Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that 39 people had fallen ill, and one person had died due to an E. coli outbreak linked to organic carrots. E. coli was also recently traced to onions served at McDonald's fast food restaurants, resulting in 34 hospitalizations and one death. On Dec. 3, the Food and Drug Administration completed its investigation into McDonald's, and the CDC declared the outbreak over. However, the investigation of Grimmway Farm carrots is still ongoing.
E. coli is a type of bacteria often associated with contaminated food or water and can cause severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and, in some cases, kidney failure. In the U.S., nearly 50 million cases of foodborne illness occur yearly, but most infections cannot be tracked by the CDC because people often recover at home or fail to report their cases. With produce and other fresh foods frequently implicated in outbreaks, proper handling, washing and storage are critical to reducing risks.
Thursday on the "Sound of Ideas," we've assembled a panel of experts to discuss E. coli, the challenges of preventing foodborne illness, and the recent national outbreaks.
Later in the hour, we'll hear the next installment of our music podcast "Shuffle," this week featuring Kent rapper Austin "Gameboy" Jones.
Jones has established himself as a leading voice in "nerdcore," a genre inspired by anime, video games and other elements of so-called geek culture.
Guests:
-Greg Putka, Director of Environmental Health at Lorain County Public Health
-Robert Bonomo, MD, Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
-Christopher Woolverton, Ph.D., Professor of Epidemiology at Kent State University College of Public Health
-Matthew Wise, Ph.D., Chief of the Outbreak Response and Prevention Branch in the Centers for Disease Control's Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases
-Brittany Nader, Producer, "Shuffle"
-Austin "Gameboy" Jones, Musician
