Cayman Islands- Foodborne Illness linked to Food Festival and Staphylococcal
30 Jan 2012
Cayman News Service [edited] [ProMed]
http://www.caymannewsservice.com/health/2012/01/30/food-poisoning-outbreak-taste-cayman
Government officials have confirmed that at least 20 people may have been affected by food poisoning after attending an event at Camana Bay on Saturday evening (28th of Jan. 2012). Patients began arriving at the hospital after attending the food festival complaining of diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps. Based on the symptoms, it is thought that the illnesses might be due to staphylococcal infection, an organism that is prevalent and produces toxin. Tests might be done on leftover suspected food from the festival (there were over 43 food vendors). Most of the patients recovered quickly and were released from hospital without any further adverse consequences.

Colombia- Poisoning, fatal, fermented drink

15 Jan 2012

Caracol Radio [edited] [ProMed]

http://www.caracol.com.co/noticias/regional/un-indigena-muerto-y-al-menos-10-mas-graves-deja-intoxicacion-con-chicha-en-calamar-guaviare/20120115/nota/1606808.aspx

There was a mass poisoning among a group living in the Colombian Amazon after they drank "chicha" [a homemade fermented drink]. One person died and 10 more are in critical condition. The incident occurred in a village located 4 hours from the urban center of the municipality of Calamar. According to information provided by the mayor, the settlement leader reported that apparently the situation resulted from chicha prepared with bananas that had been sprayed.

Haiti- Cholera, diarrhea, dysentery update
11 Jan 2012
Operational Biosurveillance [edited] [ProMed]
http://biosurveillance.typepad.com/haiti_operational_biosurv/2012/01/erupt=ion-of-new-cholera-activity-in-pestel-haiti.html
On January 5, 2012, the Haiti Epidemic Advisory System (HEAS) came out with reports of approximately 200 cases of cholera and 17 fatalities in Pestel (an extremely remote area of Haiti). Other reports have said that there may be as many as 300 cases of cholera.

Argentina- Brucellosis
21 Dec 2011
Eldiariodelfindelundo.com [edited] [ProMed]
http://www.eldiariodelfindelmundo.com/noticias/leer/40248/destacan-acciones-articuladas-ante-brote-de-brucelosis-en-rio-grande.html
Health authorities are working with municipalities to develop outbreak control strategies for responding to brucellosis cases that have been reported in Margen Sur de Rio Grande community. The head of the Epidemiology and Health Information in the Ministry of Health reported that they are collaborating with the National Direction of Epidemiology and the Pan American Health Organization (along with other organizations) on a study next year [2012] for measuring the prevalence of brucellosis in dogs, since the transmission (of brucellosis from dogs) is quite unusual in humans. In June 2011, a case of brucellosis was diagnosed in a 2-year old girl and the causative agent was identified as Brucella canis. It’s been stated that this is a microorganism that rarely causes disease in humans, and most cases of brucellosis in humans are caused by Brucella species, whose reservoir is cattle - usually a foodborne disease. The mother of the ill child also became infected. Researchers are taking into account the unusual pattern of transmission and decided to study possible human contacts and 97 dogs in the surrounding areas in the community. Researchers found that 29 of 97 dogs tested were positive for Brucella canis.

Brazil- Brazilian soccer great, dies from food poisoning
04 Dec. 2011
Barfblog [edited] [BITES]
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/151756/11/12/04/socrates-brazilian-soccer-great-dies-food-poisoning-57
A legendary Brazilian soccer captain died Sunday at the age of 57 after suffering an intestinal infection. The star of the 1982 World Cup was rushed to a hospital late Thursday after suffering food poisoning and was reported to be in critical condition. The soccer legend’s wife and a friend also got sick after eating the stroganoff, but survived the illness.

Chile- TRICHINELLOSIS
22 Nov 2011
biobiochile.cl [edited] [ProMed]
http://www.biobiochile.cl/2011/11/19/seremi-de-salud-de-los-rios-confirma-caso-de-triquinosis-en-la-comuna-de-la-union.shtml
There have been cases of trichinellosis reported. A local health care officer emphasized the recommendation to use meat and pork only from well-recognized sources, and in case these foods are from animals locally slaughtered, they must be analyzed by a veterinary in order to rule out the presence of the parasite by means of a test called trichinoscopy, so that any health risk may be avoided.

