Georgia Declared Disaster Area

USDA Designates Georgia as Agricultural Disaster Area

The United States Department of Agriculture has designated 150  Georgia counties as primary disaster areas.

READ THIS FIRST

Continued hacking and content censorship

In view of the continued hacking and censorship of this blog by the Internet Mafia, the Moderators have decided to maintain only a minimum presence at this site, until further notice.

FIRE-EARTH will continue to update the 2011 Disaster Calendar for the benefit of its readers.

WordPress is HACKING this blog!

WordPress Continues to Hack Fire-Earth, Affiliated Blogs

The Blog Moderators Condemn in the Strongest Possible Terms the Continued Removal of Content and Hacking of FIRE-EARTH and Affiliated Blogs by WordPress!

Disaster Calendar 2011 – September 14

[September 14, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,645 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Georgia, USA. The United States Department of Agriculture has designated nearly all of Georgia as a primary natural disaster area due to production losses that have occurred in the state. The ongoing drought and excessive heat have warranted a natural disaster designation in 150 of Gorgia’s 159 counties, USDA said.
• The remaining 9 counties have been named contiguous disaster areas.

Other Disasters

• Multistate, USA. A total of 16 persons infected with the outbreak-associated strains of Listeria monocytogenes have been reported from 5 states.  All illnesses started on or after August 15, 2011. The number of infected persons identified in each state is as follows:  Colorado (11), Indiana (1), Nebraska (1), Oklahoma (1), and Texas (2). [CDC.]
• Epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory investigations have linked this outbreak to eating cantaloupes marketed as coming from the Rocky Ford region of Colorado.
• “Since Sept. 12, health departments have identified 15 cases in Colorado, Texas, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Four people in Colorado and New Mexico have died from listeriosis. No deaths have occurred in Oklahoma at this point,” a report said.
• Listeria death toll has grown to at least 15 since August, a report said.

• Maine, USA. The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the State of Maine following the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene in Franklin, Oxford, and York Counties during the period of August 27-29, 2011.
• New York, USA. The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the State of New York due to the damage caused by the Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee in the counties of Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego, and Tioga beginning on September 7, 2011, and continuing.
• Pennsylvania, USA. The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the area affected by Tropical Storm Lee including the counties of Adams, Bradford, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Luzerne, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Schuylkill, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Union, Wyoming, and York, beginning on September 3, 2011, and continuing.
• Arkansas, USA. “The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated the entire state of Arkansas, which includes 75 counties, as a primary natural disaster area due to losses caused by the combined effects of hail, high winds, flooding, widespread drought and excessive heat that began April 1, 2011, and continues.” USDA reported.
• The following counties or parishes in Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas are contiguous disaster areas:
• Louisiana: Bossier, Claiborne,Morehouse,Webster, Caddo, East Carroll, Union and  West Carroll,
• Mississippi: Bolivar, Coahoma, De Soto, Issaquena, Tunica and Washington
• Missouri: Barry, Dunklin, McDonald, Ozark, Ripley, Taney, Butler, Howell, Oregon, Pemiscot and Stone
• Oklahoma: Adair, Delaware, Le Flore, McCurtain and Sequoyah
• Tennessee: Dyer, Lauderdale, Shelby and Tipton
• Ohio, USA. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 49 counties in Ohio as a primary natural disaster areas due to losses caused by the combined effects of excessive rain, flooding, flash flooding, high winds, excessive heat and tornadoes that occurred Feb. 2 – July 31.
• The counties are:
• 
• The following counties in Ohio are named contiguous disaster areas:
• 
• The following counties or parishes in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia are also contiguous:
• 
  Source: USDA
• Texas, USA. Texas Forest Service (TFS) responded to 35 new fires for 9,752 acres, including new large fires in Harris and Trinity counties. TFS has responded to  to 149 fires for 17,334 acres in the past 7 days.
• “Assessment crews continue to survey the damage of numerous fires that occurred across Central and East Texas during the past week. It is currently estimated that 1,939 homes have been destroyed since Labor Day weekend.” TFS reported.
• TFS Fire Management Report [Wednesday, September 14, 2011]
• National Preparedness Level: 4
• Southern Area Preparedness Level: 4
• TFS Preparedness Level: 5
• Texas Fire Stats
  

YTD Fire Stats, September 14, 2011. Source: TFS

Related Links

• Mega Heatwaves Could Kill Tens of Thousands in the U.S. FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• U.S. Disaster Losses Mounting
• 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season: AAA  FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• U.S. back-to-back disasters phase has begun
• 2011 Much More Disastrous: FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• Global Disasters in 2011 Could Impact 1/3 to 1/2 of the Human Population
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs FIRE-EARTH Forecast

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities EDRO Forecast
• 2011 Disaster Calendar – August
• 2010 Disaster Calendar 
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

U.S. FBI Cost $500 Per Head in Healthcare, Losses

Press Release: Safe Food for a healthy Life

Foodborne Illness Costs Nation $152 Billion Annually – Nearly $39 Billion Loss Attributed to Produce

Washington DC – Acute foodborne illnesses cost the United States an estimated $152 billion per year in healthcare, workplace and other economic losses, according to a report published today by the Produce Safety Project (PSP).

