COVID-19 Activity Increases Across US, Mostly on West Coast: CDC
On Aug. 8, the CDC said that the national wastewater viral activity for COVID-19 increased from 'low' to 'moderate' from the previous week, according to an Epoch Times review. The region with the highest number of cases is the western United States, it said.
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New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
2 dead, 14 hospitalized after eating tainted sausage and turnip top sandwiches in Italy
Two people died and 14 others, including two teenagers, were hospitalized after eating sausage and turnip top paninis from a food truck in southwest Italy linked to the country's second toxic botulism outbreak in a month. Luigi di Sarno, 52, and Tamara D'Acunto, 45, died within two days of ingesting the tainted sandwiches. Another 14 people were hospitalized with food poisoning, The Telegraph reported. Luigi di Sarno, 52, was sent home from the hospital despite his apparent illness, his sister said. Facebook Advertisement Di Sarno, an artist, was sent home from the hospital even after complaining he wasn't feeling well and later died, his sister told the outlet. All of the victims ate sandwiches from a food truck near the town of Diamante in Calabria, which spans across the toe of Italy's boot, according to authorities investigating the botulism outbreak. They each ordered the same meal: a panini topped with grilled sausage and cime di rapa — or turnip tops in English, officials said. Advertisement Giuseppe Santonocito, the 33-year-old owner of the seized food truck, and his three employees who allegedly made the tainted paninis are under investigation. Officials also ordered a nationwide seizure of the panini, which was commercially produced, and are probing other products sold at the truck. Santonocito purchased the produce used in the paninis in late July, and only had enough to make 'six or seven' sandwiches before they ran out, his lawyer told the outlet. Tamara D'Acunto, 45, died shortly after eating a panini purchased from a food truck in southwest Italy. Advertisement 'He is psychologically devastated. He has worked for around nine years in the food sector and he is well respected. He is convinced that the contamination was already in the products that he served,' his lawyer said. Five doctors who treated the victims at two different hospitals are also being probed for apparently not making their diagnoses quickly enough, officials said. Botulism, a bacterial infection, is most commonly linked to food poisoning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In extreme cases, it can cause muscle paralysis and even death. Advertisement In late July, another toxic botulism outbreak in Sardinia, an island west of Italy's mainland, left one woman dead after eating spoiled guacamole at a festival. Seven others, including an 11-year-old boy, were treated for food poisoning. Italy's Ministry of Health 'immediately activated all the health protocols' following the dual outbreaks to ensure 'that patients had timely access to life-saving antidote treatments,' according to the government agency.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Family sues for wrongful death in deadly listeria outbreak
A California family is suing for wrongful death in the wake of a listeria outbreak caused by nutrition shakes that led to the deaths of 14 people this year, including their relative. In February, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced an investigation into an outbreak linked to Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial brand frozen supplemental shakes. At the time, Lyon Magnus LLC, the parent company, recalled 17 affected products. The contaminated shakes, distributed to long-term care facilities and hospitals, were produced by a Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The FDA and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) declared the outbreak over on May 16. The agency reported 42 cases of listeriosis, or listeria poisoning, across 21 states, resulting in 41 hospitalizations and 14 deaths. The illnesses and deaths, which overwhelmingly (90%) occurred in people in care facilities or those who had been hospitalized before they became infected, were confirmed through whole genome sequencing as being caused by the outbreak strain associated with the shakes. Wrongful death suit alleges man died of listerosis complications The CDC began monitoring the outbreak of the disease as early as 2018, food safety lawyer Bill Marler told USA TODAY. At the beginning, epidemiologists were unable to identify the source of the illnesses. Now, with the outbreak technically over, some families are just beginning to find out their loved ones were victims, Marler said. Marler of the Marler Clark law firm said he's filed the first lawsuit related to the outbreak on Thursday, Aug. 7. It says the outbreak spanned multiple years and was likely the result of conditions within one of the manufacturing and packaging facilities. Marler said that the family who sued was not informed until July that their relative's death was caused by the outbreak. The wife and children of John Wills Sr. of Richmond, California, sued Lyon, the distributor of the shakes, and Prairie Farms Dairy Inc., the manufacturer. Their suit said Wills was recovering from a slip-and-fall injury in a local care facility when, on July 20, 2024, he was given a contaminated shake. Wills, who was previously able to move with the assistance of a mobility device, to participate in physical therapy and eat meals normally, soon developed a fever, pain and had difficulty speaking, according to the suit. After multiple hospitalizations and monitoring for infectious disease, Wills died of "complications related to his Listeria infection and other comorbid conditions" on Feb. 22, 2025. His relatives are seeking damages and payment of Wills' medical and legal fees. Marler criticized the CDC and FDA for their reporting practices, telling USA TODAY and explaining in a blog post that victims like Wills underwent various tests – including blood and spinal fluid draws – and underwent investigations that involved family interviews and reviews of purchase histories. However, they were never informed by the agencies about the cause of their illness or death. "I spoke with a family today to inform them that their husband/father died after suffering a Listeria infection," Marler said in a recent blog post shared with USA TODAY, which he confirmed was referencing Wills. "Until today, the family did not know the cause of his infection despite (the) fact that it has been known by local, state and federal officials for over a year." USA TODAY has reached out to the CDC and FDA for comment. Which states had listeria poisoning cases? A total of 21 states had known listeria outbreaks related to this recall: Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia. The 14 deaths occurred in nine states: California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington. Which Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial shakes were recalled? All recalled products had "best buy" dates between 02/21/25 and 02/21/26, according to Lyons Magnus. All the contaminated products are believed to have been destroyed, the FDA notice said. What is listeriosis or listeria poisoning? Listeriosis, or listeria poisoning, is a foodborne bacterial infection most commonly caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. It is considered a serious condition and can be dangerous or life-threatening, especially to older adults, people with weak immune systems and pregnant people. Signs and symptoms of listeriosis may not appear until weeks after consumption. Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell their health care provider about eating the contaminated food, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. According to the USDA, symptoms include:
