1,500 UK holidaymakers hit by food bug at six First Choice resorts
From the things-not-to-say-when-1,500-customers-have-barfed file:
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"Holiday Villages are all large properties and the reported level of illness is very low considering the large population."
The Mirror reports this morning that families staying at six of the most popular First Choice Holiday Villages have been hit by a deluge of gastric illnesses over the last three years.
Claims are being processed from people who stayed at the Spanish bases in the Costa del Sol and Majorca and also in Turkey, Egypt, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. At Sarigerme in Turkey more than 700 were taken ill this summer.
Yesterday First Choice told the Mirror that it is axing its Holiday Village resorts in Mexico and the Dominican Republic from next month. The three bugs mainly to blame are salmonella, often caused by food not being cooked or stored properly; campylobacter, from contamination and cryptosporidium, often the result of feces in water.
If you yak on your cat, what's the best way to clean it and avoid norovirus transmission?
Amy has covered what to do if a student pukes in class; Ben and Mayra have made up a groovy infosheet on cleaning procedures.
But what if you yak on your cat or dog?
Specifically, as Scott Weese asks at the Worms & Germs Blog, when he should be enjoying turkey in Guelph, how do you disinfect a cat?
Weese explains how a colleague’s wife once had norovirus and spewed on the family cat, and says, dogs and cats cannot become infected with norovirus. However, they could act as a source of infection is their coat was contaminated.
Weese figures a bath is the best way to go (not the oven, right) and that anyone bathing a heavily contaminated animal should wear a mask and gloves, change their clothes after, clean any contaminated surfaces with bleach or another disinfectant and wash their hands.
He also concludes that the easiest way to handle this is to avoid vomiting on pets.
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If you barf, so help me, I'll barf too - The Office version
The Jim and Pam wedding episode of The Office began last night with either a homage to the campfire story barf scene in Stand By Me, or Ben’s last car trip to Canada.
Either way, quite funny, and certainly worthy of something called, barfblog.com.
You barf, you pay; $50 vomit tax for Chicago cabs?
Chicago cab drivers are demanding that riders who throw up in their cabs get slapped with a $50 fee.
The cabbies said Thursday they want to the city impose the penalty because of the work -- and hours lost -- that comes with cleaning a passenger's vomit.
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Mayor Richard Daley said his administration will listen to the drivers' request and review their recommendations.
Celebrity chef dumbass: Fat Duck felled by norovirus in raw oysters; 'weaknesses in procedures - delayed response to incident'
Chapman occasionally comes up with a good line. Usually, I do all the work on a piece (at least in my mind), and he’ll put in one sentence, but it will be the one that is remembered.
Why didn’t I think of that?
Chapman described celebrity chef and molecular gastrologest Heston Blumenthal (below, right) as the love child of Alton Brown and longtime Toronto Maple Leaf hockey player Mats Sundin (right).
Why didn’t I think of that.
Blumenthal’s Fat Duck restaurant – which is consistently rated as the best in the U.K. – was the source of over 500 illnesses in early 2009. At the time, Blumenthal said, “tests for viral infections and food poisoning have proved negative and there is speculation that the winter outbreak of norovirus could be the real reason why they became sick.”
Way to blame the consumer, those paying hundreds of pounds for the privilege of barfing.
The U.K. Health Protection Agency published a report on the outbreak today that concluded:
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* There was a large outbreak of food poisoning among diners at the Fat Duck Restaurant in January and February 2009, with more than 500 reporting illness - over 15% of those dining there during this period
* The organism responsible was norovirus which was probably introduced via shellfish (more diners who ate shellfish dishes reported illness). Oysters were served raw; razor clams may not have been appropriately handled or cooked; tracing of shellfish to source showed evidence of contamination and there have been reports of illness in other establishments associated with oysters from the same source
* The outbreak continued for at least six weeks (between January 6 and February 22) because of ongoing transmission at the restaurant - which may have occurred through continuous contamination of foods prepared in the restaurant or by person-to-person spread between staff and diners or a mixture of both
* Several weaknesses in procedures at the restaurant may have contributed to ongoing transmission including: delayed response to the incident; staff working when they should have been off sick and using the wrong environmental cleaning products
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* Delays in notification of illness may have affected the ability of the investigation to identify the exact reason for the norovirus contamination
It’s the chef’s responsibility to source food from safe sources. And if the chef thinks raw shellfish is a smart thing to serve, and to have sick workers working, then, customers get what they pay for.
Norovirus sends UK campers packing
"At night all you could hear was vomiting from every corner. I've never experienced anything like it. People were simply zipping up their tents and leaving — they just wanted to get out of there.”
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That’s the dream lede for a barfblog.com post, although probably not pleasant for some 150 campers stricken at a North Devon campsite.
"Almost every tent on the site was affected. There were so many sick children — it was an awful sight to witness.”
North Devon Council said the owners took the decision to close the campsite.
The site has a private water supply which has been closed off due to possible contamination.
Children and barf bags
The most awesome thing I ever did as a parent – according to Amy – is when we were flying back from Florida last year with daughter Courtlynn (right, with Sorenne).
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As the plane touched down in Kansas City, Courtlynn had that 13-year-old look of nausea that I recognized far too well.
I knew she was going to spew.
I deftly retrieved the barf bag from the seat pocket in front of me, Courtlynn filled it, and I nonchalantly deboarded the plane, barf bag in one hand, daughter’s hand in the other, and deposited it in the first available garbage receptacle.
Amy was awestruck.
Marlene, otherwise known as Momma, is apparently awestruck by people who edit blogs containing the word barf. She sent me an e-mail a couple of weeks ago flogging her oversized, fully disposable barf bags that come complete with sanitizing wipes for quick clean-up. And in three logos -- one for pregnancy, one for travel, and one with a college-style logo -- puke university.
Thanks for the swag, Momma. The three types of barf bags were at the homestead when we returned on Sunday. Who doesn’t need an appropriately adorned barf bag?
Did Maple Leaf's listeria hot dogs sicken a dog?
It’s one thing to sicken and kill humans with food like Maple Leaf cold cuts – just don’t mess with people’s pets.
Carrie Pich of Windsor, Ontario, (right, photo from Windsor Star) is convinced her beloved Tigger -- a two-year-old yellow Labrador retriever -- fell ill over the weekend because he ate Maple Leaf hotdogs that might be tainted with bacteria.
"This could have been a human. I mean, (Tigger) is human to us. But it could've happened to you. My husband could've ate two. He loves hotdogs."
