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.