Latest news with #coli
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Nursery school shuts due to E. coli outbreak
A Belfast nursery school has closed for a "deep clean" following an E. coli outbreak. The Public Health Agency (PHA) confirmed it was investigating and managing an outbreak of "Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC)" linked to the nursery. The PHA did not name the school but said it had shut voluntarily for cleaning and to allow all staff and pupils to be tested for the infection. STEC symptoms can include diarrhoea, stomach cramps and fever but most people recover within five to seven days. However, a small proportion of patients, mainly children, can develop a serious life-threatening condition which can lead to kidney failure. The PHA said it was "working closely with the nursery to ensure all infection control measures are in place" and was continuing to monitor the situation. It explained "diarrhoeal illnesses can be easily spread from person to person in nursery settings due to the close contact between children and staff". The outbreak was first reported by Belfast Live on Tuesday morning.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Are Iowa lakes safe for Memorial Day weekend?
Fishing at Gray's Lake park in Des Moines on May 23, 2025. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Memorial Day weekend is typically considered the opening weekend for summer water recreation, but for some Iowans the thought of diving headfirst into a lake sounds more concerning than refreshing. Driftless Water Defenders, an environmental group based in northeastern Iowa, is launching an initiative to bring awareness to the 'deteriorating quality' of Iowa's water and its impact on summer recreation. The first beach monitoring report of the season, issued by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, shows the department does not recommend swimming from beaches at four of the 41 monitored state lakes. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX DNR tests waters at the beaches weekly during the summer season, from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, for E. coli bacteria and microcystins. When levels of either exceed safety levels, DNR issues a beach warning which is not a closure, but an advisory to visitors that the water 'may carry a higher risk' of causing things like diarrhea, nausea or other acute symptoms. According to a press release from DNR, advisories are especially important for Iowans with weakened immune systems, young children or those who plan to swim and might ingest water. Advisories are issued when E. coli levels are higher than 235 colony forming units, or CFU, per 100 milliliters. At this threshold, the estimated illness rate is 36 minor illnesses per 1,000 swimmers. High concentrations of E. coli can also signal that other bacteria or pathogens are present in the water. The DNR beach monitoring also logs county and city beach test results. As of Friday, beaches at F.W. Kent Park, Hickory Grove Park and Lake Iowa Park had E. coli values above the standard. Microcystins, which DNR also monitors at beaches, are toxins produced by types of blue-green algae that can cause acute health effects, like rashes, nausea, diarrhea, or fever. These algal blooms appear as green 'paint-like' scum on bodies of water and should be avoided, especially if they have an oily appearance. According to DNR, Iowa saw seven microcystin-related beach advisories in 2024. The blooms occur in nutrient-rich waters, which are exacerbated by industrial and agricultural runoff. Iowa Environmental Council monitors the lake data throughout the summer as well and reported 23 state park beaches had swim advisories in 2024. IEC also noted Green Valley Lake, Honey Creek Resort Beach, and Lake Anita as the only monitored state lake beaches that have never had an E. coli related advisory. The 48 Lakes Initiative, headed by Driftless Water Defenders, will kick off Saturday at 10 lakes across the state with in-person meet ups and the distribution of water quality statistics at each lake. Attendees are encouraged to share their experiences of recreating in Iowa lakes and how it has changed over time. Chris Jones, the organization's president, said industrial agriculture practices are polluting the waters and 'depriving' Iowans of recreational opportunities. 'The Iowa citizens' dialogue we are starting today will help citizens to increase the accountability of polluters and governmental agencies responsible for enforcing the state's environmental laws and regulations,' Jones said in a statement. Those interested in attending a Saturday meet up can find more information online. The organization hopes the citizen-initiated dialogue will persist through the summer on social media and it encouraged folks to share their stories with the tags : #NoSwimEra and #48Lakes. Food and Water Watch, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and Progress Iowa are also supporting the initiative. Mazie Stilwell, the executive director for Progress Iowa, said the state's rivers, beaches and lakes should be enjoyed 'free of worry.' 'But for Iowans, you either enter at your own risk or heed the warnings for fear of getting sick,' Stilwell said in a statement. 'Iowans are making it clear they're done with politicians and wealthy executives who let these waters deteriorate … These are our waters, it's time we turn the tide and clean them up.' Lake temperatures are still fairly chilly for swimming, as the latest fishing report issued by DNR shows most waters measured in the mid 60s, but the department encouraged Iowans to wear lifejackets and stay safe if they do decide to take a plunge. Additionally DNR reminded those camping at state parks to avoid transporting firewood, as it can spread insects like the emerald ash borer or oak wilt. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Urgent warning issued as milk pulled from shelves due to deadly bacteria