Pich said she bought three packages of hotdogs last week: two packs of Maple Leaf Original Wieners and one pack of Shopsy's Deli-Fresh.
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Both products are among those listed in the recall.
But Pich didn't know that on the evening of July 31, when she cut up three Maple Leaf Original Wieners to put in Tigger's supper, and gave him one more as a late-night treat.
On Saturday morning, Pich woke to find Tigger vomiting blood.
Dr. Ameer Ebrahim, the owner and veterinarian at Cabana @ Howard Pet Hospital said he can't confirm that Tigger suffered from listeriosis, but the dog's symptoms were "very consistent" with bacterial infection, and he wouldn't rule out a connection with the recalled wieners eaten by Tigger.
"That's a very strong coincidence.”
Blowing (food) chunks on vacation
Amy, Sorenne and I are hanging out in Venice, Florida, and I do most of the cooking. Lots of fresh fruits and veggies from the neighborly Publix supermarket, and I even bought a digital, tip-sensitive meat thermometer from Target because I just feel naked cooking without one.
Others aren’t so fortunate, I guess.
A group called HolidayTravelWatch, somewhere in the European Union, has just published its top-20 appalling holiday complaints and problems. Included in this year’s list:
1. Family holiday to Egypt where a child was struck down by severe food poisoning, hospitalization and subsequent scalding in the hotel restaurant.
2. Family holiday to Turkey found that most of their group were ill, they were diagnosed as suffering with Salmonella and Cryptosporidium.
12. One family reported that they had returned from Turkey and their daughter had been diagnosed with Salmonella - they report that many people were ill at the hotel.
15. Holidaymakers to one hotel in Egypt reported sewage smells on the complex, gardens irrigated by stagnant water, food lukewarm, drinks served through a hatch and not via sealed bottles - they suffered severe gastric illness which still continues.
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17. One family to Egypt suffered with food undercooked, poor chef hygiene practices (one chef was seen to handle bloody meat then touch other food), flies on the food in the pool bar, sewage smells in bathroom, cracks on the balcony and they are suspected as suffering with Cryptosporidium.
20, One couple’s trip to Egypt was marred by building work, diarrhoea on the public toilet walls, diarrhoea in the restaurant. They both suffered severe illness and weight loss - they are still ill.
Safest food in the world: American cattlemen's edition
It’s been awhile, but Dr. Sam Ives, director of veterinary services and associate director of research at Cactus Feeders, Ltd., testified today on behalf of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) at a U.S. House Agriculture Committee Hearing on food safety that the U.S. has the safest food in the world.
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“There is no question that the United States has the safest food supply in the world and other countries consider the U.S. the 'gold standard.' Cattle producers support the establishment of realistic food safety objectives designed to protect public health to the maximum extent possible.
“…The U.S. has the safest food supply in the world, which is an achievement worth noting. Science is a critical component of the beef industry and through science-based improvements in animal genetics, management practices, nutrition and health, beef production per cow has increased from 400 pounds of beef in the mid 1960s to 585 pounds of beef in 2005. … The beef industry will continue to dedicate time and resources to ensure the safety of beef.”
But that doesn’t mean the U.S. has the safest food supply in the world. For a group so dedicated to science, perhaps they could provide some science to substantiate the claim?
Beware of pizza in Halmsted, Sweden
The pizza in Halmstad, Sweden apparently sucks.
Food safety inspections allegedly found that almost 90 per cent of establishments that serve pizza failed to meet the minimum levels of hygiene.
The Hallands-Posten reported that just nine of the 70 restaurants in town that serve pizza made the grade. Food safety inspectors were genuinely shocked when they tallied the results of their unannounced checks on restaurants in the coastal town of Halmstad this spring. With the vast majority of the town’s restaurants miserably failing basic hygiene, the inspectors were left wondering what went wrong.
Food safety inspector Ulrika Cederberg told the Hallands-Posten,
“We’re quite shocked. We actually didn’t think it would be this bad. There were nineteen places that didn’t have access to a functioning washbasin with soap and paper towels.”
Among the most appalling findings was one restaurant that was infested with a species of beetle that lives off dried fish, meat and cheese. Inspectors shut the place down immediately.
Another restaurant was given a temporary reprieve when the staff stayed up all night to try and clean up the many failures given out by inspectors. Storing food in toilets and no washbasins were major failings at that restaurant.
Food poisoning strikes Birmingham police
In 1984, the Pope visited the restored 350-year-old Jesuit mission of Ste. Marie-among-the-Hurons in Midland, Ontario. After departing, 1,600 hungry Ontario Provincial Police officers who had worked the ropes gathered for a boxed lunch. Of those 500 officers who chose ones with roast beef sandwiches, 423 came down with salmonella.
On Saturday, July 4, 2009, more than 40 police officers in Birmingham, U.K., were stricken with food poisoning after consuming a boxed lunch of a sandwich, packet of crisps, chocolate bar and piece of fruit, as they prepared to police a demonstration which passed off peacefully.
Dozens of fireman, police and ambulance staff rushed to the scene as British Transport Police shut the station at about 5pm on the advice of health agencies.
The station re-opened 50 minutes later.
Travel agents: if people are barfing at a resort, don't keep sending more tourists
A 48-year-old teaching assistant from Crayford, and a family from Broadstairs are among more than 500 British tourists who won compensation for a nightmare Caribbean holiday at the Bahia Principe Hotel in the Dominican Republic (below, left) in 2007.
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According to media accounts, the holiday companies continued sending guests to the hotel despite a major outbreak of Shigella and Salmonella which lasted for months.
"My husband couldn't reach the toilet when we were there. I went down to reception to tell them to call a doctor and they said put a nappy on him to take him to the medical centre. … Some people had to have new mattresses because they hadn't made it to the toilet in time. There were children screaming all over the place and pregnant women."
Tracey Chambers, 43, said,
“People were being sick in the swimming pool and the toilets were all blocked up. Lots of people were being sick. We were told to watch what we ate because there was bug going round. … My dad had to be put on a drip because he was dehydrated and couldn’t take on enough water. They were charging 40 dollars for a trip to the hospital.”
Other guests were diagnosed with shigella, giardia, salmonella and E coli, thought to have come from food dressings.
A spokesperson for Thomas Cook said,
"We are pleased that the majority of legal cases have now been settled and we want to be able to reassure all our customers that we work with our hotel partners to continually monitor the hygiene standards in their properties."
Jack Black vomiting mystery
Dude, the urine sample ain’t going to tell anyone anything. It’s a poop sample you need to give the doctor. Because, as they correctly say on the TV show Scrubs, Everything Comes Down to Poo (see below).
