Thailand Finds E. Coli In European Avocados

[webfact]

Thailand finds E. coli in European avocados

BANGKOK, June 9, 2011 (AFP) - Thailand said Thursday that it had found E. coli bacteria in avocados imported from Europe and was checking whether it was the same strain as the one behind a deadly outbreak in Europe.

The government urged the public not to panic, noting that there are several types of E. coli. It said people could still eat fresh fruit and vegetables, but should wash them thoroughly or cook them to kill bacteria.

The O104 strain of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli was detected in a shipment of avocados from an undisclosed European country, according to a public health ministry statement.

"The Medical Science Department will have to spend 3-5 days to check whether it is a deadly strain," it said.

In Europe a highly virulent strain of E. coli has left at least 25 people dead, mostly in Germany.

Authorities are yet to identify the source of the outbreak, which has left more than 2,600 people ill in at least 14 countries. Symptoms include stomach cramps, diarrhoea, fever and vomiting.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-06-09

[webfact]

Public Health Suspects E.Coli Found in Imported Avocado

The Public Health Ministry suspects that a shipment of avocados imported from Europe might be contaminated with E. Coli. They will be doing additional tests to confirm the results and officials should know for sure in a few days.

-- Tan Network 2011-06-09

[OZEMADE]

Public Health Suspects E.Coli Found in Imported Avocado

The Public Health Ministry suspects that a shipment of avocados imported from Europe might be contaminated with E. Coli. They will be doing additional tests to confirm the results and officials should know for sure in a few days.

-- Tan Network 2011-06-09

They will know for sure in a few days, but they still have not come back with the results re the 7 deaths at the Down Town Hotel.

[webfact]

E. coli found in imported avocado; bacterial strain still unknown

BANGKOK, June 9 – Thailand's Department of Medical Sciences has conducted additional tests to determine the strain of E. coli bacteria found to contaminate imported avocadoes from Spain.

Dr Pipat Yingseri, Secretary-General of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said the Department of Medical Sciences new test results are expected to be known by Monday. He advised the public to buy vegetables and fruit grown in Thailand's north for safety. However, he said Thailand imports small amount of fruit and vegetable from Europe.

Dr Sathaporn Wongcharoen, director-general of the Department of Medical Sciences said the new test will find if the bacteria found is toxic or not and what kind of strain it is. However, he said it is common to find fruit and vegetable contaminated with non-toxic E. coli.

Public Health Ministry, Jurin Laksanawisit said that checkpoints at Suvarnabhumi Airport randomly collected sample of two kilograms of avocado to test Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli on June 6. The initial test found E. coli but its strain is still unknown.

He said people should not worry as E. coli contamination fruit and vegetable is normal. He suggested consumers to wash fresh fruit and vegetable by water about two minutes and may use vinegar in washing or even peel fruit to reduce contamination. Cooked vegetable is safe for consumption as cooking it to 70 degrees Celsius can kill bacteria, Mr Jurin said.

The initial lab test result for imported Kohlrabi from Belgium will be known on Friday. Its sample was collected at Suvarnabhumi Airport. If E. coli bacteria is found, it will be tested again to find what strain it is and it will take a period of time.

Meanwhile, Mr Jurin said the ministry on Wednesday distributed 50,000 pamphlets on E. coli prevention guidelines for 13 airlines to hand out to tourists and Thai people on board from 13 European countries.

The ministry also ordered the Department of Medical Service to set up a team of specialists, comprising nine doctors to give advices to doctors in state and private hospital across the country on treating patients with diarrhoea.

The deadly E. coli bacteria outbreak has claimed at least 25 lives and left more than 2,300 people ill, since its outbreak in mid-May.

Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) can cause bloody diarrhoea and as well as full-blown haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), a serious kidney ailment. (MCOT online news, Agencies)

-- TNA 2011-06-09

[Thai at Heart]

As scare mongering goes this is classic. Is it a dangerous form of e-coli or not?????

[sirchai]

As scare mongering goes this is classic. Is it a dangerous form of e-coli or not?????

