The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (May 20) reminded people to observe good personal, food and environmental hygiene to prevent intestinal infection caused by
O157:H7 bacteria.
The appeal came after the confirmation by laboratory test of a case involving a two-year-old girl living in Tuen Mun. This is the second case of
O157:H7 infection reported to the CHP this year.
The girl was admitted to a hospital on May 19 and is now in stable condition.
Her stool specimen grew toxin-producing
O157:H7.
The child had no travel history during the incubation period.
06 May 2010
Thanh Nien News [edited][ProMed]
A food safety official in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday [5 May 2010] reportedly said 67 children from a local kindergarten suffered food poisoning after having lunch the day before [4 May 2010].
Within 5 hours of having lunch at around 11 a.m., the students of the kindergarten in District 2 complained of stomachache, tiredness and nausea, the health official reportedly said. Two of them were admitted to hospital due to critical condition, while others received treatment at school.
The students had rice, soup, fish and bananas cooked at the kindergarten together with 207 others. Raw materials for the lunch were provided by [a] Company in District 11. The school's kitchen usually complies with all the regulations, according to the city health inspectorate.
Vietnam- Diarrhea strikes wedding guests05 May 2010
Vietnam News [edited][FSNet]
Unfortunately for guests at a wedding feast in Bac Ly commune in Ly Nhan District, 47 of them developed acute diarrhea. Health workers are trying to monitor an additional 63 guests, while determining if the source was food.
China- Harmful bacteria found in milk from NW China food poisoning21 Apr 2010
Xinhua News Agency [edited][FSNet]
The milk that caused food poisoning in almost 100 middle and primary school children in northwest China contained excessive amounts of
E. coli and other bacteria, health authorities announced Wednesday.
Samples of the milk that had been drunk in schools in Xunyang County, Shaanxi Province, were tested and found to have a bacterium density of 16,400 per gram of milk, far exceeding the limit of 10 in per gram, said Zhang Jiman, director of a laboratory of the county disease control center.
Tests of 100 ml of milk also found 230
E. coli bacteria per gram, while the safe limit was three, officials reportedly said.
19 Apr 2010
Sai Gon Giai Phong (SGGP) Daily [edited][ProMed]
Five in 16 cases of acute diarrhea reported in the northern province of Hai Duong were tested positive for the virulent Vibrio cholerae, a health official was quoted as saying on [18 Apr 2010].
The director of the province's [Center for Preventive Medicine] reportedly said that all of the 16 patients live in the same village of Binh Giang district. They are being treated in the local hospital and [health center]. Epidemiologists said they all ate food at the [same] funeral ceremony in a neighboring village.
Medical workers of the district clinic have sprayed chemicals to disinfect the environment and water as well as kept an eye on another 250 participants of the ceremony and investigated the origin of the food used at the funeral.
Five cities and provinces have reported outbreaks of acute diarrhea and cholera, said the [Administration for Preventive Medicine and Environment] of the Ministry of Health.
Related stories14 May 2010-
The second case of acute diarrhea confirmed in Hai DuongRadio The Voice of Viet Nam (VOV) News [edited][ProMed]
A 53-year-old man in Hai Duong province has [been] tested positive for the bacteria
Vibrio cholera, officials confirmed. This is the 2nd case in the province so far this year [2010], the first occurred in Vinh Hong commune, Binh Giang district, in April [2010].
The Hai Duong provincial Preventive [Medicine] Centre is coordinating with functional agencies and local authorities to sterilise infected areas and offer treatment for patients in case the disease spreads more widely.
Thailand- Food poisoning from pork, botulism suspected18 Apr 2010
The ASTV Manager Online [in Thai, trans. Mod.SCM, edited][ProMed]
A total of 7 people in Lampang who ate Larb, Lu Mu (Lao meat salad made with raw meat made from a forest pig) are still in hospital, one of them in severe condition. The initial diagnosis is poisoning by botulinum toxin.