Jack Black, who’s been in a gazillion movies but is best remembered by me for his scene-stealing effort in 2000’s High Fidelity (right, exactly as shown) has been bedridden for a week - after contracting a mystery vomiting virus.
"Just last weekend, I thought I was knocking on death's door. I have never had this thing before where it has to go out of you in all directions. I'm not going into the grisly details, but it was explosive. Simultaneous explosions. I was wondering whether it was the sushi I ate or whether I caught it from someone and the doctor said it was the latter."
Black, who was at home with his wife and two young sons, was terrified he might pass on his condition to little Sam, three, and Thomas, 12 months: "It's harder when you've got two babies, because you're exploding, then you're washing your hands 'cause you don't want to get them sick either. It's a constant battle to stay clean."
And the star admits the most embarrassing incident came after he had seen a doctor, who ordered him to hand over a urine sample for testing.
What's in your fridge? Smell from leftover food in unplugged fridge sends 7 to hospital, sickens 28
Ever had leftover food loitering in your fridge for so long it made you yack?
Anyone who has worked or lived in an area with a communal fridge has a tale of grossness. Amy’s mom recalled yesterday about a fridge in one of their rental units that had been left full of food and unplugged – apparently for some time. The chicken was particularly interesting.
Amy and I found some grossness when we moved into our current house which previously was a fraternity drinking house – although the turkey carcass in the driveway was the grossest.
In San Jose, California, an enterprising office worker discovered an unplugged fridge full of rotting food, so decided to move the food into a conference room while using two cleaning chemicals to scrub down the mess.
The mixture of old lunches and disinfectant caused 28 people to need treatment for vomiting and nausea.
Firefighters had to evacuate the AT&T building in downtown San Jose on Tuesday after the fumes led someone to call emergency services. A hazardous materials team was called in.
Authorities say the worker who cleaned the fridge didn't need treatment — she can't smell because of allergies.
Passover potluck vomit
Authorities are investigating what made more than 70 people attending a Passover event in Franconia, N.H., ill after eating at a potluck event.
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State health officials said 150 people were attending the event when the illness broke out Saturday night, WMUR-TV of Manchester, N.H., reported Monday.
The New Hampshire Health and Human Services Public Health Lab was conducting tests to determine if the illness was salmonella, the report said.
Efforts to reduce foodborne illness remain stalled; new approaches needed so fewer people barf
The Centers for Disease Control reported today that foodborne illness remains a significant public health issue in the United States, and that, “fundamental problems with bacterial and parasitic contamination are not being resolved.”
Douglas Powell, an associate professor of food safety at Kansas State University, says that more training, testing and inspecting is not the answer.
"There are way too many people getting sick," Powell said. "The CDC data show existing efforts to reduce foodborne illness have stalled. We need new messages using new media to really create a culture that values microbiologically safe food."
Powell publishes barfblog.com and conducts research on human food safety behavior from farm-to-fork. He can be reached by phone at 785-317-0560, or e-mail dpowell@k-state.edu.
His bio is at
http://www.k-state.edu/media/mediaguide/bios/powellbio.html
Whole Foods bites
I could devote an entire blog to debunking the nonsense that is Whole Foods.
Every day they have a post that contains the most outlandish, fantastical claims about food – and they expect customers to pay twice as much.
Unbeknownst to me, Amy came across part II of the Whole Foods fairy tale about what it means to be natural. And she asked a question:
In light of recent major recalls including natural peanut paste, I’d be more interested in knowing what kind of research you put into the safety behind your ingredients.
That comment has yet to be posted; it never will. The good demagogue that speak for Whole Foods know to never lose control of the microphone. Especially at those prices.
Metal man taken down by bad oyster
Metal Underground – it’s my favorite source for news of all things Metal -- reports Metallica frontman James Hetfield was recently taken to hospital after suffering from a stomach bug.
"James here, alive, at about 80% but getting better. I want to say sorry for missing the second Stockholm gig on Sunday due to illness. The cause/diagnosis at the hospital was narrowed down to either a 24 hr virus or a bad oyster...yes, hate to admit, an oyster could have taken me down.
"I acknowledge and apologize for any inconvenience this has caused fans who had travelled near and far for the show. I had done everything possible to make it, and was at the point of falling if I stood up. On a lighter note since my illness, the support band 'Swedish Oyster Cult' will be thrown off the tour. More Cowbell?...More barf bagz!!”
Fat Duck was correct to close after diners sickened
The Fat Duck is apparently a fancy restaurant in Berkshire, UK, run by TV chef Heston Blumenthal; it was voted Best Restaurant in the World by fellow chefs in 2005, or something.
The Independent reports that Blumenthal (right) spent a sleepless night before deciding to close the restaurant last Tuesday in the face of a steady stream – between 30 and 40 – of complaints from customers who suffered vomiting, diarrhoea and flu-like symptoms.
"I made the decision to be transparent about it. Who knows if it was the right or wrong decision to make. But my gut reaction, the moral feeling about it all, was that's what we had to do. It was an incredibly emotional decision."
But tests for viral infections and food poisoning have proved negative and there is speculation that the winter outbreak of norovirus could be the real reason why they became sick.
Yeah, check out the staff. And handwashing facilities. And suppliers. And places chefs rarely think to go when it comes to basic microbiology, from farm-to-fork.
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Raw milk: 'media coverage far beyond its importance'
Here’s the most important point in a column written by long-time Toronto Globe and Mail medical reporter Andre Picard:
The trial of Ontario raw milk farmer Michael Schmidt has garnered media coverage far beyond its importance.
Oh, and the outcome is largely irrelevant.
It seems somewhat absurd to jail a man for selling a product that clients desperately want and which, on the surface at least, seems harmless. But, hey, it happens to pot dealers every day.
What is not harmless is Mr. Schmidt's attack on pasteurization and on food-safety regulations more generally.
Under the guise of civil liberties and freedom, he and his supporters have uttered all kinds of nonsense and portrayed themselves as martyrs for pure food. …
Farmer Schmidt and his acolytes can suckle the milk from the teat of a cow, a goat, a cat, or any other lactating mammal to their hearts' content.
Their rights and freedoms are in no way compromised.
What the law restricts is the commercial sale of raw milk.
Mr. Schmidt tried to circumvent this fact by selling "cow shares" and arguing that his clients were actually proprietors and free to consume raw milk from their own cows.
