LOCAL
Minnesota sprout grower issues recall for potential Salmonella contamination
River Valley Sprouts in Houston, Minnesota announced a voluntary recall for several of its alfalfa sprouts due to possible Salmonella contamination.
The recall includes 4 and 5-ounce alfalfa sprouts, 5-ounce garlic/alfalfa sprouts, and 5-ounce Variety sprouts shipped between March 6-15 to locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Salmonella contamination was discovered during routine FDA testing of 5-ounce packages of alfalfa sprouts, which prompted the voluntary recall of several products for potential contamination.
NATIONAL
How to stay healthy during air travel
The overall message from a study regarding the best ways to stay healthy during air travel is to sit in a window seat of a plane and stay there.
People seated in window seats are less likely to come into contact with as many people and move around a plane as much as air passengers seated in other areas of a plane.
Other ways to stay healthy when traveling, especially on an airplane, are to regularly using hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol (including after washing your hands with airplane water), be rested, stay hydrated (drinking bottled water might be a good idea), avoid touching surfaces as much as possible, and sanitize any surface you do need to touch.
INTERNATIONAL
90% of farmers in Ireland unaware of consequential animal pathogens
A recent survey performed by Ireland’s Health Protection Surveillance Center of 1000 farmers in Ireland revealed that 9 out of 10 farmers are unaware that animal pathogens from either healthy or sick animals can be a source of infection in humans. And more than half of farmers do not know that humans can become ill from sick animals, including domestic pets such as dogs and cats.
It was also found that more than 40% of farmers drink unpasteurized milk, also known as raw milk, at least once per week. Unpasteurized milk can carry many harmful bacteria such as Campylobacter, Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli.
The results from the survey highlight the need for further public education to increase public health awareness of zoonotic infection and One Health.
Jonathan Chapman
Jonathan was a VPHPM resident from 2016-2018. He is a licensed veterinarian with a career focus on veterinary public health, epidemiology, zoonotic disease, and One Health. He has been involved in a broad range of activities ranging from small animal general practice and emergency medicine to disease surveillance and outbreak investigation. Jonathan hopes to continue to promote medicine, public health, education, and local and international community collaboration around the world. Jonathan is originally from Chicago, Illinois and he has spent time living in St. Kitts, West Indies and San Juan, Puerto Rico. He has 2 Golden Retrievers named Bauer and Nikki and 3 cats named Sienna, Simon, and Conchita.