On 18 Apr 2010, there are 3 cases admitted in Lampang Hospital; a 67-year-old male, a 63-year-old male, and a 49-year-old monk. All of them had a history of eating Larb, Lu Mu. Symptoms were slurred speech, chest discomfort and body numbness. Two of the cases partially recovered with supportive treatment while the 67-year-old male requires respiratory support because of lungs infection.
Another 3 cases were admitted in Wangnua District Hospital: a 29-year-old female, a 43-year-old monk and a 49-year-old monk.
The 7th case is a male, admitted in Phayao Ram Hospital, who is in severe condition.
The patients are all Huai Num villagers, Moo 14, Rong Koa sub-district, Wangnua district, Lampang province. They ate Larb, Lu Moo from forest pig hunted in Doi Khun Song, on the border between Wangnua district and Doi Saket, Chiang Mai. During the Songkran festival [traditional Thai New Year's Day, celebrated from 13 to 15 Apr 2010], the raw pork was distributed to more than 100 people in the village. On 13 Apr 2010, cases with dry mouth, parched throat, slurred speech and chest discomfort gradually occurred. Initially, they were sent to a clinic but were then referred to Wangnua Hospital, Phayao Ram Hospital and Lampang Hospital. There were 2 fatalities; a male aged 47 years and a woman aged 53 years.
Taiwan- Botulism confirmed as cause of woman's death18 Apr 2010
Focus Taiwan News Channel, Channel News Asia (CNA) report [edited][ProMed]
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) under the Department of Health confirmed Sunday [18 Apr 2010] that a woman who died [14 Apr 2010] after eating dried bean curd and preserved oysters had a botulism infection.
CDC Deputy Director was quoted as saying lab tests confirmed that the
44-year-old woman from Miaoli County had a botulism infection, which is caused by a nerve toxin produced by
Clostridium botulinum bacteria.
It was also still not known whether it was the dried bean curd or the preserved oysters which the woman and her mother-in-law ate that caused the fatal botulism infection, Lin said.
The 2 Miaoli women were the 3rd and 4th botulism cases this year [2010], following a mother and daughter in Taoyuan County who were diagnosed in early [April 2010], the CDC said. The Taoyuan mother and daughter were treated with botulinum antitoxin.
Related stories:18 Apr 2010-
Four cases confirmed in 2010Centers for Disease Control, ROC (Taiwan) [in Chinese, trans. Rappt.AH, edited][ProMed]
Vietnam- Drug residue found in meat16 Apr 2010
Thanh Nien News [edited][ProMed]
Tests have revealed that chicken meat and pork sampled in Hanoi contained several illegal drugs, the Viet Nam Food Administration reported on Wednesday [14 Apr 2010].
Of the 72 pork samples, one had salbutamol, a drug to treat asthma, and 8 had clenbuterol, which is used by people with breathing disorders, the administration was quoted as saying at a conference on food safety held in Hanoi. 4 of 72 chicken meat samples had salbutamol and 10 had clenbuterol.
While farmers use the drugs to stimulate the growth of poultry and cattle, Viet Nam has banned them from farm use since 2002 because they have been found to cause heart disorders, headaches, and nausea in people who eat the meat.
Also at the conference, the administration said they found that vegetables and fruits sold in Hanoi contained chemical substances at levels of up to 13-15 percent higher than regulated.
Taiwan- DOH encourages cooking of packaged foods14 Apr 2010
The China Post [edited][ProMed]
Department of Health (DOH) officials urged consumers to cook their food and dishes well after 3 residents in Taoyuan County fell ill after eating packaged foodstuffs contaminated by botulinum toxin.
In the 1st reported botulinum toxin case in Taiwan this year [2010], a 61-year-old woman and her daughter, 41, are still under intensive medical care while the woman's son-in-law also showed moderate symptoms, said DOH officials yesterday [13 Apr 2010].
The DOH has started tracing the sources of the packaged vegetarian foods,mainly imitation dried meat, pig legs, and preserved bean curd for vegetarians the 3 purchased on their trip to southern Chiayi andTainan districts during the Tomb Sweeping Festival holidays in late March (2010).
