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It’s not just Ecoli you should be worried about when you go to the state fair, but Legionnaires’ disease now, too! Just this week, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services  announced its involvement in the Mountain State Fair Legionnaires Outbreak. As of now, 32 people have confirmed illnesses linked to the fair. One person has also died. Number of Confirmed Cases* Buncombe 15 Haywood 2 Henderson 6 Transylvania 2 TOTAL 25 What We Know According to the health agency’s website, “On September 23, 2019, the NC Division of Public Health was notified about an increase in the number of Legionnaire’s disease cases in Buncombe and Henderson counties. The source of the outbreak is under investigation. Many of the cases reported attending the NC Mountain State Fair, held September 6-15, 2019 in Fletcher, NC. As a precaution, anyone who attended the NC Mountain State Fair and is experiencing cough, fever or shortness of breath, is...

Few things are terrifying than getting into a car accident. You’re doing everything you can to stay safe, and then, all of a sudden, someone else runs a red light and plows into the side of your car. You saw them coming, but there was nowhere for you to go. All you could do was brace yourself and hope that ... The post Can a Car Accident Cause Depression? appeared first on Mirman, Markovits & Landau, P.C. .

Few things are more important than your childrens’ safety. As a parent, you’ll try to do anything you can to keep them from getting hurt. While you were pregnant, you spent hours researching car seats so that you could find the best one for your car, budget, and lifestyle.  Then you took the care and time necessary to make sure ... The post Do I Have to Get a New Car Seat After a Car Accident? appeared first on Mirman, Markovits & Landau, P.C. .

What percentage of cases settle versus going to trial? In this new video FAQ, Hach & Rose, LLP attorney Michael Rose discusses the benefits of the Hach & Rose, LLP strategy to prepare each case as if it will go to trial. Despite most cases being settled, the willingness to litigate each and every detail ensures each client receives the maximum compensation and award possible. If you’ve been injured in the state of New York, call (212) 779-0057 today to discuss your case with the Hach & Rose, LLP team.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has announced the source of an Ecoli outbreak that has left 11 sick – 6 of which have been hospitalized and one who has developed hemolytic uremic syndrome.  Those who are ill have reported to have attended the fair between Aug. 25 and Sept. 2. Illnesses began between Aug. 29 and Sept. 6. One person remains hospitalized. Here’s everything we know about the Minnesota State Fair Ecoli Outbreak: The Outbreak According to the health agency’s announcement: “MDH is working in partnership with fair officials to determine the source of the outbreak. Evidence gathered to date suggests that contact with livestock is the most likely factor. Most of the ill people reported visiting the Miracle of Birth exhibit and having contact with calves, goats, sheep or piglets. However, some cases did not have direct contact with animals and may have been exposed through contact with contaminated surfaces (e.g., fence rails). This serves as a strong reminder t...

If you work in construction, you have one of the most dangerous jobs in New York City. The Department of Buildings tracks construction accident-related injuries and deaths. In 2017, 761 construction workers were injured on sites across the Big Apple. That reflected a 13 percent increase from the number of construction injuries reported in the prior year. Data published by ... The post 8 Causes of Construction Accidents in NYC appeared first on Mirman, Markovits & Landau, P.C. .

City officials in the Bronx area of New York are investigating two cases of Legionnaires’ Disease. Both patients reside in Tracey Towers in Norwood. While tenants have been advised the development’s water system is being currently evaluated. The Department of Health says that residents can still drink the water. Norwood News reported the following: DOH staffers slipped notices underneath the apartment doors of tenants living in Tracey Towers, specifically 20 W. Mosholu Pkwy. S., in Bedford Park alerting them of the investigation, where two people in one of the massive towers were determined to be infected with the fatal disease that is known to be water borne. The disease is known to remain active in cooling towers, which has left Hill unsure how the tenants contracted the disease since Tracey Towers has no cooling towers. “People are stunned,” said Jean Hill, president of the Tracey Towers Tenants Association. Tracey Towers opened in 1974 and houses middle-income earners. In the ...

Sloths have become quite popular in recent years. They’re cute and funny. They’re beloved by Veronica Mars star Kristen Bell. It’s no surprise that more and more people have shown an interest in having a sloth as a pet. Is this something you can do if you live in New York City? Is it legal to own a sloth? Under ... The post Is It Legal to Own a Sloth in NYC? appeared first on Mirman, Markovits & Landau, P.C. .

