Post-Blackout Illness Already Found in NYC

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Post-Blackout Illness

Already Found in NYC

From Patricia Doyle, PhD

dr_p_doyle

8-19-03

 

 

Hello Jeff - As I mentioned previously, a blackout that would last for an

extended period of time would kill MORE people then a Smallpox outbreak.

 

Food-borne illness is only ONE illness that we will see spike in power

outage states. Vectored illness will be a significant problem, in my

opinion. Many people who are not accustomed to overnighting in the

out-of-doors will be a risk for West Nile Virus and other mosquito illness.

Those who were in the outdoors in tick, fly and flea infested areas are at

risk for Lyme Disease, Ehrlichiosis, Babesiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted

Fever, Tick Paralysis etc etal.

 

It appears that the NYC health dept does expect to see spike in illness

after the blackout and they appear to be monitoring for cases. I hope that

they are also monitoring for vectored illnesses like WNV etal.

 

Again, I think that the US needs to make immediate upgrades of

infrastructure, especially when it comes to generation, tramsmission and

continuity of electric power. All of our monitary resources should have and

should be going into upgrading power supply and modernizing the grid system.

Nation building needs to be done here, at home. As I mentioned, more people

would die during a significant power outage then would die in smallpox or

ebola outbreak. I would hope that George W Bush would take this into

consideration before he spends more of our resources Nation building around

the globe.

 

Patricia Doyle

 

DIARRHEA, POST-BLACKOUT - USA (NEW YORK CITY)

 

A ProMED-mail post www.promedmail.org ProMED-mail is a program of the

International Society for Infectious Diseases www.isid.org

 

Sun, 17 Aug 2003 ProMED-mail <promed Source: New

York City Department of Health website [edited]

 

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/public/press03/pr101-0817.html

 

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Issues Health Advisory

on Food-Borne Illnesses

---------------------------

Earlier this evening, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's

syndromic surveillance system detected a higher-than-usual number of visits

for diarrheal illnesses at emergency departments in New York City. The

Health Department is continuing to investigate the increase and monitor the

trend.

 

Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden, MD, MPH, said, " While we do not know the

specific cause of this spike in diarrheal illnesses, it is possible that it

was caused by spoiled food eaten at home or elsewhere. This underscores the

need to make sure that food that spoiled during the power outage is not

consumed and is thrown out if there is any doubt as to its safety. It is

critical for New Yorkers to avoid getting sick by following food safety

guidelines.

 

The 5 key rules are:

 

1. Use common sense -- foods, such as dairy products, meat (red meat,

chicken, and seafood), and particularly items such as previously cooked rice

or potatoes, are not safe to eat after a prolonged period without

refrigeration. 2. Better safe than sorry. 3. Evaluate each food item

separately. 4. Never taste food to see if it is bad. 5. " When in doubt,

throw it out. "

 

The Health Department emphasized that testing of the drinking water in New

York City by the Department of Environmental Protection continues to confirm

that the drinking water is safe.

 

Detailed food safety guidelines are given below:

 

Perishable, refrigerated foods that have been without refrigeration and at

more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 2 hours should be discarded.

Refrigerated foods that should be discarded include meat (red meat, chicken,

seafood), hot dogs, bacon, pizza, open canned meats, soft cheeses, milk,

yogurt, eggs or egg dishes, fresh cut fruits, opened mayonnaise,

Worcestershire sauce, creamy salad dressings, opened tomato sauces,

biscuits, rolls, cookie dough, cooked pasta, pasta salads, cheesecake,

cream-filled pastries, cooked vegetables, baked potatoes, and potato salad.

 

Any perishable food that has thawed for more than 2 hours and is above 40

degrees Fahrenheit -- whether from the refrigerator or the freezer -- should

be discarded.

 

Food items that can be kept for a limited period of time without

refrigeration include: Hard, processed cheeses: (e.g., cheddar, swiss,

parmesan, provolone, romano); butter, margarine; opened fruit juices, opened

canned fruits, peanut butter, jellies and mustards, opened vinegar-based

dressings, breads, rolls, cakes, muffins, breads, waffles, pancakes, bagels,

pies, fruit, herbs, spices, and raw vegetables.

 

Any food items discarded should be disposed of in double-bagged plastic

garbage bags and should be well-tied, and/or in sealed plastic containers or

sealed (e.g. zipper-locked) plastic bags.

 

After the power returned, it was OK to refreeze frozen foods that still

contained ice crystals and felt cold. These include beef, veal, poultry and

ground meats, fish, shellfish, seafood products, egg products, soft and hard

cheese, casseroles, juices, fruits, vegetables, cakes, pies, pastries,

flours, cornmeal, and frozen meals.

 

As a general rule, a well-functioning freezer that was unopened and at least

half full will have kept foods cold for about 24 hours.

 

The Health Department has dispatched dozens of inspectors to food

establishments citywide to make sure they comply with these guidelines.

 

New Yorkers concerned about food poisoning can call the New York City Poison

Control Center at (212) POISONS or (212) 764-7667 or 311 and can register

complaints though 311 or the DOHMH website at <http://www.nyc.gov/health>.

New Yorkers are asked to call 911 only for emergencies. More information on

food safety recommendations can also be found at the U.S. Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention site at <http://www.cdc.gov>.

 

-- ProMED-mail <promed

 

[This outbreak of gastrointestinal illness was picked up by the surveillance

system in New York City designed to identify spikes in one of a number of

syndromes related to natural or man-made outbreaks. The further evaluation

of these illnesses is underway, and the proper triage of food following the

power failure is explained above. - Mod.LL] .................jw/ll/pg/jw

 

Patricia A. Doyle, PhD Please visit my " Emerging Diseases " message board at:

http://www.clickitnews.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat= & Board=emergingdiseas

es Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa Go with God and in Good Health