SACRAMENTO – Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and state health officer, reminds consumers that they can protect themselves from illness caused by Salmonella and safely eat chicken by following the proper precautions when handling and cooking poultry.
The reminder comes as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Inspection Service (FSIS) on October 7, 2013, issued a public health alert warning consumers of illnesses caused by the bacteria Salmonella and associated with the consumption of chicken processed by three Foster Farms facilities in California.
The CDPH has not requested Foster Farms to recall chickens because, with proper handling and preparation, this product is safe for consumption.
“Chicken is a raw animal protein that is expected to have some level of naturally occurring bacteria present. Cooking chicken fully to 165 degrees Fahrenheit will kill the bacteria that are present. Provided that consumers do not cross-contaminate fully cooked chicken with raw chicken juices, it is safe to consume,” said Dr. Chapman.
For the past several months, CDPH, in coordination with State and local health departments, the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the USDA-FSIS, has been investigating illnesses due to infections with several strains of Salmonella Heidelberg thought to be associated with consumption of chicken. Some of these strains have been found to be resistant to several antibiotics.
The link between chicken consumption and illness, and the link to chicken produced by Foster Farms, was made through an intensive investigation which included patient interviews, product traceback, and environmental testing.
While it is not uncommon for raw poultry from any producer to contain Salmonella, the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is unusual.
CDC, USDA, CDPH and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) continue to work with Foster Farms to ensure proper manufacturing processes and to ensure proper interventions are in place to reduce the presence of bacteria.
Between March 1, 2013 and October 7, 2013, a total of 278 persons infected with seven outbreak strains of Salmonella Heidelberg in 17 states have been identified. The majority of ill persons have been identified in California.
A total of 213 California patients have been identified in 34 counties. Of the California patients from whom information is available, illness onset dates ranged from March 1 to Sept. 24, 2013. The age of these patients ranges from 1 month to 93 years, with a median of 18 years.
Approximately 45 percent have been hospitalized, and there have been no deaths. CDC has developed a Web page to provide updates on this investigation, which can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/heidelberg-10-13/index.html .
Symptoms of Salmonella infection include fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea which may be bloody. Most infected people recover within a week; however, some may develop complications that require hospitalization. Infants, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are at highest risk for more severe illness.
Additional information concerning Salmonella can be found on the CDPH Web page, http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/discond/Pages/Salmonellosis.aspx . People who develop symptoms of Salmonella infection should consult their healthcare provider.
Salmonella and other bacteria such as Campylobacter, can be found on raw poultry. CDPH, CDC and USDA-FSIS recommend the following food safety tips to prevent infections from raw poultry:
Clean
Separate
Cook
Chill
Visit this CDPH link for more food safety tips, including proper cooking temperatures. The CDC also has helpful tips on what you can do to protect yourself and your family while handling food.
Consumers can also access the national Partnership for Food Safety Education’s “Fight BAC” (bacteria) Web page, http://www.fightbac.org/ .
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Seventh-day Adventist Church and School will sponsor a community health fair on Sunday, Oct. 13.
The seventh annual event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 21640 Highway 29 South in Middletown.
The fair is an event for the whole family.
Come and discover a wide variety of local vendor booths, with samplings of available food and juices, free health screenings conducted by staff from the St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake, tips on living healthier and activities for children.
For more information contact Bill Cude at 707-295-6135 or Jacque Felber at 707-295-6272.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – On Friday, Oct. 4, Mendocino County Public Health officials reported that one adult from the Willits area is hospitalized with a confirmed diagnosis of Meningococcemia.
Public Health nurses have contacted those persons thought to be in close contact with this individual and have provided them with information on symptoms and preventative treatment.
Persons who have had close contact with this individual are being treated with antibiotics which significantly reduce the risk of becoming ill.
Meningococcemia is caused by a bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis. The bacteria frequently lives in a person's upper respiratory tract without causing visible signs of illness.
Meningococcemia is usually spread through close contact. The bacteria are present in the saliva and mucous of the one who has the disease and can be passed on to one who has direct contact with the oral or nasal excretions (coughing, sneezing or kissing) of the infected person.