The mother and daughter were hospitalized on [1 Apr 2010] after showing symptoms like vomiting, muscle spasms, and blurred eyesight.
The son-in-law said they purchased the vegetarian food with vacuum packing at different markets on the trip.
DOH officials said vacuum packing is a modern method of storing food in an airless environment. But the food items can still be contaminated during packing, delivery or storage. They said consumers should choose products from credible food companies. But the most important step is to cook or boil the ready-to-eat foods well to eliminate bacteria that cannot survive high heat. The same practice should be also applied to other packaged foodstuffs and frozen foods, including the popular frozen dumplings with meat stuffing, the officials said.
A total of 9 people in Taiwan were poisoned by botulinum toxin and 2 died in 1986 after eating brine cured peanuts from a local supplier.
There were 12 confirmed cases in Taiwan area during the past 2 years, the officials said.
Related Stories16 Apr 2010
Two cases (one fatal) of botulism, dried bean curd or preserved oysters suspectedThe China Post [edited][ProMed]
Vietnam- Another cholera case found in Ho Chi Minh City 10 Apr 2010Saigon Giai Phong (SGGP) Daily [edited][ProMed]A 3rd case of cholera was confirmed on [9 Apr 2010] in Ho Chi Minh City at the Tropical Disease Hospital, prompting the city Health Department to call for measures to prevent a possible epidemic.
The latest patient is a male university student from Ho Chi Minh City's Ward 7, District 5. He was hospitalized on [6 Apr 2010] suffering from acute diarrhea, vomiting, and severe dehydration. The student said that a day earlier he had eaten a meal of rice, sour soup and braised pork at a street eatery near the city's Bong Bridge, Binh Thanh District. Soon after eating, he experienced a stomachache, which then led to severe diarrhea and vomiting over the next several hours. According to the Tropical Diseases hospital, several patients suffering severe diarrhea have been seen over the past several days, including some acute cases. Most patients said they had eaten food sold at street stalls before falling ill.Related stories:20 Apr 2010-
Ho Chi Minh City announced 2 more cholera patientsSai Gon Giai Phong (SGGP) Daily [edited] [ProMed]
Two more people tested positive for the
Vibrio cholerae bacterium, a hospital reportedly said.
The 2 patients are a 25-year-old man, who experienced the symptoms of cholera on [14 Apr 2010] and his 18-month-old son, who [was discharged and] came back his hometown in the Mekong delta province of Tra Vinh on [19 Apr 2010] with his grandmother.
Health workers disinfected the area and raise awareness about the disease and provide residents there with a 5000 liter safe water tank because people living in boats lack hygienic water for drinking.
The city has so far reported 7 cholera cases.
13 Apr 2010
The fifth person tests positive for Vibrio cholerae Radio The Voice of Viet Nam (VOV) News [edited] [ProMed]
A total of 5 people have been infected with Vibrio cholerae in Ho
Chi Minh City so far, according to an official from the municipal health department.
The 5th case was a female pupil from Hong Bang junior high school in
District 5, who tested positive for the bacterium on [12 Apr 2010]. She is the sister of a male student who contracted the disease on [9 Apr 2010]. The results of an epidemiological survey have shown that all these cases of infection are related to food vendors operating near schools, which usually do not meet hygiene requirements.
Ho Chi Minh City has launched a hygiene campaign to raise public awareness of this and to closely monitor people suspected of having the disease. Vuong Phan Kim, an official from the District 5 People's Committee, said her district has taken preventive measures such as advising pupils not to eat unhygienic food, spraying disinfectant, improving the quality of canteens and taking samples from food and drinks sold by vendors.