Whether that little manoeuvre exempts him from the law is up to the courts to decide. But it seems unlikely. After all, bar owners tried this technique to sidestep anti-smoking laws, selling "shares" in their establishment and arguing that patrons were smoking in a private club. Judges saw through the subterfuge. …
Another argument is that meat - which can also contain pathogens - is sold raw, so why not milk? The practical reason for this is obvious. It is easy and efficient to pasteurize milk; it is not practical to cook meat before selling it, but its refrigeration (designed to minimize the growth of bacteria) is mandatory and regulated.
What's it worth to barf? Not much in Canada
Chapman and I have thrown around the idea that one of the reasons Canadians seem complacent about foodborne illness – despite several high-profile devastating outbreaks – is the availability of public health care. If someone loses a kidney because of E. coli O157:H7 or a liver because of hepatitis A, the cost is borne by the system. In the U.S. those without health care coverage would be out $100,000 – at a minimum. So Canadian lawsuits are kept to a minimum, media coverage remains stagnant, and everyone goes back to sleep.
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As Jim Romahn wrote in Dec. after a $27 million settlement for victims in the Maple Leaf listeria outbreak that killed 20 and sickened hundreds was announced, CEO Michael H. McCain is a wily strategist.
For $27 million, tops, he has bought freedom from a court case that could have proven highly embarrassing to Maple Leaf. The ongoing coverage could well have become the final nail in consumer confidence in Maple Leaf products. The lawyers were sure to ask who knew what and when. They were sure to ask about the degree of plant contamination as the company continued to ship products, failing to first hold them for testing and clearance.
What does that $27 million buy?
• Someone who was ill for up to 48 hours would receive $750
• Up to a week receives $3,000
•Up to two weeks receives $5,500
• Up to a month receives $8,000
• If listeriosis led to a secondary infection that didn't cause ongoing symptoms, such as meningitis or pneumonia, the settlement is $35,000
• If listeriosis caused sustained or permanent symptoms, the settlement is $75,000 plus $750 for each day of hospitalization
• If secondary complications affected the nervous system and caused “serious and permanent impairment of physical and/or mental function,” payment is $125,000 plus $750 for each day of hospitalization. A family member who was affected psychologically could receive $10,000.
• A death would lead to a $120,000 payment to the victim's estate. A spouse would be eligible for an additional $35,000, while children could receive $30,000, parents could receive $20,000 and siblings or grandchildren could receive $5,000. Funeral expenses up to $13,500 would also be covered.
• Anyone who “sustained psychological injuries or trauma for up to 60 days” after eating tainted meat, without any injuries, could receive up to $4,000.
• Anyone who was at particular risk, such as pregnant women and the elderly, but did not become ill could receive up to $6,000 for psychological trauma that lasted up to 60 days.
• If psychological symptoms lasted more than 60 days, compensation is set at $13,500.
• Those in the vulnerable group who experienced psychological symptoms for more than 60 days could receive $17,500.
Students at UC Santa Cruz have got the spews
Last year I had a pretty crappy birthday – literally. I spent a few days on the toilet, and a few hours in the hospital, after contracting what was likely Norovirus. Today santacruz.com reports that several students at University California Santa Cruz (UCSC) are suffering from the same symptoms. 58 
students and staff members are ill with flu-like symptoms, two of which have been hospitalized. One of the students, Zach Mialonis, who was ill less than 24 hours after eating at one of the campus cafeterias, said,
“I woke up around 4:30am throwing up and having horrible diarrhea. A bunch of other kids on my floor got sick too. I had a big quiz the next day that I had to miss.”
According to the report, epidemiologists believe the outbreak is linked to improper hygiene. Jessica Oltmanns, an epidemiologist with the Santa Cruz County Health Department, said,
“Our tests concluded that this was not a point source outbreak. The people affected by the virus were spread throughout campus, and in the end we couldn’t pinpoint where the outbreak occurred. This virus is most often spread by fecal mater and vomitus. It was not food poisoning.”
This isn’t the first outbreak of Norovirus on a campus. Last October Norovirus outbreaks affected Georgetown, USC and UVM; in November, the University of Wisconsin. Norovirus is common in confined living spaces, like dorms and cruise ships, as it is easily transmitted by exposure to poop, vomit or blood. Symptoms usually persist for 48 to 72 hours, and in extreme cases can lead to hospitalization from dehydration.
The best way to prevent the spread of Norovirus is through proper handwashing, especially after using the washroom. If your roommate is sick, make sure the vomit is properly cleaned up.
Vomit forces teenage tennis star out of Australian Open
I always have something on the television as background while working on my laptop. And at this time of year, the Australian Open brings a reminder of the warmth that may some day return to the Northern Hemisphere.
When the announcer said, “This is painful to watch,” I immediately looked at the television. There was teenage tennis sensation Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, wobbling, though leading in her match against Serena Williams.
Azarenka had been vomiting all morning, because of a virus, and she did not feel much better when she got to the court. ... She ended up retiring through illness and shuffled off the Rod Laver Arena with an assistant supporting her on either arm (right, photo by EPA). ...
At one stage, it seemed as though she was going to be sick into her cupped hands, and she repeatedly sought out the shaded areas in the stadium between points. She also looked off-balance and almost unable to grip the handle of her racket. She had little choice but to quit against the American.
No word on the type or source of what was thought to be a viral infection.
Is Salmonella-laced peanut stuff making dogs barf?
When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned on Saturday that Americans should "postpone" eating cookies, crackers, candy and ice cream that contain peanut butter or peanut paste, they didn’t mention anything about America’s pets.
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They should have.
Yesterday, PetSmart Inc, the largest U.S. pet-products and services retailer, recalled seven of its Grreat Choice Dog Biscuit products as a precaution against possible salmonella contamination because the peanut paste was produced by the Peanut Corp of America (PCA).
I told Georgia’s Gainesville Times this morning that the latest outbreak shows that food companies need to look closer at the operations of their suppliers.
"It’s where you get your food from. Whether you get it from around the corner or around the globe, you’ve got to know your suppliers. And it seems they supplied to a lot."
As of Jan. 20, 2009, 485 people were sick with Salmonella Typhimurium in 43 states.
'Yuletide yobs' barfing out of control
The folks in Geelong, Australia, southwest of Melbourne, are tired of “yuletide yobs” barfing on their shop windows and store fronts.
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The Geelong Advertiser quotes a Faulls Shoes spokeswoman as saying her employees were forced to clean up urine, vomit and even blood up to twice a week.
“Our doorway is set back from the street and they do it in there and it goes under the door.”