Raw milk is unpasteurised and unfiltered, and is popular due to its creamy taste and thickness. However, unlike pasteurised milk, it hasn't been heat-treated to kill off bacteria An urgent recall notice has been issued as a popular milk brand could make people seriously ill. The Food Standards Agency issued the notice on Wednesday, and it covers milk from Kenneth Henna's Raw Jersey Milk in Northern Ireland. Raw milk is unpasteurised and unfiltered, and is popular due to its creamy taste and thickness. However, unlike pasteurised milk, it hasn't been heat-treated to kill off bacteria. According to the recall notice, the two-litre dairy product could be contaminated with Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC). Consuming this bacteria can make people very sick, with symptoms including abdominal cramps, watery and/or bloody diarrhoea, a fever, and vomiting. However, some people are at risk of more severe health problems, potentially causing haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS can lead to kidney failure and can be fatal in some cases. STEC infection is more likely to occur in vulnerable groups, such as the young and those with weakened immune systems. The recall notice affects all "Ken's Raw Jersey Milk" products, including all batch codes and use-by dates. Even though the recall is a "precautionary" notice, the Food Standards Agency has urged anyone who has bought the product not to consume it. Instead, they should dispose of it or return it to their place of purchase. The farm shop has displayed point-of-sale notices explaining the recall to customers who may have purchased the affected milk. For further information on the recall notice, you can contact Kenneth Hanna's Farm Shop on 07710203082. Join Money Saving Club's specialist topics What are recall notices? Products can be recalled for a range of different reasons including safety – if a product displays risks for the customer – or quality – when the product isn't working as it should be. The Food Standards Agency is in charge of issuing alerts when a food product has a problem. The product can either be "withdrawn," which means it is taken off the shelves, or "recalled," which means customers are asked to return it. Food products need to be recalled if they are found to have been contaminated with pathogens that could cause food poisoning or if plastic or metal has been found in them due to manufacturing faults. Food items also need to be recalled if any allergen information is missing or incorrect. The Office for Product Safety and Standards is responsible for everything else which does not fall into food, medicines, and vehicles.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Bill Ackman vs. Wall Street: Who's Right About the Stock That Doubled After the Billionaire Bought It?
Key Points Billionaire Bill Ackman has accumulated a stake in Hertz worth nearly 20%. Of the 10 analysts covering Hertz, not one considers the car rental stock a buy. Some may be eyeing Hertz's declining revenue and a wide loss in 2024. 10 stocks we like better than Hertz Global › Billionaire Bill Ackman is known for making big contrarian bets on Wall Street, including piling into Chipotle Mexican Grill when it was still reeling from the E. coli crisis, and shorting Herbalife on concerns about its business. Now, Ackman is shaking up Wall Street again, taking a 19.8% stake in Hertz Global Holdings (NASDAQ: HTZ). Shares of the struggling car rental company soared on the news, jumping 126% over a two-day span on April 16-17 after Ackman revealed the news. For Ackman, it was a classic contrarian purchase. Hertz had fallen 90% from when it reemerged from bankruptcy in 2021 before he bought it, and the stock is not getting much love on Wall Street either. Of the 10 analysts covering it, not a single one rates it a buy. Six of them call the stock a hold, which is often seen as a euphemism for sell, and four called Hertz an outright sell, which is relatively uncommon on Wall Street. So who's right about Hertz -- Ackman or the analysts? Let's take a look at Ackman's thesis for the stock, which he laid out on X. Image source: Getty Images. The bull case for Hertz, according to Bill Ackman Ackman outlined several reasons why he believes Hertz can deliver an attractive return. First, he sees Hertz as an operating company with a highly leveraged portfolio of automobiles, and he believes its fleet of used cars is likely to gain value from tariffs that are expected to push up prices for both new and used cars. Second, he sees the company's mistake with Tesla vehicles, which it overbought and found to be too expensive to maintain and repair, as mostly in the past. Third, he believes that improving industry dynamics will lead to more rational competitive behavior, meaning that rental car companies will raise their prices or pull back incentives, much like what happened in the ride-sharing and food delivery industry with Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash. Finally, he's confident in the new management team, led by CEO Gil West, and its turnaround plan, and sees the company's leveraged capital structure as boosting the potential for returns. Ackman also called out privately held Enterprise, the industry leader that he believes has a profit margin above 20%, and said that Hertz has the potential to do the same. What the numbers show Hertz is clearly working on a turnaround, but its 2024 results were ugly. It reported a net loss of $2.9 billion on $9 billion in revenue, down 3.4% from the year before. In the fourth quarter, it lost $479 million on $2.04 billion in revenue.