13 Apr 2010-
Acute diarrhea spreads to Bac Ninh and Ho Chi Min cityRadio The Voice of Viet Nam (VOV) News [edited][ProMed]
08 Apr 2010-
First cholera patient reported in Ho Chi Minh cityVietNamNet Bridge [edited][ProMed]
Philippines- Food poisoning downs 70 in North Cotabato08 Apr 2010Inquirer.net [edited][ProMed]A total of 70 lumad [indigenous residents] have been brought to the hospital due to food poisoning after eating wild yam, a social welfare officer was reported as saying. The victims were from Arakan, President Roxas and Tulunan towns. None of the victims died, official sources reported.Cambodia- Food poisoning 01 Apr 2010The Phnom Penh Post [edited][ProMed]Monks received treatment at a hospital on Wednesday [31 Mar 2010] for food poisoning. At least 48 monks in Kandal province's Kien Svay district, have been treated for food poisoning in Phnom Penh hospitals since Monday [29 Mar 2010], health officials were quoted as saying. The cause of the food poisoning is believed to be uncooked vegetables, health officials were quoted as saying.
30 Mar 2010
Saigon Giai Phong (SGGP) Daily [edited][ProMed]
Three days after the Food Hygiene and Safety Department ordered the seizure and destruction of "Fluorescent lollipops" that contain a cancer-causing substance in their sticks, vendors are still selling the candy in Ho Chi Minh City [HCMC] and Hanoi.
Cartons of the lollipops, containing 20-30 each, are still being sold at market in District 6 as well as in front of some schools and hospitals including.
The lollipops can also be purchased from independent street peddlers for just VND 2000 [USD 0.1] each.
On [29 Mar 2010] in Hanoi, a joint inspection team found 4 boxes of the lollipops for sale at a stall on Hang Giay Street.
On [26 Mar 2010], the Health Ministry's Food Hygiene and Safety Department ordered its units nationwide to quickly seize and destroy the candy, which lists no manufacturer or place of origin.
The lollipops' sticks glow due to the presence of polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), a toxic substance that can cause cancer.
Related stories27 Mar 2010-
Contaminated lollipopsSaigon Giai Phong (SGGP) Daily [edited]
29 Mar 2010
VietNamNet Bridge, Viet Nam News (VNS) [edited][ProMed]
A high proportion of imported fruit recently tested by health inspectors was found to be contaminated with potentially harmful levels of chemicals, the Viet Nam Food Hygiene and Safety Department reportedly said on Wednesday [24 Mar 2010].
Of 10 tangerine samples imported from China, 2 tested positive for excessive quantities of deltamethrin, a synthetic insecticide. Meanwhile, of 40 samples of pear, grape, red apple, and tangerine of Chinese origin tested for harmful substances, 4 had excessive amounts of preservatives derived from chloride, while 8 samples were shown to have excessive amounts of organic pesticide.
The report was released at a conference on food hygiene and safety organised by the Ministry of Health in Ha Noi. An official reportedly said most of the insecticides and preservatives found in the fruits contained a significant proportion of pyrethroid, a synthetic pesticide that is harmful to fish and other aquatic organisms but is generally harmless to humans, but could become dangerous after long term exposure.
The conference also heard that of 1500 samples of meat and meat products from across the country tested recently, 41 per cent had
Salmonella, a bacterium that can cause food poisoning gastroenteritis and typhoid.
An official also reported that in 2009, 20 per cent to 40 per cent of health violations related to poor or missing labelling on packaging. 20 per cent of samples taken were also shown to be sub-standard. Furthermore, just 20 to 30 per cent of the food enterprises inspected were certified to operate.
Vietnam- Food poisoning killed 35 last year26 Mar 2010
Thanh Nien Daily [edited][FSNet]
Thirty-five people were killed by Vietnam’s 152 major food poisoning cases last year, authorities said at a health conference in Hanoi Wednesday.
More than half of the 5,200 people poisoned got sick while at home or visiting friends’ houses, while only 4 percent were caused by street food, the ministry’s Vietnam Food Administrator reported.
Others cases were brought on by food at parties and factory canteens.
Representatives at the conference also said that recent tests had revealed that many shipments of Chinese-import fruits were contaminated by high levels chemical substances and insecticides.
Ten percent of China restaurant meals use "oil" from drains and gutters19 Mar 2010
China Daily [edited][FSNet]
Oil from China’s drains and gutters treated to look like edible cooking oil in a lucrative night-time operation is being used in “1-in-10” restaurant meals in China.
