing.  On Monday, he had an EMG.  Everything showed normal except the test for botulism was borderline abnormal.  The neurologist said this was all she needed to start jumping through the hoops to get the special medication called BabyBIG.  We will not know for sure if he has the disease until we get the test results from the stool sample, but this medication would be given anyway due to his symptoms and the EMG results.  The reason they don’t wait is because it could take some time to get the results.  The way I understand it, it needs to be injected into an animal to see if that animal gets the same symptoms.

So, I talked to Brandy on Sunday and she had GREAT news. Carson’s tests came back positive for infant botulism!! I never would have thought I’d be saying that with such excitement-but seriously, that is great news. Much better than having Anterior Horn Cell Disease or any of the other things it could have been with those symptoms. So, YAY! Thank you so much for your prayers, and if you have it in you for more, please pray that he heals up well! This BabyBIG medicine will stay in his system for up to 3 months. Medicine  which , by the way,  costed $45,000 dollars. Yes, that’s no error…45 grand! Thank God for insurance, right? So, little Carson is on his way to recovery. They have no idea how he could have gotten in but the public health will probably want to investigate and see. Chris does work in a nasty enviornment and could have had spores on his skin…but who really knows.