Banjos Bakehouse manager Joanne Etheridge said the streets of Geelong were in a disgusting state on weekend mornings.
"It would be nice if they could just hold it in until they got home or do it in a bin. The mess from nightclubbers is disgusting. Who is going to want to sit amongst that?”
iPhones to help clean up barf in the UK
My iPhone is a Blackberry with an iPod nano duct-taped to the back. Amy has an iPod Touch duct-taped to her Blackberry. iPhones are only available through AT&T, and we’re happy with T-Mobile.
The Brits have a problem with vomit: people do it too often and in public, often outside the pub.
So, as reported by The Register,
Digital democracy charity MySociety has launched an iPhone app version of its successful FixMyStreet website. FixMyStreet encourages users to upload pictures of graffiti, fly tipping, dog fouling and other eyesores and hazards. It passes the information on to authorities, and claims about half the reports result in action.
On iPhone, the process has been simplified by combining the picture with GPS data to instantly report problems over the air, rather than having to visit the FixMyStreet website and pinpoint the location on a map. The relevant council will be alerted automatically.
I want an iPhone app for food safety violations so the authorities could be quickly alerted to food safety problems in restaurants, grocery stores, farms and my mom’s kitchen.
Vomiting plane passenger causes LAX excitment
About six years ago I was flying from Toronto to Ottawa and after a particularly turbulent morning ride, I was looking a little green. Although the plane was preparing to land, the steward said, ‘you gotta go, you gotta go,’ so I experienced landing while kneeling at the airplane’s plastic throne.
No one figured I was contagious.
Not so in Los Angeles this morning.
United Airlines flight 890 arriving from Japan informed ground crews shortly before touching down at 8:30 a.m. that a 28-year-old man aboard the aircraft of more than 300 passengers was sick and might have some sort of virus.
Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Cecil Manresa said,
Los Angeles city paramedics and personnel from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention boarded the Boeing 747 after it landed. It took about 20 minutes to determine that the passenger was not contagious, Manresa said.
"He had some kind of stomach ailment or food poising issue, and it was not a virus [or] an infectious disease," he said.
Manresa said that city paramedics, and not the CDC, generally respond when airline passengers complain of illness. But the unidentified man must have told the airplane's crew something to make them think that his condition was more severe, he said.
All I said was, leave me alone.
Hope College in Michigan closed in light of Norovirous outbreak
Ottawa County Health Department officials closed Hope College on Friday after a four-day Norovirous outbreak that has left more than 400 staff and students sick.
“Earlier Sunday, the college said the number of reported cases of the flu-like illness causing vomiting and diarrhea for 24 to 48 hours climbed to 180, but many students felt those numbers self-reported to the health department are low.”
A Facebook page for the campus community called "Hope College: The Great Plague of 2008," was created by a freshman student to find out how many people have been affected by the sickness. About a third of the campus community registered at the site, 14% of who said they are sick or had been.
Health officials strongly urged students to remain on campus, but not to congregate, to help stop the spread of infection. However many students chose to leave campus once the closure was announced. At the earliest, campus is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday. During the closure, a campus cleaning crew will be sanitizing common surfaces.
Norovirous is highly contagious virus that is the leading cause of gastroenteritis in the United States.
No specific treatment is available for Norovirus. In most healthy people, the illness usually is self-limiting and resolves in a few days.
The CDC recommends frequent handwashing, especially after using the bathroom or before preparing food. Contaminated surfaces and materials should be thoroughly disinfected. Infected individual should not prepare food while they have symptoms and for 3 days after they recover from their illness.
Do professional football players barf during games - yes
Like National Hockey League legendary goaltender Glenn Hall, I used to puke before hockey games when I was a kid. Seriously, that’s how serious hockey was when I was 11-years-old in Brantford, Ontario.
A few years later I decided to abandon my destiny as a NHL goaltender and started playing high school football. I played linebacker because after all those years of being shot at with pucks, it felt good to be hitting someone else.
One of the other schools in town had this tank of a fullback – this was old school, when teams had halfbacks and fullbacks. He ran over me so hard once I didn’t move for about a minute. And then I barfed on the field.
The Washington Post has decided to follow up on the hit heard round the Internet – the one where the kid was hit so hard in a college football game that he vomited – and has asked the Washington Redskins their best vomit stories.
This is no Jamie Fox on Any Given Sunday; this is the read deal.
Player Casey Rabach says,
"Oh yeah, I've thrown up on the field. That happens a lot, yeah. Guys puke all the time. It's funny when the guy across from you starts puking, that's the best part. Oh my God, so funny. You've never seen a player who puked on the field? It's pretty funny. The guy's sitting there puking in front of you, and you KNOW you're just gonna kill him the next play. It's awesome. Jansen, you ever puked on the field," he called out to Jon Jansen, one locker over.
"Yeah," said Jansen, who was in the middle of interviews at the time.
What to do if someone spews
Kansas State student Mayra Rivarola writes in this exclusive for barfblog that hospital rooms and doctors became scarce, when 97 students sickened with gastroenteritis crowded the emergency room in Georgetown University Hospital last week. Students who weren’t receiving medical attention began vomiting in the waiting room, according to the Georgetown Voice.
“I know that some people in the waiting room had been there for three hours. There was a boy yelling ‘help me, help me!’ but there were no doctors,” said Kathrin Verestoun, who went with her roommate to the hospital. “They ran out of rooms and set up stretchers in the hall. Some people were so dehydrated that they couldn’t find their veins for IVs. They were just bleeding. [My roommate] bled all over her stretcher.”
The Georgetown students got sick after dining at Leo O’Donovan Cafeteria, which led to a temporary closure of the dining center. They were diagnosed with norovirus and the number of sick people has since risen to more than 200.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control website states that people can become infected with norovirus by eating food or drinking liquid that is contaminated, by touching contaminated surfaces and subsequently their mouth, or through direct contact with a sick person. The virus is found in vomit or in the stool of an infected person and it is quite contagious.
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In establishments where a large number of people are in close contact, like cruises, nursing homes and universities, infectious diseases are common.
At the University of Southern California, it took five days for 300 students to contract norovirus last week. Students were advised to wash their hands often and those who were feeling ill were told to avoid socializing.
Norovirus is not the only disease infecting the classrooms. In Michigan, 34 people got sick with E. coli in September, including 9 students from Michigan State University. Just a month before that, E. coli sickened at least 5 students at Guelph University, with 15 more unconfirmed cases.
Outbreaks happen. So how prepared is Kansas State University?