The O104 strain of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli was detected in a shipment of avocados from an undisclosed European country, according to a public health ministry statement.

Most have been German avocados from a Supermarket then...........:jap:

[Bagwan]

Quote :: The ministry also ordered the Department of Medical Service to set up a team of specialists, comprising nine doctors to give advices to doctors in state and private hospital across the country on treating patients with diarrhoea. Unquote.

This serves to reinforce my view that there are doctors out there who couldn't get a Boy Scouts First Aid badge.

[RKASA]

We have our own grown right here in the back. Sorry not enough to go round, but we got the starter trees at the farmers market on the hwy to Mai Sot around km mark 39. Only took 10 years for them to start producing - better get started now. :jap:

[Joop50]

The E-coli bactery only occurs in the animal and human intestinal tract. It spreads out over vegetables by using animal fertilzer. But avocado's? And Thailand imports European avocado's? When you visit a market here I guarantee you walk over e-coli clouds.

Edited June 9, 2011 by Joop50

[challenger99]

As scare mongering goes this is classic. Is it a dangerous form of e-coli or not?????

The O104 strain of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli was detected in a shipment of avocados from an undisclosed European country, according to a public health ministry statement.

Most have been German avocados from a Supermarket then...........:jap:

So it seem they are re-exported in Germany no Avocado grow and as I know only not important quantities in South of Spain. We can believe they come as original from a other country outside of Europe eg. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avocado

[metisdead]

An off topic post has been removed.

[hansnl]

As scare mongering goes this is classic. Is it a dangerous form of e-coli or not?????

The O104 strain of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli was detected in a shipment of avocados from an undisclosed European country, according to a public health ministry statement.

Most have been German avocados from a Supermarket then...........:jap:

So it seem they are re-exported in Germany no Avocado grow and as I know only not important quantities in South of Spain. We can believe they come as original from a other country outside of Europe eg. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avocado

Avocado's are grown in Europe, North & South

And yes, Thailand imports several kinds of fruit & veg from Europe.

[challenger99]

As scare mongering goes this is classic. Is it a dangerous form of e-coli or not?????

The O104 strain of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli was detected in a shipment of avocados from an undisclosed European country, according to a public health ministry statement.

Most have been German avocados from a Supermarket then...........:jap:

So it seem they are re-exported in Germany no Avocado grow and as I know only not important quantities in South of Spain. We can believe they come as original from a other country outside of Europe eg. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avocado

Avocado's are grown in Europe, North & South

And yes, Thailand imports several kinds of fruit & veg from Europe.

so please add your knowledge to WIKIPEDIA even they grow under a plastic tent in Dutch ..... I am woundering of export quality

[Nisa]

I can only imagine the reactions if instead of food from the UK coming to Thailand ... this was food going to the UK from Thailand.

[webfact]

E coli found in imported avocados

By The Nation

Lab tests have shown some imported avocados are contaminated with E coli but it will take at least three days to determine whether the strain is dangerous or not.

"The results of the strain analysis will come out in the next three to five days," Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said yesterday.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took samples from imported avocados at Suvarnabhumi Airport and sent them to the Department of Medical Sciences (DMS) for lab tests on Monday, he said.

DMS deputy directorgeneral Dr Pathom Sawanpanyalert said five strains of E Coli could cause diarrhoea.

One of them is known as Shiga toxinproducing Escherichia coli (STEC).

"Of more than 100 STEC types, STEC O104 can cause deaths," he said.

He said small children and elderly people were most at risk of serious complications if infected with STEC O104.

He pointed out that there had been very few STEC cases in Thailand, however.

"Since 1995, we have found just six infected patients. And none have had O104," he said.

According to a medical scientist at DMS, E coli causes about 1,000 people to get diarrhoea each year.

Jurin said E coli was common in fruits and vegetables and some strains were harmless to people.

"People should not worry. They just need to thoroughly wash vegetables and fruit before consumption," he said.

He said putting the greens and fruits under tap water for two minutes would help.

"Or you may wash them with salt or vinegar," he added.