Brazil- Toxoplasmosis
3 Oct 2011
Cicuito, Mato Grosso [edited] [ProMed]
<http://www.circuitomt.com.br/editorias/cidades/5863-vigilancia-sanitaria-apura-surto-de-toxoplasmose.html>
An outbreak, with 30 cases reported, placed teams of health surveillance and combat endemic diseases on alert. So far, 18 cases were confirmed by laboratory tests. The other cases are still being investigated. Pregnant women are the people who most need to be careful.

Haiti- UN: 500,000 Haiti cholera cases likely by year end
26 Oct. 2011
WHO [edited] [CAHFS-DailyNews]
http://www.who.int/hac/crises/hti/en/
The World Health Organization (WHO) says the number of cholera cases in Haiti is expected to exceed 500,000 by the end of 2011. The U.N. health agency reports that 470,000 cases and 6,600 deaths have so far been recorded. WHO is examining whether a large-scale cholera vaccination campaign is possible in Haiti.

Related stories:

Haiti- Cholera Update
30 Sep 2011
Xinhua News Agency [edited] [ProMed]
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/health/2011-10/01/c_131170772.htm>
Haitian health authorities on Friday, September 30, 2011, stated that the number of deaths caused by cholera increased to 6435 in the Caribbean country since October 2010. The Dominican Republic, a country neighboring Haiti, has also been suffering the disease since November 2010, which has killed at least 135 people there.

Haiti- Cholera Outbreak Update

7 Sep 2011
New York Times Editorial [edited] [ProMed]
A cholera outbreak has killed more than 6000 people in Haiti since October 2010 and is far from under control. More than 420 000 people have been sickened since the disease emerged in a rural area north of Port-au-Prince, apparently after sewage contaminated the river. The cholera mortality rate in Haiti's vulnerable Southeast region was 5.3 percent in July 2011. Access to proper treatment could keep that rate below one percent. A UN report in August [2011] warned that money and manpower are running short. The number of staff members assigned to cholera treatment centers were decreasing. Controlling this epidemic requires building up the public sector, which is the only hope for Haitians after charitable aid dries up.

Peru- FOODBORNE ILLNESS, FATAL and RODENTICIDE SUSPECTED
22 Sep. 2011
BBC News [edited] [ProMed]
A total of 3 children have died and more than 50 others are seriously ill in Peru after eating a school meal contaminated with pesticide. The children were being fed by a government nutrition program in a remote mountain village in the north of the country. It is suspected that the meal of rice and fish was prepared in a container which may have previously held rat poison. The poisoning happened in the village of Redondo in the Cajamarca region. The 3 dead were between 6 and 10 years old. Prosecutors and health ministry officials are investigating how the meal became tainted.

Argentina- TRICHINELLOSIS
17 Aug 2011
Dia a Dia [edited] [ProMed]
The sausage maker reportedly responsible for the outbreak of trichinosis, which affected 35 people, has been identified. All of the materials used by this individual have been seized. The outbreak began in a single town and later spread to larger cities.

Haiti- CHOLERA
9 July 2011
Associated Press [edited] [ProMed]
Aid workers in Haiti are expressing concerns over limited resources during the latest surge of cholera. After weeks of heavy rains, the number of cases spiked to 1700 a day by the middle of June 2011. While the number has eased somewhat, the Health Ministry
stated that clinics are receiving about 1000 new cases daily. The Health Ministry reports that cholera has sickened at least 370,000 people and killed more than 5,500.