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
Vaccinating young children against Covid-19 may be more challenging this respiratory virus season
Parents in the United States who want to vaccinate their young children against Covid-19 may face a growing set of challenges this fall. The US Food and Drug Administration might not renew authorization for Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine for children younger than 5, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told state and local health officials on Friday. 'This decision would affect Pfizer's pediatric COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 6m–4y for the 2025–2026 season,' the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases said in an email that was obtained by CNN. In May, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the CDC would no longer recommend Covid-19 vaccines for healthy children or pregnant women. The CDC's immunization schedule was updated to reflect that children would be able to get the vaccines after consulting with a health care provider — what's known as 'shared decision-making.' But without FDA authorization, Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine would no longer be available to any children younger than 5 and the other option available for healthy children with no underlying conditions in this age group, Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine, would have to be given 'off label' by a willing pharmacist or physician. This contradicts the intent of shared clinical decision-making, said Dr. Paul Offit, a pediatrician and director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. 'Shared clinical decision-making assumes that you're making a decision for that child whether they're healthy or not healthy. So now it's confusing,' he said. Covid-19 vaccines first became available to the American public during the pandemic under emergency use authorization, known as EUA — special permissions used by the FDA during an emergency that are short of full approval. Pfizer has had full FDA approval for its Covid-19 vaccine for individuals age 12 and older since 2022. The company anticipates that this approval will expand to children ages 5 to 11 for the upcoming respiratory virus season, according to the email that the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases sent to state and local health officials on Friday. But vaccine access for the youngest children, who are most vulnerable to severe illness from a Covid-19 infection, would be significantly more limited if the FDA does not renew emergency authorization for the Pfizer vaccine for children under 5. Pfizer confirmed to CNN that the FDA has said that it may not renew the emergency use authorization or the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months to 4 years. 'We are currently in discussions with the agency on potential paths forward and have requested that the EUA for this age group remain in place for the 2025-2026 season,' Pfizer said in a statement. 'It is important to note that these deliberations are not related to the safety and efficacy of the vaccine which continues to demonstrate a favorable profile.' Fatima Khan, co-founder of the nonprofit grassroots group Protect Their Future, which advocates for vaccine access for kids, told CNN in a statement, that 'taking a proven, safe and effective vaccine away from vulnerable children is unconscionable.' 'The science is clear: Infants face Covid-19 hospitalization rates comparable to those over 65. Refusing to authorize it for children under 5 doesn't protect them–it abandons them,' she said. 'Parents have already struggled to safeguard their youngest because of limited vaccine access. Now that protection may disappear entirely this fall just as schools reopen. If this stands, it will be a lasting stain on our public health system and on every leader who left our children behind.' Moderna also has a Covid-19 vaccine available for children age 11 and younger. It was granted full approval by the FDA in July but only for those who are at 'increased risk for COVID-19 disease.' Moderna plans to increase vaccine supply for children to 'help mitigate any potential supply gap,' according to the CDC email sent on Friday, but Moderna is still determining the specific volume and timing. Like flu vaccines, Covid-19 vaccines have typically been updated with formulations that best target the virus strains that are in circulation each season. But the FDA has not yet approved the formulation for the 2025-2026 season. 'I think the bottom line is that children are going to be less likely to get this vaccine, which goes against the data,' Offit said. At a meeting in April, the CDC's vaccine advisory committee heard evidence that children accounted for about 4% of all Covid-19 hospitalizations over last fall and winter's respiratory virus season. Rates of Covid-19 hospitalizations among children are highest for the youngest age groups, CDC data shows. Last respiratory virus season, there were 48 Covid-19 hospitalizations for every 100,000 children under 5 – nearly seven times the rate for older children and more than twice the rate for adults under 50. 'It's a war on mRNA vaccines. Why? Because mRNA vaccines are now political,' Offit said. 'It's just a war against the science, war against the data, and we will suffer this. And the thing that I fear the most is: Will we know we're suffering this? Will we have the surveillance capacity to know who's getting hospitalized with Covid, who's dying from Covid?' Covid-19 levels are on the rise in the US, with transmission increasing in at least 45 states, according to the CDC. In a statement to CNN, the US Department of Health and Human Services said that the agency does not comment on potential regulatory changes. 'The COVID-19 pandemic ended with the expiration of the federal public health emergency in May 2023,' spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in an email. 'Unless officially announced by HHS, discussion about future agency action should be regarded as pure speculation.'
