U.S. Bars Mexican Onions Due to Hepatitis a Outbreak
17 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has halted imports of Mexican green
onions suspected of causing an outbreak of hepatitis A that has sickened
more than 500 people in Pennsylvania, a Food and Drug Administration (news -
web sites) official told Reuters on Wednesday.

FDA Deputy Commissioner Lester Crawford said the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control on Friday will release an update on the outbreak, including the food
source that has caused at least three deaths and where it originated.

Health officials believe Mexican green onions served at a Chi-Chi's
restaurant were the source of the Pennsylvania outbreak. Recent cases of the
liver disease in Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia have also been linked
to scallions.

"We are actually detaining the (green onions) at the border at the present
time," Crawford said after testifying on an unrelated issue at the House
Governmental Affairs committee. "This is the best bet of the source, but has
not yet been finally confirmed."

Crawford said there were no indications the hepatitis A outbreak was
intentional.

Hepatitis A is usually mild but can cause fever, exhaustion, vomiting,
abdominal pain and in rare cases death.

As of Tuesday, 520 cases of the illness had been confirmed in Pennsylvania,
the state health department said on its Web site.

The Chi-Chi's Mexican restaurant chain voluntarily pulled green onions off
the menu at all its more than 100 restaurants after employees and patrons of
Beaver Valley, Pennsylvania, restaurant became ill from hepatitis A.

The chain is owned by Irvine, California-based Prandium Inc.



Am I alone in thinking this is just some bullshit blame game?

Jack Baloney

>Am I alone in thinking this is just some bullshit blame game?
>
>Jack Baloney
>

I don't take it to be a blame game; it's a realistic public health measure; NOT
to be classed with the apple/Alar scare.

That is to say, if Mexican green onions ARE the source of the outbreak, no
conventional hygenic measures (short of soaking them in antiseptic solution)
could protect the public from the exposure. Washing in cold water would be
inadequate. So I wouldn't blame Chichi's for lax handling, at this point.

Neil

WardNA wrote:
>
> >Am I alone in thinking this is just some bullshit blame game?
> >
> >Jack Baloney
> >
>
> I don't take it to be a blame game; it's a realistic public health measure; NOT
> to be classed with the apple/Alar scare.
>
> That is to say, if Mexican green onions ARE the source of the outbreak, no
> conventional hygenic measures (short of soaking them in antiseptic solution)
> could protect the public from the exposure. Washing in cold water would be
> inadequate. So I wouldn't blame Chichi's for lax handling, at this point.

The point is, I doubt that one sole restaurant imported their own
scallions. The fact that 5 of their employees have tested positive
for the disease is telling. Until other restaurants start reporting
an outbreak, I think the assumption that it started there is
accurate.

nancy