“I don’t know that anybody is prepared for an outbreak,” said Ron Bridges, campus sanitarian. Food service establishments on campus are inspected monthly by campus staff, and are also inspected annually by the county health department. If there are reports of students getting sick the university may take action depending on the case; officially, the university is not involved.
“Any reported incident of suspected foodborne illness of people who are not related is handled by the Department of Agriculture in the state of Kansas,” Bridges said. The Department of Agriculture then carries on with the investigations.
Bridges said he believes food safety personnel on campus are quite knowledgeable and is confident that they know what they are doing. But some things are just out of their control and outbreaks are hard to prevent.
About 15 years ago, around 80 students were sick after attending a potluck sponsored by a student organization, Bridges recalled. “If the student organization had wanted to hold the event on campus, the food would’ve had to be regulated,” he said. For this reason, K-State does not approve of any organizations serving food on campus.
How to handle vomit and stop the spread
Vomit and other body fluids are potentially contaminated and can easily spread diseases like norovirus if not properly handled. Spills should be immediately cleaned and the area within 25-foot radius properly disinfected.
At Kansas State University, students and faculty are advised to notify the custodial department immediately and to avoid coming into contact with vomit, according to John Woods, director of Facilities Services.
“Custodians are supposed to be trained to go in and handle vomit,” Woods said. “We will be limiting the number of staff authorized to handle vomit.”
Woods explained that custodians are required to wear gloves, goggles, and a mask. They are supposed to spray the area, wait a few minutes, and scoop the vomit in a plastic bag with paper towels. They turn in the plastic bag to public safety.
What do you do if someone pukes at your restaurant or event?
Clean it up. That's the easy answer.
Exactly how is another question. After Amy's story of one of her students yacking in class, we started tossing around that question and using norovirus outbreaks at Georgetown and USC as hooks. Mayra and I decided to build a food safety infosheet around it. After reviewing available guidelines from regulators and peer-reviewed research publications, we came up with some steps for cleaning up vomit. 
We based our recommedations on a norovirus-induced vomit (because aerosolized spread of virus particles is likely).
If you are looking for a cool paper on vomit, check out: Evidence for airborne transmission of Norwalk-like virus (NLV) in a hotel restaurant (Epidemiology and Infection, 2000. 124:481-487), which discusses the spread of post-vomit norovirus (abstract is here).
A pdf of the vomit cleanup food safety infosheet can be found here.
'Razors in my stomach' The human face of Harvey's E. coli outbreak
Steve Carleton dubbed himself "Number 6" because when he was overcome with fierce stomach cramps last week and admitted to a northern Ontario hospital, health-care workers started numbering the beds.
While he jokes now that he "beat the rush," the 22-year-old North Bay police constable turns serious when recalling his bout with E. coli during an outbreak that, as of Sunday, may have sickened upwards of 159 people, mostly in his home town.
"It was like I had razor blades rolling around in my stomach, it was so excruciating," Carleton said.
"The pains were enough (that) you couldn't stay in bed or sit down, because you'd sit down and it'd hit you again and you'd be up and it'd give you that urge and you'd have to run to the washroom again."
Carleton spent four, IV-drip-fuelled days recovering in hospital. He said he had earlier eaten a bacon cheeseburger at one of the busiest Harvey's restaurants in the area.
"I consider myself pretty fit, and a healthy all around person," said Carleton, who exercises several times a week. "I couldn't imagine an elderly person, or even a young child, being able to fight their way through it."
Barfing 101 - How to handle vomit in the classroom
Amy brought up the question of how to handle barfing in class, when one of her students vomited during an exam. She said the student cleaned most of it, but she participated in the cleaning too.
At Kansas State University, students and faculty are advised to notify the custodial department immediately and to avoid coming into contact with vomit, according to John Woods, director of
Facilities Services.
“Custodians are supposed to be trained to go in and handle vomit,” Woods said. “We will be limiting the number of staff authorized to handle vomit.”
Woods explained that custodians are required to wear gloves, goggles, and a mask. They are supposed to spray the area, wait a few minutes, and scoop the vomit in a plastic bag with paper towels. They turn in the plastic bag to public safety.
Georgetown outbreak: Emergency so backed up there was 'vomiting in the waiting room'
Molly Redden of the Georgetown Voice in Washington, D.C. does an excellent job going beyond the soundbites of talking health-heads to capture the impact of foodborne illness, in the case on a bunch of university students who dined at Leo O’Donovan Cafeteria or Leo’s.
At least 96 students were treated by the Georgetown University Hospital or the Student Health Center for gastroenteritis from Tuesday night and Wednesday. …
Neil McGroarty (NHS `12), arrived at the emergency room at around 10:30 p.m., only hours after eating a roast beef sandwich from Grab N’ Go. He said within hours of arriving at the Hospital, the emergency room was backed up to the point that students who weren’t receiving medical attention began vomiting in the waiting room.
“I know that some people in the waiting room had been there for three hours. There was a boy yelling ‘help me, help me!’ but there were no doctors,” Kathrin Verestoun (SFS `11), who accompanied her roommate to the emergency room, said. “They ran out of rooms and set up stretchers in the hall. Some people were so dehydrated that they couldn’t find their veins for IVs. They were just bleeding. [My roommate] bled all over her stretcher.” …
A Food Establishment Inspection Report obtained by the Voice through a Freedom of Information Act request reveals that in June, the D.C. Bureau of Community Hygiene determined that Leo’s’ handwashing facilities were not up to code, although this was “corrected on-site.” According to the report, sinks used for handwashing in the service area lacked handsoap. …
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The actual number of students who have fallen ill may be far higher than reported. Interviews have revealed that many students who fell ill did not get medical help, like Katie O’Niell (COL `11), who began to vomit about three hours after eating a burrito at Leo’s.
“I didn’t feel like I could make it any further than from my bed to the bathroom,” she said.
Campus runs: Colorado latest to be hit with E. coli O157:H7
Guelph, Michigan State, Georgetown, that kid in Amy’s class yesterday.
There’s a lot of barf on campus.
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The University of Colorado at Boulder has just announced an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak amongst seven CU students going back to Sept. 23, 2008.
Initial investigations indicate that the source is off campus and on-campus dining is not related to the source. Boulder County Public Health staff is working closely with CU and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to identify the source of the outbreak and any additional cases among students and the public.
Georgetown University dining hall closed; dozens of students barfing and crapping show up at Emergency last night
Amy and I went for lunch today in the student union. Nothing fancy, the salad fixin’s were reasonably priced, and the food selection was a lot better than when I was a student – way back in the old days, like on the Flintstones, with humans and dinosaurs playing together.
