Octopus Overlords

The Chinese have also been researching it. (NCBI link)

Venezuela

Venezuela’s health system is in “utter collapse,” according to a report, including the exponential spread of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and diphtheria and “dramatic surges” in infectious diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis.

The report, to be released Thursday by Human Rights Watch and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is among the few that has sought to quantify Venezuela’s misery, as the country has ceased releasing health and nutrition data and retaliated against those who did.
...
It calls on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to spearhead efforts to declare a complex humanitarian emergency, an official designation that would trigger a major, comprehensive effort under UN auspices and unlock the mobilisation of international resources.
...
The Trump administration has imposed harsh economic and diplomatic sanctions against the Maduro government, even as it has stockpiled hundreds of tons of food and medical supplies along the Venezuelan border in neighbouring Colombia that Maduro has not allowed to enter.

A Mysterious Infection, Spanning the Globe in a Climate of Secrecy

The rise of Candida auris embodies a serious and growing public health threat: drug-resistant germs.

NJ -- We're #3! We're #3!

There were 104 confirmed and 22 probable cases of people infected by the fungus in New Jersey by the end of February, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up sharply from a handful when the fungus was first identified in the state about two years ago.

The state’s number of cases — now the third-highest after New York and Illinois — has risen in tandem with an increase, first overseas, and now in the United States, in a trend that some doctors attribute to the overuse of drugs to treat infections, prompting the mutation of infection sources, in this case, a fungus.

NY I get as #1, but Illinois as #2? That surprises me.

ChiTrib

Illinois health officials Monday reported 154 confirmed cases of a rapidly spreading and potentially deadly fungal disease, with a high concentration in the Chicago area.

That total makes Illinois the state with the second-highest number of cases of Candida auris in the nation, behind only New York.
...
Healthy people don’t usually get Candida auris infections. It more often strikes people who already have multiple underlying conditions. It’s after having invasive medical procedures or suffering wounds that patients were more commonly found to suffer an infection. Four out of five patients with Candida auris had an intravenous infusion, two-thirds had wounds, and half or more had a feeding or breathing tube or urinary catheter.
...
One theory, he said, is that common use of antifungals in the agriculture industry may contribute to the development of fungus that resists treatment.

I guess it's not beer-worthy since it's not a Saccharomyces strain.

Isgrimnur wrote: Wed Feb 06, 2019 8:51 pm food poisoning

In a case that has been highlighted by Dr Bernard on YouTube, a student with poor knowledge of hygiene ended up dying in his sleep after eating 5-day-old pasta.

Back a couple pages, this one was never really explored. I've always thought it was bad to put things in the refrigerator straight after cooking because that accelerates bacterial growth somehow.

Paingod wrote: Tue Apr 09, 2019 10:18 amBack a couple pages, this one was never really explored. I've always thought it was bad to put things in the refrigerator straight after cooking because that accelerates bacterial growth somehow.

I HAVE BEEN SUMMONED

The way many people think is acceptable is to allow for a "steam off" period where you simply leave a cooked (and hot) food item in a container for a few hours then cover it up and put it into the refrigerator when it feels "cool enough". This is something that is believed by not only the general public but by professional kitchen staff as well - at least those not formally schooled in kitchen safety.

This is a terrible plan as you are likely letting the food dip into the "Danger Zone" (Laaaaaaaaana!) and depending on how long you're letting it sit out, there's a chance then that bacterial pathogens are growing. It's true that the cooked food item should be safe, but if you've accidentally introduced bacteria by having your hand go into it while serving or there are bacteria floating around, in theory it's possible to then have growth occur.

What you should be doing is dealing with leftovers in the same broad way that restaurants are required to do:

Divide leftovers into smaller portions or pieces, place in shallow containers, and refrigerate or freeze.
Leftover foods should be refrigerated at 40°F or below as soon as possible and within two hours of preparation. It’s OK to put hot foods directly into the refrigerator.
Leftovers should be reheated to at least 165°F before serving. This includes leftovers warmed up in the microwave.

The worst thing you can do is take a hot food item, seal it (tight lid, plastic wrap) in a container (particularly a deep one) and then put it in the refrigerator. It may take days to cool down completely, which is problematic. I once had to order a restaurant to destroy half a dozen or so rolling racks of ribs that were cooked on a Sunday afternoon and temping up around 80 degrees or so when I did my inspection on a Monday morning 20 hours later. Instead of leaving them out in the walk in on the racks, they wrapped them all in plastic, sealing in the heat and insulating them from the cold temperatures of the walk in. I'm confident there's still a contract out on my life.