The swill oil is apparently loaded with aflatoxin.
It was reported that a recent student investigation in Wuhan found 2-3 million tons of ‘swill oil’ makes its way back to rice boxes and meals out each year. It is usually sold as pig feed.
A professor on oil and toxin was quoted as saying the conspiracy starts at night when swill-fishers hollow out the stinking hogwash from urban sewages, followed by filtrating, heating, subsiding, dividing, and then in the morning comes out the clear-looking "edible" oil for unwitting customers.
Vietnam: Cholera (Hanoi)18 Mar 2010
VietNamNet Bridge [edited][ProMed]
A 28-year-old woman in Tay Ho district was hospitalized at a hospital on 12 Mar 2010 in serious condition, but has been released.
After 5 days, the woman completely recovered and left the hospital on 17 Mar 2010. This is the 1st cholera case in Hanoi in 2010. The Central Epidemiology Institute has been investigating the possible source of the cholera.
02 Mar 2010
Thanh Nien News, Viet Nam News Agency report (VNA) [edited][ProMed]
A team of inspectors destroyed hundreds of kilograms of bean sprouts this week [February 2010].
Local traders usually used 2 ml bottles of SHS that costs VND 1500-2000 (USD 0.08-0.11) in the market to soak 11-12 kilograms of the beans. The beans would then sprout 2 days faster than normal. The green chemical that smells like pesticide also causes the bean sprouts to store water and thus weigh 1.7 times more.
The use of SHS is banned in Viet Nam and the families had smuggled it in from abroad.
The chemical is also known as "leaf fertilizer" among Vietnamese farmers as they spray it on the leaves of plants and trees, and sometimes their trunks, to kill insects.
The Ministry of Health has banned the use of SHS, but many farmers still inject it into fruits to keep them fresh for longer periods.
South Korea ex Indonesia- Cholera19 Feb 2010
The Korea Herald [edited][ProMed]
According to media sources, Korean health authorities on Friday [19 Feb 2010] confirmed the country's 1st cholera patient of 2010. The unidentified patient who had visited Jakarta and Bali showed symptoms of the disease upon arrival and was checked by the quarantine office at the airport, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [KCDC] was reported as saying.
The checkup showed the person testing positive for
Vibrio cholerae O1, biotype Ogawa. The KCDC said it has acquired the list of 22 people who had traveled with the cholera patient to check if they had caught the disease as well.
15 Feb 2010
The Phnom Penh Post [edited][ProMed]
The Ministry of Health has reported that more than 100 Cambodians have tested positive for cholera since November [2009], reversing its initial refusal to confirm the presence of the disease and simultaneously defending its handling of the outbreak.
Speaking at a joint press conference held with the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday [12 Feb 2010], Minister of Health Mam Bunheng said there had been 128 confirmed cholera cases and one death. About 65 percent of the cases involved children under the age of 15, and the single recorded fatality was an 82-year old man from Takeo province who died after contracting cholera in January [2010], he said.
Prior to 12 Feb 2010, ministry officials had not released any information about cholera cases.
Officials reportedly said the ministry had taken immediate action after the 1st case was confirmed, visiting provinces in which potential cases had been reported to educate residents about the importance of frequent hand washing, covering toilets, and boiling drinking water. The official also reported that the ministry had distributed oral rehydration salts, intravenous fluids, and chlorine for disinfecting water.
Related stories
The Phnom Penh Post [edited][ProMed]
08 Feb 2010
VietNamNet Bridge/Viet Nam News [edited][ProMed]
Seven patients in 5 weeks have gone down with cholera in the Mekong delta province of An Giang, putting the provincial health department on high alert to prevent an epidemic.
An official told media sources that the patients were all from Cambodian provinces that have borders with Viet Nam.