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Any food service operation is vulnerable to foodborne illness, but the university ones have been popping up regularly of late – Guelph, Michigan State, and now, Georgetown in Washington, D.C.
Georgetown University closed its dining hall today after dozens of students went to the emergency room last night with symptoms of severe vomiting and diarrhea.
A call from an emergency room doctor at Georgetown University Hospital at about 12:30 a.m. today alerted campus officials that many students were being treated for symptoms that could indicate a foodborne illness, said university spokeswoman Julie Bataille.
She said officials are not sure yet of the number of students, but it could be dozens. About 5,000 students participate in the campus meal plan and eat at the Leo J. O'Donovan Dining Hall, which most students call Leo's. The dining hall serves about 3,000 meals daily.
In an e-mail to the campus community today, Todd A. Olson, vice president for student affairs, announced that as a precaution the university had decided to close the dining hall and that breakfast would be served in a lounge on campus and that lunch and dinner would be served at the student center.
New food was delivered this morning, Bataille said, and health officials are now on campus taking samples and investigating the situation.
Every student's nightmare? Puking in class
As I was beginning the listening section of an introductory French exam today, several students suddenly jumped up. Desks were screeching and I thought there must have been a cockroach or mouse in the room (both things have happened to me in the past at other universities). But no. A student in the front row was only vomiting on the floor and some of his neighbors happened to get hit. The students were all very cool and helpful – getting water and paper towels for the sick classmate. I sent the sick one home but he cleaned up most of his mess. I notified administration, sprayed the floor with some chemical spray, wiped up, and directed the students to another classroom. I went and washed my hands and facilities came within the next 15 minutes to mop the floors.
But what’s the protocol for handling other people’s puke? When I told Doug what happened he reminded me that if the student was sick with a virus like Noro, the germs could be aerosolized and make the rest of us ill. This particular student believed it was a problem with medicine, but to be safe … Washoe County Nevada Health Department suggests:
• Staff should wear disposable gloves and aprons when cleaning up after ill guests, especially when handling vomit, diarrhea, or other bodily wastes. It is recommended that persons who clean areas substantially contaminated by feces and/or vomitus wear masks because spattering or aerosols of infectious material might result in disease transmission. Use of cleaning cloths and other items used to clean toilets should only be used for that purpose and should not be used from room to room. Do not use these items to clean other surfaces. Effective virucides should be used in bathrooms and high hand-contact areas in guest rooms such as taps, faucets, door and drawer handles, door latches, toilet or bath rails, telephones, rails on balconies, light and lamp switches, thermostats, remote controls, curtain pulls and wands, covers on guest information books, alarm clock buttons, hair dryers, irons, and pens.
• Staff should promptly bag and clean soiled linens or dispose of them as infectious waste. Linens soiled with vomit or feces should be washed in a hot wash and dried at high temperature (drier temperature >170º F).
• When responding to a Public Vomiting Incident (PVI), the area within at least a 25-foot radius should be cleaned and disinfected using the above procedures.
• Staff should wash hands thoroughly using soap and water and then dry them thoroughly after completing the clean-up procedure and again after completing the disposal procedure.
A teacher named “Koko” blogged that when this happened in her classroom in China, she used dirt to cover the vomit, made sure it was dry, then swept, threw out the waste, and mopped afterwards. She made her students participate in the cleaning.
Barfblog: fart and vomit edition
A West Virginia man who police said passed gas and fanned it toward a patrolman has been charged with battery on a police officer.
Jose A. Cruz, 34, of Clarksburg, was pulled over early Tuesday for driving without headlights, police said. According to the criminal complaint, Cruz smelled of alcohol, had slurred speech and failed three field sobriety tests before he was handcuffed and taken to a police station for a breathalyzer test.
As Patrolman T.E. Parsons prepared the machine, Cruz scooted his chair toward Parsons, lifted his leg and "passed gas loudly," the complaint said.
"The gas was very odorous and created contact of an insulting or provoking nature with Patrolman Parsons," the complaint alleged.
Meanwhile in Tempe, eight to 10 members of an Arizona State University fraternity are believed to have caused a car accident by vomiting milk onto traffic below an ASU footbridge on University Drive Tuesday night.
The prank caused a woman to rear-end another vehicle at about 6 p.m. after that vehicle stopped to avoid the vomit.
It is unknown why the men were drinking and vomiting the milk.
Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body
That’s the name of an exhibit set to open yesterday at the South Florida Science Museum and expected to topple previous attendance records.
The Palm Beach Post reports The exhibition is based on a series of books by science teacher Sylvia Branzei whose research found that the average person swallows a quart of snot per day.
Other features of the exhibit include:
• guess the correct sequence of events that sets off barfing at the Vomit Center;
• match horrible odors to their correct source at Y U Stink;
• learn how vibrations of skin around the anus create a fart sound at Toot Toot; and,
• scale a 12-foot wall of pimples, warts and other skin blemishes.
Jennifer Cooper, a science educator at the museum, said,
"This is kind of a learning-in-disguise exhibit. They're learning without feeling like they're learning."
And you wonder why we call it barfblog.
The hit heard round the Internet - it is called barfblog
With Kansas State taking on Louisville tonight on ESPN2, it seemed like an apt moment to mention the hit heard round the Internet.
As recounted in the Washington Post:
“Kevin Barnes was best known as a slender fifth-year senior who had a penchant for missing tackles last season in Maryland's defensive backfield. When the weekend ended, Barnes was known in select circles only as the player who delivered a hit so hard it made someone throw up.
“How that happened is a testament to the power of the Internet, where Barnes's image will long live because of five seconds of football that resulted in considerable, if not typical, notoriety. When he crashed his shoulder into the chest of California running back Jahvid Best in the second quarter of Maryland's 35-27 victory, Barnes had no idea he soon would be entering cyberspace lore.
Nor did he realize the magnitude of the hit when he saw Best crawling on knees and hands and vomiting on the field.”
Barnes may even have a future as a food safety risk communicator:
"He's not permanently hurt, so I'm fine with that. Had he died or something, I'd have felt bad, but he'll probably be playing next week."
Or not.