The study, Health-Related Costs from Foodborne Illness in the United States, was written by Dr. Robert L. Scharff, a former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) economist and current Ohio State University assistant professor in the department of consumer sciences. The study estimates that more than a quarter of these costs, an estimated $39 billion, are attributable to foodborne illnesses associated with fresh, canned and processed produce.

The FDA has announced that it will propose before the end of the year mandatory and enforceable safety standards for the growing, harvesting and packing of fresh produce. These will be the first nationwide safety standards for fresh fruits and vegetables.

“An up-to-date cost analysis of foodborne illnesses is critical for FDA officials and lawmakers to craft the most effective and efficient reforms,” said Jim O’Hara, PSP director. “A decade ago, we spent more than $1.3 billion annually to try to reduce the burden of foodborne illness and today we are spending even more. We need to make certain we are spending limited funds wisely and hitting our target of reducing sicknesses and deaths, and this study gives us a yardstick to measure our progress.”

Produce (fresh, canned and processed) accounts for roughly 19,700,000 of the reported illnesses documented, at a cost of approximately $1,960 per case and $39 billion annually in economic losses. California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois and Pennsylvania were the states most impacted by foodborne illness cases related to produce.

In additional to national data, the report includes data at the state level.

“The contribution of this study is that it provides more complete estimates of the health-related cost of foodborne illness in the United States by summing both medical costs (hospital services, physician services, and drugs) and quality-of-life losses (deaths, pain, suffering, and functional disability) for each of the major pathogens associated with foodborne illness,” said Dr. Scharff. “This cost includes both expenses to the person made ill such as pain and suffering losses and costs to others in society such as outlays by insurance companies that pay medical expenses.”

Scharff based his analysis on the economic principles currently used by FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) economists in their cost analyses. In addition, to account for uncertainty he utilized confidence intervals and sensitivity analysis.

The cost of foodborne illness is calculated on both an aggregate level and a pathogen-specific level. To view a full copy of the report and the state-by-state data analysis, simply visit http://www.producesafetyproject.org and click on the Health-Related Costs report.

###

http://www.producesafetyproject.org.

Interactive Map: Annual Health-Related Costs of Foodborne Illness for Each State

Related Links:

• How old is your ecoli-burger?
• Calif Massive Food Recall

• Listeria Prompts Food Recall
• Listeria Suspected, Cheese Recalled
• Premature births caused by Virgin Blue airline food

• Virgin Blue liable for chicken-wrap compensation: lawyer
• Airlines & Aviation Industry, Airline Safety, Air Travel …

• Imported Food Alert 22 Oct 2008
• Should You Be Afraid, Really Afraid?
• Outbreak of Dangerous Group A Streptococcus Bacterium in NZ
• Don’t Take the Kids To New Zealand

Listeria Prompts Food Recall

Queseria Bendita Recalls Queso Fresco, Panela, and Requeson Because of Possible Health Risk

Food Recall – Firm Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 19, 2010 – Queseria Bendita of Yakima, Wash., is recalling three types of cheese, Queso Fresco, Panela, and Requeson, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. Source: koolielu.edu.ee

The Queso Fresco, Panela, and Requeson cheeses are sold at Queseria Bendita’s retail store and were distributed in Washington and Oregon, where they are sold in Hispanic markets.

The Queso Fresco is packaged in one- and three-pound vacuum packed wheels; the Panela is vacuum packed in one- and three- pound sizes; and the Requeson is packed in eight-ounce and one- pound clear plastic tubs.

Each cheese has a green label identifying the type of cheese, the Queseria Bendita brand name, and a date code up to and including “Apr 30 2010”.

To date there is one confirmed illness in Washington related to the recalled product. Other illnesses in Washington and Oregon may also be related.

The public health investigation of the illnesses led to sampling and testing of the cheeses. The testing revealed the contamination of the product with Listeria monocytogenes.

The company has ceased production and distribution of the product while the Washington State Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the firm investigate the source of the problem.

Consumers who have purchased the product are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-509-574-8587 Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Listeria monocytogenes bacteria

Listeria monocytogenes bacteria is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria often experience fever, severe headaches, stiffness, diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria can result in miscarriage or stillbirth among pregnant women.