All that being said, remember that home refrigerators are not designed to cool foods; they are designed to keep cold food cold. So help them out by dividing into shallow containers. If you have liquids (like soup or stew) consider an ice bath in your sink. Bacterial growth isn't accelerated by putting hot foods into a refrigerator after cooking, instead you're just potentially creating a situation where the window of dangerous temperatures is much wider.

I'm available to ruin parties, holidays and family gatherings. My rates are reasonable.

NYC

New York City on Tuesday declared a public health emergency and ordered mandatory measles vaccinations amid an outbreak, becoming the latest national flashpoint over refusals to inoculate against dangerous diseases.

At least 285 people have contracted measles in the city since September, and the order covers four Zip codes in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood where the vast majority have originated, Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) said at a news conference.

The mandate orders all unvaccinated people in the area, including a concentration of ultra-Orthodox Jews, to receive inoculations, including for children as young as six months old. Anyone who resists could be fined up to $1,000.
...
Some Orthodox Jews have resisted vaccines. City health officials said Monday that yeshivas in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, that do not comply will face fines and possible closure.
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The outbreak in the area has been tied to a child who had not received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and contracted the disease during a trip to Israel.
...
An outbreak in Rockland County outside New York City led officials to ban unvaccinated children from public places in mid-March. A state judge overturned that decision 10 days later.

Regarding that 'overturning'...

A ban on unvaccinated children in public places in Rockland County, New York, was put on hold by a state judge on Friday.
...
Judge Rolf Thorsen scheduled a hearing for April 19 and said the county is temporarily blocked from enforcing the ban.
...
The judge wrote that the small percentage of cases in Rockland County didn't meet the definition of an epidemic that the law permitting emergency declarations requires.

I'd love to read that law as there is no fixed number for an epidemic. By definition, epidemics are simply a situation where the actual number of cases is above the expected number. By way of example, a single case of Ebola in NJ would be an epidemic. EDIT: I guess I'd have to see the % he's referring to.

Regardless, I do have a feeling that many of the laws that were reviewed/updated and crafted back in the mid 2000s are about to get legally tested.

Ruling

Pages 4-5.

They're didn't define epidemic in the NY state law so they're using the dictionary? Maybe NY didn't go through the same legal reviews that NJ did back in the early 2000s to clean this type of ambiguity up. Good grief.

Rockland County has seen 166 cases of measles. In a population of roughly 330,000people, 166 cases is equal to.05% of the population, which does not appear,on the record before the Court to rise to the level of an epidemic

I wouldn't expect the court to think so.

The last large outbreak in the state was in 2013 with 58 cases when a teenager brought measles from London to New York City.

This is by all accounts an epidemic.

The State of New York rejects your reality and substitutes its own. Excelsior!

Measles is one of the most highly contagious infectious diseases we know of - 90% of susceptible people exposed will get it. The idea that the courts are shrugging at .05% would be ok if we tried to initiate emergency protocols over head lice. This has potential to get out.of.hand rather quickly.

Smoove_B wrote: Tue Apr 09, 2019 3:18 pm This has potential to get out of hand rather quickly.

You have to keep up with the kids to get their attention these days.

Paingod wrote: Tue Apr 09, 2019 10:18 am Back a couple pages, this one was never really explored. I've always thought it was bad to put things in the refrigerator straight after cooking because that accelerates bacterial growth somehow.

I never thought it had anything to do with bacteria - it was an issue with old appliances (at least when I was growing up), where putting hot food in the fridge created condensation, that potentially turned into icing on everything, and risked damaging the thermostat. As much as I understand it not to be an issue these days, it still feels wrong putting a piping hot pot of soup in the fridge (TheMix now quotes Smoove to me every time I leave soup on the stove)

Smoove_B wrote: Tue Apr 09, 2019 3:18 pm Measles is one of the most highly contagious infectious diseases we know of - 90% of susceptible people exposed will get it. The idea that the courts are shrugging at .05% would be ok if we tried to initiate emergency protocols over head lice. This has potential to get out.of.hand rather quickly.

Then it needs to get out of hand. These days, that's the only thing that makes people understand. On that note, I need to get an MMR because I just found out that I'm somehow immune to mumps and rubella but not measles.

Smoove_B wrote: Tue Apr 09, 2019 10:28 am

I HAVE BEEN SUMMONED

Yo _B, tell 'em!

This reminds me of the time I got a decade-long chili cook-off cancelled at my new job. I'm sorry, but when you tell me you cooked it last night, put it in the fridge and then brought it in to work to "re-heat" in a crock pot on your desk I'm dropping a dime and making a call to my buddy Winston. Winston worked at the county Health Department. I knew Winston well because he inspected 4 or 5 restaurants where I previously worked.