With the end of summer fast approaching many people set to the highways this weekend to do some exploring and while many stay with family and friends there are some who will book a room to just get away from everything. Often hotel travel can be pretty cheap with popular travel rewards programs and credit card promotions for money back in spending points, so people opt to travel and use those to their advantage. This is why knowing how to avoid Legionnaires Disease in Hotels is a must for any avid traveller. Legionnaires disease has been in the news in our area a lot lately and it seems to be popping up everywhere. The question remains for many how do you avoid it? How does one get it in the first place? Why is it so common in water that is shared or in community water? We hope to answer a lot of those questions while providing ways to stay safe especially when staying in hotel rooms. How do people contract Legionella? The most popular theory is that the organism is aerosolized in w...

Being a stay-at-home-dad, lunchtime can be a time when I get to have a bit of fun in the kitchen. The little one is asleep, even I take a break from work to eat, and sometimes there is a recipe I want to try out before preparing it for the rest of the family. Other times though, when time is short, I will fix a sandwich. It was not until I began a food writer that I realized: Sandwich Food Safety is important!! We all have our favorite go to sandwich, mine is PB&J. If I had to pick a second it would be fried bologna – don’t judge. Whatever your favorite is, or if you like to live dangerous and have heartier sandwiches filled with all kinds of goodness, there is one thing most of us are unaware of: sandwiches are one of the most high-risks food we can make. Between how the sandwich is made, the type of ingredients we use, and what we do with the uneaten (if there is any leftover that is) part all play a part in food safety we need to be aware of. Let’s take a look at what kinds of...

Spring and Summer months bring so much fun and ways to make memories. This summer we have gotten out to do so many more things outdoors and now that our boys are both getting older we are finding these day trips to be a lot easier. We want to make sure that our outings have positive memories and no illnesses. We follow the CDC closely to monitor outbreaks of illnesses and make sure that the foods we love and consume tons of are not part of any outbreaks that could put a real damper on our summer fun. That’s why Cyclospora in the US is a concern for me! The CDC is a great place for information on so many topics, but we love it because they update their website with information on outbreaks so often and make sure that the public has a one stop spot for knowledge about recalls, outbreaks and so many other things. Recently they gave a lot of information about Cyclospora and outbreak investigations: While cyclosporiasis cases are reported year-round in the United States, cyclosporiasis a...

When you go out to eat, there is a level of trust you are putting in the hands of the people who are preparing your food.  There are regulations in place, health department inspections, and a cleanliness factor you expect of a food establishment.  But the bottom line is, a large number of foodborne illnesses occur as a result of eating at a fast food or full-service restaurant establishment.  According to the FDA Report on the Occurrence of Foodborne Illness Risk Factors in Fast Food and Full Service Restaurants, 2013-2014, prepared by the FDA National Retail Food Team, “Consumer demand for food away from home has led to increased spending in both fast food and full-service restaurants.”  According to the study, there are over one million restaurants employing more than 14 million food service workers. So, food safety as it related to fast food and food service is a thing. Food borne illness is serious.  According to the Center for Disease Control and Preventi...

As the controversy rages on over the legalization of marijuana, new issues arise. Not with the law itself, but with the already shaky ground of safety. New products pop onto the scene and while everyone believes this is progress, it may only cause a set-back to the industry. This is why many are calling for a standardization already and it may not be a bad idea. Did you even know that there could be issues with CBD oil and dangerous pathogens? Yes! CBD Oil and Salmonella! There is plenty of research and lots of money being put into this new area of legalization. There is one thing we do know for sure though: safety has fallen by the wayside in the in term. The latest comes from research found in the Journal of the American Medical Association that claims 69 percent of untested CBD products are falling short on their claims. Let’s take a look at the research, see what claims are being made, and how this is affecting food safety. In the past few years, numerous studies have been done ...

