October 14, 2005
SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Oct. 14, 2005–William Marler, a nationally-known attorney who has represented the most seriously injured victims of E. coli in the United States, today called on Dole’s corporate leaders “to do the right thing and immediately pay the medical bills and wage loss of those sickened with E. coli in the Dole lettuce outbreak. In many past outbreaks, corporations have stepped up and taken care of the customers they poisoned,” said Marler.
To date, twenty-three people in Minnesota have been sickened with E. coli, eight have been hospitalized, and one child developed HUS — all from eating bagged, “pre-washed” lettuce. According to the FDA, more that 245,000 bags of lettuce may be affected nationwide. An alert and recall has been launched.

Continue Reading Marler Clark L.L.P., P.S. Announcement: E. coli Attorney Calls on Dole to Pay Victims’ Medical Bills and Lost Wages

Associated Press
Officials at the D.C. Department of Health are warning residents about Gulf Coast oysters contaminated with hepatitis A.
Officials said 29 people in Alabama, Florida and Tennessee have contracted the illness within a month of eating raw oysters from the same Louisiana shellfish dealer.
Investigators think the shellfish growing area was contaminated by discharge from a boat. The Alabama shellfish dealer that sold the infected oysters has issued a recall.
However, the contaminated oysters aren’t a danger anymore because their consumption date is long past, according to health officials. They said more shellfish from the infected bed will not reach the market either, because Hurricane Katrina has closed all of Louisiana’s shellfish growing areas.

Associated Press
Officials at the D.C. Department of Health are warning residents about Gulf Coast oysters contaminated with hepatitis A.
Officials said 29 people in Alabama, Florida and Tennessee have contracted the illness within a month of eating raw oysters from the same Louisiana shellfish dealer.
Investigators think the shellfish growing area was contaminated by discharge from a boat. The Alabama shellfish dealer that sold the infected oysters has issued a recall.
However, the contaminated oysters aren’t a danger anymore because their consumption date is long past, according to health officials. They said more shellfish from the infected bed will not reach the market either, because Hurricane Katrina has closed all of Louisiana’s shellfish growing areas.

By KRISTI L. NELSON
nelsonk@knews.com
October 14, 2005
In an effort to curb the spread of hepatitis A that has plagued Campbell County this year, health officials will offer hepatitis A vaccine to all public school students and more than 2,000 adults.
Health department and school system staff will begin vaccinating children 18 years old and younger for hepatitis A on Monday at public schools in Campbell County. They expect to reach all schools in the next two weeks.
In order for children to be vaccinated, students must have consent forms signed by a parent or guardian, said Sandy Halford, assistant regional director for East Tennessee Regional Health Office. Vaccinations, funded by the federal Vaccines for Children Program, will be free to all 6,294 public school students.

Continue Reading Campbell County offers hepatitis shots

October 13, 2005
KNOXVILLE (AP) — Campbell County health officials are offering hepatitis-A vaccinations after the disease infected several residents over the spring and summer.
Hepatitis-A symptoms include mild fever, loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea, tiredness, dark urine and jaundice. The viral disease is often is spread by poor hygiene.
Several people were urged to receive serum globulin injections last month after a restaurant worker in Jacksboro was found to be infected. Officials said the outbreak didn’t begin at the restaurant, though.
Health officials say the vaccination is a different shot and even people who received the globulin should take it.
The vaccine is being offered first to the county school system’s 6,000 students at no charge. They’ll be vaccinated at school, beginning Monday, by Health Department and school nurses. There will be vaccination clinics at all 14 county schools.
Another 2,000 donated doses of the vaccine will be administered sometime in November to Campbell County adults.

People who ate frozen, sliced strawberries at Wilbur, Florence Moore or Lagunita Dining Halls between April 21 and April 28 may have been exposed to hepatitis A.
According to Shirley Everett of University Dining Services, contaminated frozen strawberries may have been served as a topping for waffles, yogurt and ice cream at the three dining halls during that eight-day period last month.
Only frozen, sliced strawberries that were thawed and used for topping are suspect, Everett said. The recall did not include fresh strawberries or whole frozen berries used to make fruit smoothies.
“We are not aware of any ill persons on campus as a result of this potential exposure,” said Ira M. Friedman, M.D., director of Cowell Student Health Service.
All suspect strawberries were removed from use by Dining Services on April 28 and returned to the food distributor as part of a voluntary nationwide recall prompted by a cluster of hepatitis A cases in Massachusetts last February.
“We are not aware of any other outbreaks of hepatitis A attributed to those strawberries,” said Friedman.
Hepatitis A is a viral disease of the liver that can be serious but, unlike hepatitis B or C, rarely causes complications or death. The virus passes from an infected person in the stool and is most commonly spread through food or contaminated eating utensils.
According to Friedman, people who ate frozen, sliced strawberries as a topping in one of the three dining halls between April 21 and April 28 should wash their hands carefully after using the toilet and before handling food. They should not share eating utensils or water bottles from now until the incubation period has elapsed — approximately 50 days after exposure.
During the incubation period, individuals should be on the lookout for symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite, vomiting, stomachache and jaundice, and should immediately contact a medical practitioner or call Cowell at 4-CARE (724-2273) if symptoms appear.
Students who are at risk have been informed, and those who feel they fit the criteria should call Cowell to discuss the advisability of obtaining an immunoglobulin injection, Friedman said.
Everett said that the current situation appears to be resolved and University Dining Services has resumed its usual menu. “We will continue our practice of working with food distributors and health authorities to ensure a safe food supply and to take any suspect items out of circulation immediately,” Everett said. SR

By News Sentinel staff
October 12, 2005
All school-aged children in Campbell County public schools will receive the hepatitis-A vaccine after several residents contracted the virus over the spring and summer, health officials said.
An additional 2,000 adult doses of the vaccine will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Campbell County Health Department. Although the doses were donated by Merck Pharmaceutical, there is an administration fee based on income.
People at a Jacksboro pizza restaurant were urged by the health department in September to get an injection of immune serum globulin after an employee was infected.
More doses will be available for residents for $20 after the free doses run out.

Associated Press
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Officials at the D.C. Department of Health are warning residents about Gulf Coast oysters contaminated with hepatitis A.
Officials said 29 people in Alabama, Florida and Tennessee have contracted the illness within a month of eating raw oysters from the same Louisiana shellfish dealer.
Investigators think the shellfish growing area was contaminated by discharge from a boat. The Alabama shellfish dealer that sold the infected oysters has issued a recall.
However, the contaminated oysters aren’t a danger anymore because their consumption date is long past, according to health officials. They said more shellfish from the infected bed will not reach the market either, because Hurricane Katrina has closed all of Louisiana’s shellfish growing areas.