Salmonella Symptoms
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Someone came to the blog this morning searching “Salmonella Saintpaul flatulence” inspiring this post. As of last night 138 people in 11 states were sick from Salmonella in tomatoes.According to http://www.about-salmonella.com/salmonella_symptoms_risks, Salmonella can cause gastroenteritis, typhoid fever, and bacteremia. The following are symptoms of Salmonella gastroenteritis:
In mild cases diarrhea may be non-bloody, occur several times per day, and not be very voluminous; in severe cases it may be frequent, bloody and/or mucoid, and of high volume. Vomiting is less common than diarrhea.
- diarrhea
- abdominal cramps
- fever, generally 100°F to 102°F (38°C to 39°C)
- nausea, and/or
- vomiting
Other frequently reported symptoms are
Whereas the diarrhea typically lasts 24 to 72 hours, patients often report fatigue and other nonspecific symptoms lasting 7 days or longer.
- headaches
- muscle pain, and
- joint pain
The FDA has a thorough analysis of Salmonella in their Bad Bug Book.
If you are concerned that you have food poisoning, you should contact your local health unit or Seattle law firm Marler-Clark that specializes in foodborne illness litigation.
Dagwood dog or party pie -- Australian PM barfs
His office yesterday blamed a "dodgy dagwood dog" for the illness, but Mr Rudd suggested today it might have been a pie, stating,
"I think it was a party pie, something like that, a savoury something. All I know is whether it was that, or whether it was a stomach bug, the consequences were graphic."Dagwood dogs are sausages, deep-fried in batter and served on a stick.
Farmer's vomit sickens 54 bystanders at hospital
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He vomited while undergoing treatment, generating toxic chlorine gas.A total of 54 people near him, including doctors and patients, fell ill. Of them, 10 were admitted to hospitals including the Red Cross Hospital, while the 44 others who were not in serious condition are steadily recovering.
If you're going to off yourself, try not to involve involve others.
Don't barf in public; it's against the law
Council was also set to discuss a mandatory 2 a.m. closing-time for hotdog vendors.Apparently that's to keep munchie-driven zombies from roaming the streets.
Patrick Lacey, 25, said,
"What are they really going to do about vomiting in public? … you can't stop someone from throwing up. Throwing up in public is embarrassing enough as it is; you don't need to get arrested."
I can't wait for the next norovirus outbreak to hit Windsor.
Barf in UK taxi ... you pay
The so-called soiling fee will be increased from £40 to £100 in South Ribble if the council gives the go-ahead.Cabbies in the South Ribble Council area have asked the authority to consider putting up the fares for the first time since September 2006.
Drivers say that the rising cost of fuel and insurance premiums – as well as an increase in the number of inebriated passengers – means it is costing more to stay on the road.
Now anyone who forces a taxi off the road by soiling it through their drunkenness could be hit with the £100 charge.
Vomiting customers are currently charged £30.
Fake vomit is serious business
Helping put the ick in America since 1941, Fun Inc. is a repository of practical jokes, magic tricks and gag items — from chattering teeth to hot pepper gum, oversize sunglasses to oversize toothbrushes to oversize anything. The story explains that in the 1960s, upward of 60,000 fake vomits were produced annually. These days, Fun Inc. brews up the recipe only a few times a year, making around 7,000 latex barfs annually, as tourist gift shops and joke stores look overseas for cheaper versions (though for $15 a dozen wholesale, Fun Inc.'s prank puke is still a heck of a deal).
The story says that fake vomit's pop-cultural significance earned it a reference on "The Simpsons" during Season 4 in the "Last Exit to Springfield" episode. Nuclear plant owner Mr. Burns shuts off power to the city. When he turns it back on, production at Fake Vomit Inc. resumes. Mechanized fake vomit machine squirts; workers rejoice.
Although fake vomit is immersed deep enough in the pop-culture zeitgeist to warrant its own Wikipedia entry, its ambiguous history exists only in tales passed around factory floors.
Ben's barf for barfblog
Here's what's been happening to me:
- Trips to the bathroom for vomiting = 2
- Trips to the bathroom for diarrhea = 6
- Stomach cramps = lots
Every time I drink something (which I have limited to water) I get some wicked cramps.
Haven't eaten anything since lunch yesterday.I really was hoping to get a picture to make the blog authentic, but a camera was the last thing I was thinking of. I promised Doug I'd snap a pic of my next trip to the bathroom.
Ironically this week's infosheet is all about norovirus, you can find it here.
Is vomiting a symptom of bird flu?
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Crew on the flight, from South Korea via Australia, alerted airport authorities when the woman began vomiting and showing other possible bird flu symptoms, sparking a lockdown on the tarmac as the plane landed, said Norman Upjohn, an ambulance duty manager.
The 223 people aboard the Boeing 747 were held for about an hour under ''full quarantine procedure'' while a paramedic in protective clothing examined the woman, Upjohn said.
South Korea declared itself bird flu free in June, after reporting no new cases of the H5N1 strain of bird flu -- in birds or humans -- for three months.
I sure hope that no one with a bit of vomit or diarrhea flies to NZ from the UK this week.
You vomit on the bus, you pay; norovirus is the best excuse
The policy will be enforced by "mystery riders," who could be on board at any time.
The Vern Express runs round the clock between the university's Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon campuses. University officials say when someone gets sick, the driver has to stop the bus, unload the passengers and arrange rides home.
The policy follows an increase in the number of incidents and complaints from students about delays. School officials say it applies only to students who are drunk -- not those who are actually sick.
The were several of those in Manhattan last night, as a late game meant the "official" tailgating started at 3 pm, and didn't wrap up until 12:30 a.m., with a 47-20 Kansas State victory over Colorado, and allowing K-State to sneak back into the college football rankings at #25 in the AP poll (shout-out to my Canadian Food Inspection Agency fans).
One of our golf friends tried the norovirus excuse on the first fairway after a night of excess several years ago in Newport News, Virginia.
It didn't work.
Kansas football and food safety II
As Kansas State (24) prepares to host University of Kansas Saturday morning in college football action, here's hoping the locals are better hosts than the women at KU's Pi Beta Phi sorority.Apparently, the fathers of the gals will soon be receiving “I survived Pi Phi Dad’s Day 2007” T-shirts.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports that some of the dads and many of the women of Pi Beta Phi came down with an unknown illness during the Sept, 22 event at KU.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is investigating and, as yet, hasn’t found a source of the illness. The probe has included Vermont Street Barbecue, Abe & Jake’s Landing and the sorority’s kitchen, but it could expand further.
KDHE spokesman Joe Blubaugh said the number of people who were potentially exposed — up to 240 — complicates the investigation.
Meg Stewart, Pi Beta Phi president, said the sorority was grateful the illness wasn’t worse. She said a few members were sent to a hospital.