The An Phu District hospital director reportedly said the 1st cholera patient was a 9-year-old girl from Takeo Province in Cambodia. When [the girl] was hospitalised, she was in cardiovascular collapse and had extremely low blood pressure. Two days later, [her] sister was also hospitalised in the same condition. 3 other patients who lived in the same neighbourhood were later hospitalised with cholera. Family members of the patients said they had used water from the same river to cook and drink and had eaten raw fresh water clams. One hour after eating, they started vomiting continuously and had diarrhoea.
An Phu District of An Giang has a border gate with Cambodia where cross-border trading happens frequently, which can cause cholera to spread very fast. The province's Health Department intensified its inspections of food stands in local markets.
Vietnam- Methanol, aldehyde found in southern Vietnam rice wine06 Feb 2010
VietNamNet Bridge/Thanh Nien [edited]
Rice wine with excessive chemical substances added to it killed 5 people and sent 23 to hospital between Saturday [30 Jan 2010] and Monday [1 Feb 2010] in the central province of Ninh Thuan, a local health official told media sources on 3 Feb 2010.
The official reportedly said tests showed that 2/3 of the liquor's samples taken from shops in Ma Trai Hamlet in Phuoc Chien Commune contained methanol amounts 192 times higher than regulated.
A chemical usually used in paint and fuel, methanol is highly toxic for humans. As little as 100 milliliters of methanol can cause blindness. Viet Nam limits methanol to 0.1 milligrams per liter for liquor.
The samples of rice wine, locally known as ruou trang, were also found containing aldehyde, another toxic chemical, in quantities 7 times higher than regulated 20 milligrams per liter, according to tests.
Related stories25 Feb 2010-
Alcohol poisoning kills 4 people in central VietnamThanh Nien News [edited]
Authorities in the central highlands province of Gia Lai on Tuesday [23 Feb 2010] reported that 4 locals died last week [week of 15 Feb 2010] after drinking spurious rice wine.
Earlier this month [February 2010] the central province of Ninh Thuan had also reported that rice wine with excessive amounts of methanol and aldehyde had killed 5 local people and hospitalized 23.
Fiji- Diarrhea (Viti Levu)
06 Feb 2010
Fiji Times [summ., edited][ProMed]
Dirty water appears to be the main cause of diarrhea cases at a hospital, as cases of infected people continue to rise. Over 200 people have been seen at the hospital in the last few days, and about 70 percent were admitted.
A Ministry of Health spokesman reportedly said they were trying to determine the cause of the problem, and this would involve collecting water samples. The official urged members of the public to take their advice and boil all drinking water.
Vietnam- Rhodamine B Contamination02 Feb 2010
Thanh Nien News [edited][ProMed]
A chili powder factory in Ho Chi Minh City [HCMC] has been suspended after its products were found to be contaminated with industrial dye rhodamine B, which is a carcinogenic substance, health officials reportedly said 29 Jan 2010.
Officials from the city's Health Department earlier took chili powder and reddening powder samples from the Kim Nga factory in Binh Tan District for testing. They found the chili powder from 500-gram packets produced on [20 Jan 2010] contained more than 51 milligrams of rhodamine B per kilo while the reddening powder produced that same day [20 Jan 2010] contained 33.4 milligrams of rhodamine B per kilo.
Rhodamine is an industrial dye used in the textile industry and is banned by the Viet Nam Ministry of Health from use as a food additive.
The samples were also found to contain other substances in larger amounts than permitted, the officials told media sources.
Related stories15 Jan 2010-
Rhodamine B contamination in chili powderThanh Nien News [edited][ProMed]
19 Jan 2010-
Water melon seeds and red pepper contain toxic chemicalVietNamNet Bridge [edited][ProMed]
31 Jan 2010
SGGP [edited][FSNet]
The unlawful sale of live, unquarantined chickens in Ho Chi Minh City has increased dramatically in the lead-up to Tet (Lunar New Year), with 212 illicit businesses recently discovered, the city’s Sub-department of Animal Health has said.
Most of the illegal activity is concentrated in 14 city districts including 4, 8, 9, 12, Go Vap, Tan Binh, Binh Chanh and Hoc Mon.