Haiti and the Dominican Republic- CHOLERA, DIARRHEA AND DYSENTERY
28 June 2011
AlertNet [edited] [ProMed]
There was a rise in the number of cholera cases reported in May and early June 2011, particularly around Port-au-Prince and in the southern peninsula as well as in Artibonite and Nord. This increase may be due to the beginning of the rainy season and the flooding that hit the capital. Between 2 May 2011 and 12 June 2011, a total of 18,182 new cases were notified in Port-au-Prince, where 90 percent of the 2,300 beds in cholera treatment facilities were occupied. As of 21 Jun 2011, the occupancy rate had dropped to 72 percent. On 12 June 2011, the Ministry of Public Health reported 344,623 cases of cholera and 5,397 related deaths since the beginning of the outbreak in October 2010. Poor access to clean water and proper sanitation remains the main challenge in fighting the epidemic.

Chile- Salmonella outbreak affects 47 people
17 June 2011
Emol.com [edited] [BITES]
The emergency unit of a local hospital treated 25 people for foodborne illness, including 2 children, a pregnant woman, 2 adults, one elderly person, and a diabetic. Five people remain hospitalized related to a salmonellosis outbreak that affected 47 individuals who ingested homemade mayonnaise. It is believed that they consumed homemade mayonnaise at a religious event.

Haiti- Update on the Cholera
8 June 2011
PAHO [edited] [CAHFS-DailyNews]
The Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) case surveillance system reported that there has been an increase in the number of hospitalized patients in Port-au-Prince and the Centre department. This increase coincides with the beginning of the rainy season in Haiti. Most of the contacted cholera treatment centers report that they are at full capacity, but continue to receive new patients. It is estimated that 1300 patients are currently in cholera treatment centers and units in Port-au-Prince. As of the 29th of May 2011, MSPP reports 321,066 cases seen since the beginning of the outbreak, including 5337 deaths.

Brazil- Botulism linked to sausage
07 April 2011
Radio Criciuma [edited] [BITES]
The secretary of state for health confirmed on Wednesday (6 April 2011) that an outbreak of botulism causing seven illnesses took place. It has been confirmed that the bacterium, Clostridium botulinum, was present in bologna sausage.

Colombia- Salmonellosis, fast food restaurant
29 March 2011
El Liberal [edited] [ProMed]
The staff from the National Institute for Drug and Food Surveillance and from laboratories of the Cauca Secretariat of Health have been conducting a series of studies to identify the causes of an outbreak of gastroenteritis that affected about 128 people and was linked to a fast food restaurant. According to an initial report from the Cauca Secretariat of Health, although laboratory results are still pending for some of the samples, preliminary results indicate that the patients contracted salmonellosis after eating contaminated meat.

Dominican Republic- Cholera
25 March 2011
Physorg.com [edited] [ProMed]
A cholera outbreak has killed 7 people and infected nearly 650 in the Dominican Republic. Authorities plan to launch a public awareness campaign to warn people about the waterborne bacterial disease and urge strict hygiene measures to control the outbreak.

Haiti- Cholera, diarrhea and dysentery updates
12 Apr 2011
Public Broadcasting Company [edited] [ProMed]
The long rainy season is just beginning in Haiti, increasing the number of cases of cholera just as critical sanitation services are in limbo. Cholera is waterborne and often spreads through sewage, making it harder to contain in rainy, wet conditions. According to come health centers, since the rainy season began in, they have seen close to 1,000 cases. Many of the new cases are less severe than the deadly wave that first hit the country last fall [2010]. The country is seeing about 2,000 new cases of cholera a week, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [OCHA], but a lack of funds for sanitation services could make the situation worse. The mortality rate for the disease has dropped to 1.7 percent nationally- down from close to 9 percent, but the distribution of deaths is uneven and rural areas without access to services are still at risk. There have been an estimated 250,000 reported cases since October 2010, and more than 4600 deaths, according to the Pan American Health Organization.
Related story:
Haiti- Cholera Update
11 March 2011
Sify.com [edited] [ProMed]
The death toll due to cholera in Haiti has reached 4672, since the first case was detected in October 2010. A report from the Ministry of Public Health stated that 252,640 people were infected with the disease and 136,407 were hospitalized. The Ouest region, where the capital city of Port au Prince is located, is the most affected with 876 deaths.

