NEWS SCAN: Antibacterial safety probe, Rift Valley fever in South Africa, raw milk contamination

Apr 8, 2010

Groups pressure feds to speed review of triclosan safety
Federal agencies are taking a new look at the antibacterial chemical triclosan after inquiries from a congressman and health groups, the Washington Post reported today. The groups are questioning the health effects of the compound, which is increasingly found in an array of products such as liquid soaps, hand sanitizers, clothes, and toys. Some studies have suggested that triclosan interferes with endocrine system function, and some health groups have raised concerns that it can contribute to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. Rep Edward Markey, D-Mass., has pushed for a quicker review of the chemical and of rules regarding its use, which the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been working on for 38 years, the Post reported. In a statement today, the FDA said it updated its information for consumers on triclosan. It acknowledged Markey's request for information and said the agency is continuing to review the chemical based on animal studies that have raised safety concerns. However, it added that it didn't yet have evidence to recommend changes in consumer use. The FDA said evidence shows triclosan is beneficial in some consumer products, but it said there is no evidence that it provides a health benefit in other products. "At this time, the agency does not have evidence that triclosan in antibacterial soaps and body washes provides any benefit over washing with regular soap and water," the FDA said. A representative of the Soap and Detergent Association, an industry trade group, told the Post that concerns about triclosan are unfounded and that consumers need access to the products, particularly during times of increased disease threats.
Apr 8 Washington Post story
Apr 8 FDA statement

Cases mount in South Africa's Rift Valley fever outbreak
South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases has confirmed five new Rift Valley fever (RVF) cases, raising the total to 87, AllAfrica News reported yesterday.  Most of the cases are from Free State, where affected farms are clustered. The human cases are linked to direct contact with infected livestock or infected farms and are occurring primarily in farmers, veterinarians, and farm workers. On Mar 30 the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an alert about South Africa's RVF outbreak, noting the illnesses in humans and ongoing cattle and wildlife outbreaks in seven of South Africa's provinces. A post on ProMed-mail, the Internet-based reporting system of the International Society for Infectious Diseases, yesterday noted that the number of deaths has risen from five to six. It said the number of human cases is low compared to earlier major outbreaks, but the number of deaths is unusual, given that RVF is generally a mild infection.
Apr 7 AllAfrica News story
Mar 30 WHO statement
Apr 7 ProMed-mail post

Pennsylvania warns consumers about campylobacaterin raw milk
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has suspended the permit of a dairy in New Castle, Penn., from selling raw milk for human consumption after testing found Campylobacter in its raw milk samples and the state's health department received new reports of consumers who got sick after drinking raw milk from Pasture Maid Creamery. State officials today in a statement warned consumers about the findings and advised those who have purchased milk from the dairy since mid March to discard it. The statement did not say how many campylobacteriosis reports the state's health department had received. The outbreak is the latest in a string of raw-milk contamination incidents. In late March the FDA warned consumers about a campylobacteriosis outbreak in three states linked to tainted raw milk from a dairy in Indiana.
Apr 8 Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture press release
Mar 26 FDA press release