Communicable Disease Surveillance & Control
Current Communicable Disease Information
Please click on a topic of interest to learn more news and information in that area:
Pistachio Recall due to Contamination with Salmonella
Updated April 16, 2009
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a press release on March 30 to alert consumers of a recall of certain pistachio products due to contamination with Salmonella bacteria. As of March 30, there have not been any confirmed cases of Salmonella linked to the consumption of these products. For more information on this recall, please see the following links. According to the FDA, consumers should not eat pistachios or food products containing them (such as pistachio bakery goods and pistachio ice cream) until they can determine that the products do not contain pistachios that were recalled.
National Peanut Product Recall due to Salmonella Outbreak
Posted February 9, 2009
The City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) is working in concert with the CDC to help locally monitor a nationwide Salmonella outbreak due to tainted peanut products. As of February 9th, MHD is reporting 1 confirmed Milwaukee-area case of the Salmonella strain implicated in the outbreak, in addition to the 3 cases already reported elsewhere in Wisconsin. Click on the bullet points below for more information.
Staphylococcus: Methycillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus ("MRSA")
Click on the links to read the corresponding documents:
Outbreak Information:
General Information
Shigellosis is caused by shigella bacteria and can be spread through the stool (feces) of an infected person. The disease can also be spread by drinking contaminated water in pools, hot tubs, lakes, and rivers. It can also be spread when a person eats contaminated foods or drinks contaminated water. Exposure to even a small amount of the bacteria can cause shigellosis.
Symptoms of shigellosis usually appear 1-2 days after exposure. Symptoms may include fever, stomach cramps, vomiting, upset stomach, and diarrhea that may or may not be bloody. Symptoms usually disappear 5-7 days after they start. To prevent the spread of shigellosis, make sure to wash your hands with warm water and soap after going to the bathroom. It is important that you fully cook all meat before eating. Make sure to wash your hands with warm water and soap after touching raw meat. Use soap and water to wash any plates, counters, and silverware that have touched raw meat. Also, be sure to wash fruits and vegetables before cooking/eating. Do not drink or serve unpasteurized milk. There is no vaccine that protects against shigellosis.
In 2006, 101 cases of shigellosis were reported in Milwaukee County.
Confirmed or suspected cases of shigellosis must be reported within 72 hours. In Milwaukee County, cases should be reported to Milwaukee Health Department at (414) 286-3624.
Resources:
Information for Healthcare Providers
The City of Milwaukee Health Department continues to receive numerous confirmed case reports of shigella infection within the City of Milwaukee particularly within daycare, school and other institutional settings. Furthermore, a significant number of laboratory isolates from the outbreak are multi-antibiotic resistant. Please continue to report all suspect cases to local public health agencies as well as test for organism presence. Call 414-286-3624 to report cases or if questions regarding current outbreak. Click here for more info .
Antibiotic Resistance (Wisconsin Antibiotic Resistance Network or "WARN"
It's really important to take all medications, including antibiotics, exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to.
Other MHD Communicable Disease Web pages