Dominican Republic- Cholera at banquet
21 Feb 2011
Agence France-Presse (AFP) [edited] [ProMed]
The government of Venezuela has reported that a cholera outbreak has been contained, which sickened hundreds of its citizens, who caught the disease at a wedding in the Dominican Republic. The illness infected some 450 people who attended a wedding in January 2011 in the Dominican Republic that borders Haiti, which was the original source of the outbreak of the waterborne bacterial disease.
Related Story:
Dominican Republic- Contaminated food from caterer
31 Jan. 2011
Jamaica Observer [edited] [BITES]
A resort in the Dominican Republic reported that the food served there that resulted in guests becoming infected with cholera was provided by a caterer who had no connection to the resort. The resort was responding to an article on new cases of cholera detected among guests at a wedding on January 22, 2011.

Haiti- Acute Flaccid Paralysis, Osmotic Demyelination Syndrome
26 Jan. 2011
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) [edited] [ProMed]
Officials from the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), along with colleagues from Haiti's Ministry of Health and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are looking into 4 cases of paralysis in recovering cholera patients in Port-de-Paix, Haiti and, pending laboratory results, are likely to rule out polio as a cause. Experts including toxicologists are investigating possible contamination at a hospital or at home from medication, food or another source as the cause of death in these cases. PAHO and CDC officials are conducting field studies and will report their findings as soon as laboratory results are available. PAHO/WHO field epidemiologists and local health authorities first reported a cluster of acute neurological syndromes in that department [10 Jan 2011]. As of [24 Jan 2011], 4 cases with acute neurological syndrome, including 3 deaths, were reported, with dates of onset from November to December 2010. All of the cases were seen at the same cholera treatment center and returned 2-4 days later with neurological symptoms, at which point they were hospitalized.

Trinidad & Tobago- 56 students fall ill
15 Jan. 2011
Trinidad & Tobago’s Newsday [edited] [BITES]
Within the last three days, 56 students and one teacher have fallen ill at a Primary School. Reports state that on Wednesday students began vomiting, experienced stomach pains and diarrhea, however, no one has been hospitalized. School authorities and officers from the ministry held meetings in an attempt to determine the cause of the student’s symptoms.

Jamaica- Ackee Poisoning Alert
14 Jan 2011
Jamaica Observer [edited] [ProMed]
The Ministry of Health is warning the public against eating unfit and unopened ackees. The Ministry's surveillance unit has detected 35 cases of ackee poisoning from 1 Dec 2010 to 12 Jan 2011. The Outbreak Response Team is working to improve public education and the capacity of the surveillance system. Ackees should be properly cleaned by removing the seed and the pink or reddish membrane, then washed before cooking to prevent possible poisoning especially because of the high levels of toxins that may be contained in the unripe fruit. Ackees should be cooked by themselves. If not properly ripened, ackee contains high levels of a toxin called hypoglycin which can potentially lead to death if consumed. Symptoms of ackee poisoning include vomiting, stomach cramps/abdominal pain, dizziness, diarrhoea and sweating. If persons are experiencing these symptoms they should seek medical attention immediately.

Costa Rica- Salmonella or Norovirus in chicken, 80 sickened, hotel closed
01 Jan. 2011
Barfblog [edited] [BITES]
An ongoing inspection has revealed traces of salmonella in a hotel’s chicken. It has been reported that the hotel was closed on Dec. 26 after 80 hotel guests reported gastrointestinal problems. But, according to Health Minister, salmonella was not detected in any of the patients- the patients were determined to have norovirus.

Jamaica- Foodborne Illness, Fatal, Sodium Nitrate
9 Jan 2011
The Gleaner [edited] [ProMed]
An autopsy of Argentinean tourist, who died after eating a meal of fish and potatoes, points to an ingestion of saltpeter. Sodium nitrate (saltpetre) is often used for curing meats. It is believed that the tourist purchased the product mistaking it for table salt. He reportedly used it excessively in the meal that he prepared, and this was evidenced by the half-empty bottle of saltpetre that was found at the villa. Saltpetre prevents the hemoglobin in the blood from carrying oxygen at high levels.