Plus, fuck 'em, my chili was the best and it didn't win.

So due to this thread I've started placing hot food straight away into the fridge. Is that the consensus or not?

Shallow dishes, no tight seals to trap heat? Would it be better to chill in the freezer first possibly, then transfer to the fridge to shorten the danger window?

I think it's ok to eat some of it first.

Jaymann wrote: Tue Apr 09, 2019 7:29 pm I think it's ok to eat some of it first.

It would be better for my ever expanding waistline if I didn't.

gilraen wrote: Tue Apr 09, 2019 3:46 pm

Paingod wrote: Tue Apr 09, 2019 10:18 am Back a couple pages, this one was never really explored. I've always thought it was bad to put things in the refrigerator straight after cooking because that accelerates bacterial growth somehow.

I never thought it had anything to do with bacteria - it was an issue with old appliances (at least when I was growing up), where putting hot food in the fridge created condensation, that potentially turned into icing on everything, and risked damaging the thermostat. As much as I understand it not to be an issue these days, it still feels wrong putting a piping hot pot of soup in the fridge (TheMix now quotes Smoove to me every time I leave soup on the stove)

While condensation might affect the texture and flavor of the food, that in of itself does not make food dangerous. Putting a large radiator inside of a fridge where it can heat up everything inside would be more my concern.

In the winter time, I put pots of soups or other such foods in the garage or on the patio (or, if available, a snow drift) for short-term refrigeration. If it goes in the fridge, then it gets broken down into single-serving containers. In the summer time, more food is cooked fresh and there is less of a need for storage since heavy soups and such aren't on my summer menu (my wife's menu OTOH...and she thinks I simply don't like her food!)

em2nought wrote: Tue Apr 09, 2019 7:26 pmShallow dishes, no tight seals to trap heat? Would it be better to chill in the freezer first possibly, then transfer to the fridge to shorten the danger window?

In a perfect world, you have a stem thermometer and you're putting any leftovers in the refrigerator within two hours of being cooked, making sure they're at 40 degrees. The only way (in a practical sense) that's happening is by putting any leftovers into shallow containers and/or using active cooling methods. Something like placing items into metal bowls or trays and then immersing in ice bath or using an ice wand.

I've absolutely used the JeffV method of using snow during winter months when we make a giant batch of stew or pasta fagioli - putting food into metal pot and packing it into a snow bank. Works great.

Residential freezers are the same as the refrigerator - really designed to keep things frozen. If you start putting warm items in either, it absolutely raises the ambient temperature and puts other foods at risk. I recall one inspection I did where the restaurant owner was trying to do the right thing and was taking whole chickens, putting them on a metal tray, and then placing them inside non-commercial refrigeration. These were coming straight out of the oven (or close to it) and then slapped right into a refrigerator. I think the inside of the refrigerator was around 80 degrees and the core of the bird was still well above 110 degrees. So yeah, that went in the dumpster as well.

I'm not going to say you should try to minimize leftovers by eating everything, but it certainly makes things easier.

And then there's the way most of us do it: leave the food sitting on the stove cooling down until the show's over, scrape the leftovers into tupperware bowls, toss them into the fridge, and then sniff them periodically until they're gone or turn fuzzy.

I did a study on it, consisting of a sample size of one and the best anecdotal evidence available, and concluded that it is perfectly safe!

Wow, the Ebola vaccine is 97.5% effective. Considering what it is fighting, that's pretty impressive.

WaPo

Last month, a traveler raising money for charity in Brooklyn’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish community drove through the night to Detroit — his next fundraising stop. He felt sick en route and saw a doctor when he got there. But the doctor, who had never seen measles, misdiagnosed the man’s fever and cough as bronchitis.

During the next two weeks, the traveler would become Michigan’s Patient Zero, spreading the highly contagious respiratory virus to 39 people as he stayed in private homes, attended synagogue daily and shopped in kosher markets. His case offers a cautionary tale about how easily one of the most infectious pathogens on the planet spreads within close-knit communities — especially those whose members live, work and socialize outside the mainstream.

“Every one of our cases has had a link to the initial case,” said Leigh-Anne Stafford, health officer for Oakland County, a Detroit suburb where all but one case was reported.

In the past five years, 75 percent of measles cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention occurred in various insular communities, among them the Amish in Ohio, the Somali community in Minnesota, Eastern European groups in the Pacific Northwest and the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in New York.

Mothers suing NYC health department:

Five unnamed mothers in New York City filed a lawsuit Monday, April 15, seeking to block the city's mandatory vaccination order in areas hit by a massive measles outbreak that has raged since last October.

...