As a writer, there is a stigma surrounding drinking large amounts of coffee to fuel the creative juices. While this isn’t quite the case, I do enjoy a cup now and again. There is, however, something more dangerous to drink I’m sure everyone has tried at least once. If you guessed energy drinks, you are correct. Today, we are talking about energy drink safety. As with anything we discuss that is food safety related, I am not here to knock anyone’s eating or drinking preferences. I simply want us to have the best information we can and make our own decisions. With that being said, I want us to take a closer look at energy drinks: what they are made of, what can they do to the body, and then ask the hard question: should we be drinking them? Even though the ingredients are listed on the can/package, there are a lot of big words in there. And without a lot of digging, some of those ingredients are hard to understand. Let’s take the time here to break down the ones that could be question...

The Kane County of Health Department has confirmed four cases of Legionnaires disease at a retirement facility in Batavia. In a statement released by county health officials, the department is investigating the Legionnaires disease outbreak at Covenant Living at the Holmstad Retirement Community. Here’s what we know about the Covenant Living Legionnaires Outbreak: All of them were hospitalized as soon as they came down the symptoms. “We do not know if they are still hospitalized, or if they were treated and released,” said Susan Stack, Kane County Health Department Public Information Officer. All residents have been informed about the situation. Covenant Living owns retirement communities across the country, including one in Geneva and several others in the far northern suburbs. Illinois Department of Public Health and Kane County Health Department met Batavia facility staff to discuss the issue. They have started an investigation and testing for Legionella bacteria in all the pote...

A significant increase in acute frequent diarrhea has resulted in several cases of Shigellosis in Amador County. The County’s Environmental Health and Public Health announced the outbreak after a number of people were diagnosed with Shigellosis dysentery. Shigellosis is a bacterial infection that causes food poisoning. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps and vomiting. It is caused by bacteria called Shigella . Some people who are infected may have no symptoms at all, but they will keep shedding the bacteria in their feces, which can pass onto other individuals. The health officials are actively investigating the outbreak. They have enforced safe food safety practices at a lone establishment that has been associated with reports of illness. How does these dangerous bacteria gets into our food? Shigella is spread through fecal-oral route. It is highly contagious, which means just a small amount of germs are enough to make someone sick. People shed Shigella in their st...

The Ohio Department of Agriculture and the FDA has issued a public health alert after four cases of Scombroid food poisoning were reported in Montgomery and Franklin counties. The illnesses were sourced to Kroger stores at Austin Landing and Cornerstone fresh yellowfin tuna steaks. FDA has advised consumers to not eat and discard the following products: Yellowfish tuna steaks sold at Kroger retail stores in AL, AR, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MO, MS, NE, OH, SC, TN, VA and WV. They are labeled “Tuna Yellowfin Steak Fresh Wild Caught” with sell by dates of August 29, 2019 to September 14, 2019. They are either sold at seafood counters as raw yellowfin tuna steaks or seasoned in store-prepped Styrofoam trays. Advice to consumers: Do not eat these products and discard it if you have it at your home. Clean the place in your kitchen where the product was kept. If you are going out, make sure that you don’t eat the specified brand of yellowfish tuna steaks sold at these seafood counters....

A foodborne illness outbreak can be anywhere from 2 people falling ill from the same food source to hundreds or even thousands.  When an outbreak is identified, an investigation takes place to help prevent others from becoming sick for the same reason.  One of the tools investigators use is a surveillance network known as PulseNet . Here’s the latest on PulseNet and Whole Genome Sequencing: PulseNet Surveillance System PulseNet USA is a surveillance network used to compile and sort foodborne diseases in the United States.  Partners include state and local health laboratories and food regulatory agencies like the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Laboratories perform standardized protocols, primarily a type of laboratory test known as Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (commonly known as PFGE) as well as Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS).  This information is analyzed and uploaded to the network using...

A kind of dangerous bacteria called Clostridioides difficile or C.Diff is posing a threat to very sick and elderly hospital patients. The bacteria are shown to survive on disposable hospital gowns and stainless-steel surfaces even after they have been scrubbed clean, according to a study. The research was published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. It stated that C. diff is able to spread easily from disposable gowns used while surgery as well as stainless steel and vinyl surface even after disinfection. “The [bacteria] also transferred to vinyl flooring, which was quite disturbing. We didn’t realise they would,” said Tina Joshi, lead author of the study and lecturer in molecular microbiology at the University of Plymouth in the UK. Clostridioides difficile or C.Diff is an infection that causes severe damage to a person’s gut and lead to diarrhea or colitis (an inflammation of the colon). Around half a million infections occur in the US each year, according to ...