Over the past week, Animal Health officials uncovered 144 cases of unlawful chickens sales. They also seized and destroyed nearly 1,100 chickens, 250 kilograms of chicken meat, and 5,700 eggs.
The unsafe slaughtering of chickens has also been on the rise, officials reportedly said.
The HCMC People’s Committee has ordered the establishment of four inspection delegations to monitor the purchase, sale and transport of chickens in the city; and to prevent an outbreak of avian flu during Tet.
28 Jan 2010
Nelson Mail [edited][FSNet]
A campground in New Zealand is set to reopen after a norovirus outbreak was linked to the camp’s water supply.
Media sources report the outbreak of suspected norovirus at the Golden Bay Holiday Park may have been caused by sewage contaminating a creek running through the campground.
During a routine bathing water survey of the area's beaches a fortnight ago, Tasman District Council environmental protection officers found high levels of
E. coli contamination at the mouth of the Tukurua Stream, which runs through the campground. The level was 700 most probable number (mpn).
An official reportedly said a level of 240mpn would see the council start "intensive monitoring". At 500mpn, signs would go up warning people not to swim in the water.
Thailand- Cholera
(Pattani province)
26 Jan 2010
ASTV Manager Online [in Thai, trans., edited][ProMed]
A provincial health officer reportedly prepares the SRRT
(surveillance rapid response team) to investigate and control a
cholera outbreak in villages after cholera [bacteria] were found in
village pipe water.
A cholera outbreak in Pattani is still ongoing. Recently, the epidemic
has spread to not only fishing communities on the Pattani riverbanks,
but also to other villages located further away from rivers and the
coastal area. One of the reasons is that people consume seafood that
fishermen catch from infected areas. Nowadays, pipes water in the
villages have been found to be infected with cholera [bacteria], and
some villagers in 12 districts have contracted the disease. It has been requested that chlorine be added to
water tanks in the villages in order to limit the spread of the
disease. In the meantime, health care teams and SRRT have been set up
to investigate and control the outbreak in the field.
Since the beginning of 2010, there have been more than 80 people
infected with cholera. Patients are distributed in every district.
However, none of the patients is in critical condition. Pattani health
officials make every effort to continually educate the communities and
improve environmental sanitation in order to prevent a reemergence of
the cholera outbreak.
23 Jan 2010
Chinese Business View [edited][translated][FSNet]
An effort to eliminate "xian shui mian" or "saliva noodles" said to be invented by King Wen of Zhou, founder of the Zhou dynasty over 3000 years ago, is being encouraged in Changxing town of Meixian county in northwest China's Shaanxi province.
Media sources reported on Thursday that the township government has launched a 500 yuan award for the first six families that do not treat their guests to "xian shui mian" during the New Year or Spring Festival.
An official with Changxing township government reportedly explained that they decided to alter the village dietary habits for the sake of their health since the noodle soup is reused many times and contains each diner's saliva. The repeated use of the soup has brought about the name "saliva noodle," and is considered unsanitary.
"Saliva noodle," which carries a meaning of "a meal of family community and harmony", is popular in villages in the counties of Meixian, Wugong and Qianxian. In weddings, funerals, festivals and birthday feasts, traditionally guests are treated to saliva noodle.
Papua New Guinea- Cholera (East Sepik, Morobe, Madang provinces)
19 Jan 2010
Radio New Zealand International [edited][ProMed]
Another 500 people have been infected with cholera in Papua New Guinea
over the holiday period, raising the total to about 1900 cases. Close
to 40 people have died since the beginning of the outbreak more than 5
months ago.
04 Jan 2010
English.ntdty.com [edited][ProMed]
A new milk safety scandal has broken out in China. Authorities in Shanghai have closed a dairy company and arrested 3 executives, after milk products were found to contain high levels of the toxic industrial chemical melamine.
According to the state-run Shanghai Daily, melamine was found in milk powder and condensed milk made by the Shanghai Panda Dairy Co. Ltd.
Melamine is a toxic chemical used for making plastic. When added to food it can make the protein content appear higher, but it is highly detrimental to human health.