However, the bacteria can only survive very briefly outside of the body so it is unlikely to be passed through the handling of objects.
The incubation period of meningococcemia lasts from 2-10 days. The disease occurs mainly in children, but may also occur among adults, especially those in overcrowded spaces.
Cases are usually contained among members of a household who have close contact with each other.
Symptoms include irritability, fever, headache, sensitivity to light, altered consciousness and rash with red or purple spots on the abdomen and extremities.
A preexposure bacterial meningitis vaccine is available for persons from 11 years to 55 years of age.
If you have questions regarding your exposure of meningitis contact Public Health Services at 707-472-2600.
Public Health Services extend thanks to health partners for their quick response to this case: Howard Memorial Hospital and Baechtel Creek Clinic.
For more information see section on Meningococcemia on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site, http://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/about/faq.html#b .
SACRAMENTO – According to new research from UC San Francisco, Medi-Cal patients rely disproportionately on care provided in the emergency room, and do so at an increasingly high rate that far outpaces both uninsured and privately insured patients.
The research, to be published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), looked at California emergency room (ER) data from 2005 to 2010 and found an overall 13.2 percent increase in ER visits.
Within that increase researchers found that Medi-Cal patient use of the ER increased by 13.9 percent compared to increases of 3.79 percent and 2.89 percent by privately insured and uninsured patients, respectively.
“We’re not at all surprised by this dramatic increase,” said Dr. Thomas Sugarman, president of the California Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians (California ACEP). “The fact of the matter is that when you repeatedly slash Medi-Cal reimbursement, physicians won’t participate in the program, and patients are left with nowhere else to go but the ER where we see everyone regardless of their insurance status.”
Researchers also found that Medi-Cal patients were most likely to be in the ER for serious conditions that might have been prevented from progressing had they had better access to primary care.
The data showed an increase of nearly 7 percent in visits for certain acute conditions by Medi-Cal patients, compared to a decline in the same type among privately insured patients.
“What’s clear from this research is that we’re not talking about runny noses here, Medi-Cal patients are coming to us in worse shape because they’ve delayed care or not gotten any at all,” Sugarman said.
“These patients need access to a complete network of physicians who can provide ongoing healthcare so they don’t end up in the ER in bad shape, but they can’t get it because the state continues to make it almost impossible for doctors to see Medi-Cal patients,” said Sugarman. “Equally as frightening for patients is that this study looks at a time period before the State made its most recent ten percent cut in Medi-Cal reimbursement rates in 2011. This problem is only escalating.”
The UC San Francisco research raises serious questions about the impact of the full implementation of the Affordable Care Act on California’s ERs, especially in light of research from UC Berkeley in January 2013 which found that as many as 3.9 million Californians, who are not already enrolled, will be eligible for Medi-Cal in 2014.
Combine that with Medi-Cal patients’ already-high ER use which continues to increase faster than other patients, and abysmally low Medi-Cal physician reimbursement which was recently cut further as part of the state budget, and the picture is stark.
“Just as the state is expanding the Medi-Cal rolls, they are decreasing the number of doctors patients can see,” said Sugarman.
Sugarman continued, “The authors of this study further estimate a more than 10 percent increase in ER visits just due to these transitions in insurance. A 10 percent decrease in physician reimbursement combined with a 10 percent increase in patients needing access to immediate high- quality care is a formula for failure. Overcrowded, underfunded emergency departments threaten patient safety and access to emergency care for everyone – Medi-Cal recipient, insured, and uninsured alike Despite this being the third recent study to point out these facts, the State continues to ignore the data and act in the best interest of patients.
“Legislators and Gov. Brown need to restore emergency care funding and exempt emergency providers from any Medi-Cal cuts since we are California’s safety net. We are the only physicians available for patients no matter what,” Sugarman said.
California ACEP is a not-for-profit association representing California’s emergency physicians, who see and treat all Californians regardless of their ability to pay, providing more than 11 million emergency care visits each year.