In the lawsuit, the mothers claim that the outbreak does not constitute a dangerous epidemic (though the virus can cause severe complications and even death) and that the city's orders are "arbitrary and capricious." Moreover, they allege that the MMR vaccine has significant safety concerns (this is false; side effects beyond mild, temporary discomfort are exceedingly rare) and that the order violates their religious freedom.

When I was in college, we studied lots of epidemiological journal articles written by five unnamed mothers.

Daehawk wrote: Thu May 02, 2019 11:08 am Measels at the midnight showing of Avengers End Game

Just got my$elf a measles inoculation on Tuesday.

St. Lucia

A quarantined cruise ship reportedly owned by the Church of Scientology has a confirmed case of measles onboard, according to health authorities in St. Lucia.

The confirmed case involves a female crew member, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Merlene Fredericks-James said, but "given the highly infectious nature of the disease, it is likely that others may have been exposed."

After learning earlier through two reputable sources that someone on board might have measles, health officials ordered the ship to stay in port to prevent the spread of the disease. No one on the ship has been allowed to disembark.

On Thursday, the ship's doctor requested 100 doses of the measles vaccine, according to a statement from the Department of Health and Wellness, "and this is currently being provided from our supplies, at no cost."
...
The Church of Scientology didn't respond to CNN's request for comment. It says on its website the ship is a religious retreat at the pinnacle of a Scientologist's spiritual journey.

Depending on when other passengers were exposed, it may not be too late for them to receive a measles vaccine.

Smoove_B wrote: Wed Apr 10, 2019 10:06 am

In a perfect world, you have a stem thermometer and you're putting any leftovers in the refrigerator within two hours of being cooked, making sure they're at 40 degrees. The only way (in a practical sense) that's happening is by putting any leftovers into shallow containers and/or using active cooling methods. Something like placing items into metal bowls or trays and then immersing in ice bath or using an ice wand.

I've absolutely used the JeffV method of using snow during winter months when we make a giant batch of stew or pasta fagioli - putting food into metal pot and packing it into a snow bank. Works great.

So putting warm jumbalaya into a styrofoam cooler and then putting it in the fridge isn't a good idea, that's what you're saying? Or a good idea?

Does it even matter if you serve it with beer since that will kill all the virus anyway?

LawBeefaroni wrote: Thu May 02, 2019 10:05 pmSo putting warm jumbalaya into a styrofoam cooler and then putting it in the fridge isn't a good idea, that's what you're saying? Or a good idea?

No, not if you want it to cool down.

Does it even matter if you serve it with beer since that will kill all the virus anyway?

Viruses aren't really the concern. I mean, they could be present (like Hepatitis) if someone touched it bare-handed while scooping it into your container. The bigger concern is bacteria. Cold temperatures retard growth, so if the insulated container allows the food to stay warm enough to support reproduction, the bacteria multiply. The beer, reheating and your stomach acids might kill them when you then go to eat the leftovers. Of more concern is the toxins those bacteria produce. No amount of alcohol, stomach acids or reheating will remove those toxins. If enough bacteria reproduced to create enough toxins for you to ingest, you're in trouble.

So whiskey then? I'm confused.

LawBeefaroni wrote: Fri May 03, 2019 10:50 am So whiskey then? I'm confused.

I'd do both beer and whiskey just to be safe. You can never be too careful about these things.

I would love for someone to green-light a study for me to evaluate the impact of whisky consumption vs bacterial contamination in food.

Also, the fact that Smoove responded seriously and kindly to my first post tells me that he actually has to deal with real people who believe things like that.

I'm apparently always in education mode - and thrilled to talk about things in my pracademic wheelhouse.

Yeah, well what say you about this?

https://twitter.com/CDCgov/status/1121807666215518208

Yeah, that's been an official recommendation since I was in school - it's what we were taught. I don't know why it's become a "thing" all of a sudden, but I guess the CDC is officially publishing info about it? Commercial kitchens with dedicated food preparation areas can do it, but the studies I've seen demonstrate real risk (particularly in home kitchens) when you rinse off poultry and the bacterial water/juice sprays all over the place. I really can only reiterate that chickens are dirty, dirty birds. I'd eat an undercooked burger before looking sideways at a thick, juicy cooked chicken breast.

I'm a dedicated poultry (or any meat, really) non-washer. People yammer on about how Julia Child washed her chickens, though, so they're going to wash theirs. So many recipes call for washing chicken and patting it dry that people just do it and it's become controversial.

Professional kitchens don't wash chicken. Nobody got time for that, plus they go through chicken breasts by the case, turnover is too quick for them to be anything but fresh. FIFO.

I rinse cryovaced baby back ribs in white vinegar (being careful not to get it in any little girl's eyes) just to get the bag odor off them.