Source: Bacterial Meningitis. Image may be subject to copyright.

Group B Streptococcus, Escherichia coli, and Listeria monocytogenes comprise the most common causes of meningitis in neonatals. About 17,500 cases of bacterial meningitis are reported in the U-S annually. (Source)

Company Contact:
Queseria Bendita
512 S. 3rd St.
Yakima, WA 98901
Sandra Aguilar 509-574-8587

Other Recent Food Recalls

• Lovin Oven, LLC of Irwindale, CA recalls Health Valley Organic  because of possible Salmonella.

• Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market Inc., of  EL SEGUNDO, CA recalls all date codes of fresh&easy™ Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars as a result of a recall initiated by Thumb Oilseed Producers An ingredient supplied may be contaminated with Salmonella.

• Estrella Family Creamery of Montesano, WA recalls Brewleggio, Domino, and Wynoochee River Blue cheeses because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Listeria Related Links:

• Listeria Suspected, Cheese Recalled
• Premature births caused by Virgin Blue airline food

• Virgin Blue liable for chicken-wrap compensation: lawyer
• Airlines & Aviation Industry, Airline Safety, Air Travel …

• Imported Food Alert 22 Oct 2008
• Should You Be Afraid, Really Afraid?
• Outbreak of Dangerous Group A Streptococcus Bacterium in NZ
• Don’t Take the Kids To New Zealand

Imported Food Alert 22 Oct 2008

This information comes from:

New Zealand Health Alert Bulletin # 22. E.coli found in NZ milk, and listeria in yogurt products

for more details go to:

NZ Visitor Warning: E.coli detected in milk, listeria in yogurt

The E. coli strain serotype O157:H7 can cause serious food poisoning in humans.

Low-temperature electron micrograph of a cluster of E. coli bacteria, magnified 10,000 times. Each individual bacterium is oblong shaped. Photo by Eric Erbe, digital colorization by Christopher Pooley, both of USDA, ARS, EMU.

Listeria monocytogenes

Source: Bacterial Meningitis. Image may be subject to copyright.

“Group B Streptococcus, Escherichia coli, and Listeria monocytogenes are the most common causes of meningitis in neonatals. In the United States, about 17,500 cases of bacterial meningitis are reported annually.”

Related Links:

• Health Warnings

Outbreak of Dangerous Group A Streptococcus Bacterium in NZ

[New Zealand Death Syndrome (NZDS), Health Bulletin # 12. Outbreak of Dangerous Group A Streptococcus Bacterium, June 17, 2008]

Urgent Visitor Health Warning: Keep Your Kids OUT of New Zealand!

Health workers revealed an outbreak of group A streptococcus bacterium, which causes rheumatic fever and can lead arthritis and heart damage, had infected at least 32 children in Kaikohe, New Zealand.

Original Entry Blocked by Google:

Urgent Health Warning: Outbreak of Dangerous Group A Streptococcus Bacterium

Photomicrograph of Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria, 675x Mag. A pus specimen, viewed using Pappenheim’s stain. Last century, infections by S. pyogenes claimed many lives especially since the organism was the most important cause of puerperal fever and scarlet fever. This media comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Public Health Image Library (PHIL), with identification number #2110.

News Links:

• High levels of dangerous bacterium in Kaikohe
• Baby died after infection breakout
• Stuff New Zealand

Previous Visitor Health Warnings for New Zealand:

• Health Bulletin # 11. Outbreak of Staphylococcus Aureus, June 12, 2008

• Health Bulletin # 10. Outbreak of mystery bacterium, June 4, 2008
• Health Bulletin # 9. Outbreak of Viral Gastroenteritis, May 30, 2008
• Health Bulletin # 8. Outbreak of Salmonella Mbandaka, April 4, 2008
• Health Bulletin # 7. Don’t Take Your Children To New Zealand, March 27, 2008
  
• Health Bulletin # 6. New Zealand Emergency Health Warnings: Toxic Honey Poisoning March 22, 2008
  
• Health Bulletin # 5. Food infected with Listeria, March 8, 2008
• Health Bulletin # 4. Sewage contaminated beaches, Feb. 16, 2008
• Health Bulletin # 3. Toxic blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), Feb. 13, 2008
• Health Bulletin # 2. Exposure to Compound 1080 Feb. 10, 2008
• Health Bulletin # 1. Exposure to Bromoethane Feb. 6, 2008

Related Links:

• Truth About ‘100% Pure New Zealand’
• The Poisoning of New Zealand
• Hermaphrodite Lamb Born With Seven Legs
• Toxic Sludge
• Toxic Country – Diseased Food
• 1080
• NZ indiscriminate aerial applications of the potent poison 1080