One Egyptian Seed Shipment: Two Outbreaks
The European Union banned the import of certain Egyptian seeds and beans Tuesday following an official report that a single batch of well-travelled Egyptian fenugreek seeds probably caused two European...
View ArticleEU Likely to Lift Ban on Egyptian Seeds
The European Union is expected to lift its embargo on Egyptian seeds – put in place following the deadly E. coli outbreak linked to fenugreek seeds from that country – within the next two weeks. A week...
View ArticleEurope Open to Egypt Peas and Beans
Restrictions imposed against Egypt during this year’s E. coli O104:H4 outbreaks in Germany and France have been lifted by the European Commission (EC). Fresh and chilled peas and beans from Egypt may...
View ArticleEU Ban on Egyptian Fenugreek Seeds Extended
Last week the European Commission lifted import restrictions on fresh and chilled podded peas and green beans and other fresh produce from Egypt. The ban had been an emergency action imposed in July,...
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Food Poisoning at Top Cairo University Sparks Protests
Food poisoning has sent at least 479 students at Cairo’s al-Azhar university to hospitals and sent hundreds of others into the streets to demand the resignation of the school’s president. The outbreak...
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Europe’s Three Hepatitis A Outbreaks in 2013: What Can We Learn?
In the first half of 2013, Europe dealt with three simultaneous outbreaks from the hepatitis A virus. Knowing that at least two of those outbreaks were connected to frozen berries, Europe’s Centre for...
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Strawberry smoothies linked to Hepatitis A illnesses in Virginia
Frozen strawberries imported from Egypt and used by Tropical Smoothie Café locations in Virginia are possibly linked to a cluster of Hepatitis A infections, spurring state health officials to issue a...
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Egypt investigates strawberry link to Hepatitis A cases in U.S.
Egypt’s Ministry of Agriculture is investigating the possibility that strawberries being exported to the United States are contaminated with Hepatitis A. Ministry spokesman Edi Hawash said media...
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UPDATE: Virginia offers few details about Hepatitis A outbreak
UPDATE: After this story posted, a spokeswoman from the Virginia Department of Health provided additional details about the outbreak. As of the afternoon of Aug. 26, there were 35 confirmed cases of...
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Hepatitis A outbreak linked to smoothies spans 5 states; 51 sick
More than 50 people in five states are confirmed with Hepatitis A infections in an outbreak associated with frozen strawberries from Egypt that were served at Tropical Smoothie Café locations in...
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UPDATED: FDA seeks Egypt’s help on outbreak linked to strawberries
UPDATED CONTENT: As of noon Friday, Sept. 2, the Virginia Department of Health reports 66 residents of the state have been confirmed with Hepatitis A infections in this outbreak. That’s an increase of...
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Publisher’s Platform: One shot, two weeks, 81 victims so far
What we know about the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Hepatitis A outbreak: Once a person consumes human fecal matter containing the Hepatitis A virus, they have two weeks to receive treatment (one shot) or...
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CDC reports 119 people from 8 states have Hepatitis A linked to smoothies
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated this outbreak on Friday afternoon to a total of 119 cases of Hepatitis A from eight states. Forty-seven of these individuals have been...
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Berries tied to outbreak likely only went to Tropical Smoothie
Frozen strawberries from Egypt implicated in a Hepatitis A outbreak and used by Tropical Smoothie Café were not distributed to other restaurants or retailers as far as federal officials know, but more...
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Outbreak tied to strawberries slowing; victims sue Sysco Corp.
New cases of Hepatitis A infections linked to strawberry smoothies have slowed so much that the state hardest hit, Virginia, is no longer providing daily updates. In a weekly update, posted Thursday,...
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Egypt says its frozen and fresh strawberries are Hepatitis A-free
Egypt’s reaction to the Hepatitis A outbreak in the United States sourced to frozen strawberries exported from the Middle East nation may not be any more meaningful than its response to Europe’s...
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FDA bans frozen strawberries from Egyptian firm, cites Hep A
Federal officials have red listed frozen strawberries from an Egyptian grower-shipper because of contamination with Hepatitis A, but they won’t say if the import ban is related to the ongoing outbreak...
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Public’s view of berry recall blocked by corporate consideration
A vague link in the supply chain is blurring the public’s view of a recall of frozen strawberries from Egypt that are blamed for infecting at least 134 people across nine states in an ongoing Hepatitis...
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Strawberries linked to outbreak went to schools, restaurants
Health officials are urging foodservice operators — including schools and restaurants across the country — to check their freezers for recalled strawberries from Egypt that may be contaminated with...
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FDA, shippers fail to reveal who received recalled strawberries
State and local health departments across the country are apparently being left to their own devices to alert the public to potential Hepatitis A exposure from strawberries from Egypt as the window of...
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