Norovirus Bug On the Rise, New Strain Arrives in United States

A new norovirus strain that was detected last year in Australia has reached the United States.

Although the flu is on everyone’s minds this season, a new strain of the highly contagious norovirus has reached the U.S. from Australia. Often referred to as the stomach flu, norovirus is unrelated to influenza but often occurs during flu season. Symptoms of the norovirus include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pains.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that GII.4 Sydney strain is currently the leading cause of norovirus outbreaks in the U.S. In the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report released Jan. 25, the norovirus is described as the leading cause of epidemic gastroenteritis, including foodborne outbreaks, in the U.S. Of norovirus cases reported from September to December, 54 percent have …

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CDC: Bad Flu Season Could Be Ahead

The CDC is advising more people to get a flu shot because the influenza virus could be more virulent this year.

State Continues to Contact Possible Meningitis Outbreak Patients

The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Friday that additional patients who may have been exposed to meningitis from contaminated medications are being contacted.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health continues to follow up with patients who may have been exposed to contaminated medications produced by the New England Compounding Center (NECC) in Framingham, Mass., as part of a nationwide investigation into a fungal meningitis outbreak, according to a press release. To date, there is only one case of fungal meningitis in Pennsylvania associated with this outbreak. Illness occurred in a patient who received an epidural steroid injection at Allegheny Pain Management in Altoona. The facility was one of two locations in Pennsylvania that received doses of the specific lots of steroid medication responsible for the national outbreak.  As a precautionary measure, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) …

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Ricotta Cheese Recalled After 14 People Sickened

"Forever Cheese" brand of Frescolina ricotta cheese is being recalled after 14 people, including one in Pennsylvania, were sickened by listeria-type illness.

Ricotta Cheese Recalled After 14 People Sickened

'Forever Cheese' brand of Frescolina ricotta cheese is being recalled after 14 people - including 1 in Pennsylvania - were sickened by listeria-type illness.

An illness that killed three people and sickened 14 in 11 states and the District of Columbia has prompted the recall of an imported ricotta salata cheese, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on its website Tuesday. Forever Cheese Inc., on Monday voluntarily recalled one lot of Frescolina brand ricotta salata cheese due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination, the CDC said. Ricotta salata is dry and crumbly - not the soft ricotta used in lasagna, according to a U.S. News report. Listeriosis is a foodborne bacterial illness that can be severe. One person in Pennsylvania was sickened in this case so far. The cheese was sold to distributors for retail stores and restaurants in California, Colorado, District of …

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CDC: West Nile Virus Outbreak Worst Ever in U.S.

Number of cases this year highest on record since disease first detected in United States in 1999, federal officials say.

Despite warnings and mosquito sprayings in communities throughout the United States, including Salisbury Township, the outbreak of West Nile virus this year is the worst ever, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The number of cases so far this year is the highest recorded since the disease was first detected in the United States in 1999, according to a report on CNN. As of Aug. 21, 38 states had reported human infections of West Nile virus, including a Lehigh County man. The CDC reported a total of 1,118 cases, including 41 deaths. Certain mosquito species carry the West Nile virus, which can cause humans to contract West Nile encephalitis, an infection that can result in an inflammation of the brain. According to the Centers for…

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