Scottish Sun
28-04-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
One of UK's largest ever E.coli outbreaks sparks urgent health warning after 259 people fall ill and 75 hospitalised
Plus, the signs of an infection to look out for HEALTH HAZARD One of UK's largest ever outbreaks sparks urgent health warning after 259 people fall ill and 75 hospitalised ONE of the UK's largest ever outbreaks, which saw 259 people fall ill and 75 hospitalised, was linked to salad leaves, a new report has revealed. The cases were traced back to one unnamed salad grower who supplied the salad to national fast-food chains and retailers across Britain. Advertisement 2 The outbreak occurred in 2022, and salad leaves, such as lettuce, spinach, baby leaf spinach, cos romaine and other leaf types were linked to the majority of cases interviewed Credit: Getty 2 An infection can cause severe food borne illness Credit: Getty Escherichia coli O157, sometimes called STEC (Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli) is a type of E. coli that can cause severe food borne illness. The name O157 refers to a specific type of outer cell membrane protein, and the fact that it produces Shiga toxins, which damage the lining of the intestines. It's caused by consuming food or water contaminated with the bacteria, particularly undercooked meat, unpasteurised milk, or contaminated produce. In England, around 800-1000 cases are reported annually. Advertisement The 2022 outbreak saw 259 confirmed cases of the strain - England had 195 cases, Scotland had 33, Northern Ireland had 18 and Wales had 13. While 75 people were reported to be hospitalised, no patients were diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (a serious condition that can develop and lead to kidney failure), and no deaths were recorded. Initial investigations pointed to the consumption of foods from national fast-food chains and having salads and chicken products. The Food Standards Agency (FSA), which analysed food exposure information and traceability investigations identified linked supply chains of UK grown fresh produce. Advertisement The single unnamed salad grower was then linked to other identified growers and processors in the supply chain, and to restaurants and retailers the cases had visited. Salad leaves, such as lettuce, spinach, baby leaf spinach, cos romaine and other leaf types were linked to the majority of cases interviewed - there was no strong link to one specific type of leafy green. Why you should never eat food dropped on the floor Investigations by the FSA revealed growers and suppliers had noted prolonged periods of extremely dry weather, followed by a lot of rain in July and August 2022 - which in some cases caused flooding. Heavy rainfall washing pathogens from animal pastures into fields with crops, contaminating the water supply, could have played a role, said the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Advertisement At the time, the source or cause of the outbreak couldn't be established, and it was essentially over by the time links to the specific salad supply chains had been established. There were also no items to sample to confirm the findings microbiologically. Supply had also switched to imported products so no ongoing risk was identified. According to the report: "Although case numbers had reduced by the time the most likely implicated food supply chain had been identified, a re-emergence of the outbreak strain is possible in future years. Advertisement "Owing to the resumption of domestically produced salad in the next summer season, re-contamination of fresh produce due to persistence of the organism within the environment, which may explain the cases spanning multiple years in this cluster, is possible." Six recommendations were made, including that the UKHSA should review surveillance to monitor and track infections. Also, improvements where gaps were identified to enhance the detection and risk assessment of emerging outbreak clusters.