He said cooked vegetables were definitely safe to eat because bacteria died when exposed to heat of 70 degrees Celsius.

-- The Nation 2011-06-10

[webfact]

Entrepreneurs warned of E. coli spread

BANGKOK, 10 June 2011 (NNT) – The Department of Export Promotion (DEP) has warned Thai entrepreneurs and exporters to pay attention to the quality and safety of their products in the wake of the current outbreak of the new E. coli strain in Europe.

DEP Director-General Nuntawan Sakuntanaga said many countries have banned imports of fruits and vegetables from Europe where some crops are found contaminated with the new enterohaemorrhagic E. coli, leading to haemolytic-uraemic syndrome and death.

Ms Nuntawan hence alerted Thai entrepreneurs and exporters to the toxic E. coli spread and the importance of the quality and safety of their products; otherwise, they might find themselves at a disadvantage.

The director-general noted that developed counties might take this opportunity to impose non-tariff measures related to environmental as well as sanitary and phytosanitary protection, making exports even more difficult to those countries.

Ms Nuntawan also suggested that entrepreneurs should focus on every step of the production process, even before planting to the storage, packaging and distribution systems, in an effort to enhance confidence for Thai food exports as well as create wider trading opportunity for the country.

-- NNT 2011-06-10

[webfact]

Public Health Minister: E. coli bacteria on imported avocados not deadly strain O 104 causing E. coli outbreak in Germany /MCOT

[webfact]

Germany identifies contaminated sprouts as source of killer bacteria outbreak that has claimed the lives of at least 30 people /MCOT

[IMA_FARANG]

As the article clearly states it will take several days to identify the specific strain of E. Coli they found. For your information, this is not due to the Thais being "stupid", it is because the E. Coli detected will require a period of time to be grown in a culture medium, and then it must be tested to determine it's exact strain.

For those of you who don't know E. Coli bacteria comes in many varients...and without growing a culture there is simply no way the identify the particular strain. Growing that culture takes time.

Not all E. Coli strains are the deadly one, and some are not even harmful to humans.

[webfact]

Thailand says E. coli in avocados not dangerous

BANGKOK, June 10, 2011 (AFP) - Thailand said Friday that E. coli bacteria detected in avocados imported from Europe was not the same as a killer strain behind an outbreak centred on Germany.

"The discovered bacteria can be found in the general environment and does not pose a health hazard, so the authorities allowed imports of avocados," Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said in a statement.

Thailand said Thursday that it had found E. coli bacteria in avocados imported from an unspecified European country and was checking whether it was a lethal strain.

In Europe a highly virulent strain of E. coli has left at least 30 people dead, mostly in Germany.

The head of Germany's national public health institute said Friday that contaminated sprouts had been identified as the source of the outbreak, which has left more than 2,800 people ill in at least 14 countries.

Symptoms include stomach cramps, diarrhoea, fever and vomiting.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-06-10

[slapout]

Guess Thailand has improved on the normal time frame for cultures, testing, etc. Fast turn around time, if the initial E. coli detection report was accurate???

[webfact]

Spanish avocadoes not contaminated by deadly E. coli strain: Health Minister

BANGKOK, June 10 - Thai Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit on Friday said that laboratory tests showed the strain of E. coli found to contaminate imported avocados from Europe is not the fatal strain and will not cause digestive system diseases to those who consume them.

The Thai health minister held a news conference after the laboratory tests at the Department of Medical Sciences reported that the bacteria detected in imported avocados is not the deadly O104 strain.

Mr Jurin said the strain of the found E. coli bacteria in the imported avocados can be seen anywhere and has no harm to human's health or cause any digestive-related disease.

The minister said Thailand will permit the avocado importers to distribute the produce in the country, adding that he is waiting for lab tests on the imported Kohlrabi whether it is contaminated with the bacteria.

Mr Jurin said he has assigned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to closely monitor import of fruit and vegetables from 10 European countries which are now facing the E.coli outbreak, while the Disease Control Department will strictly follow measures of the World Health Organization (WHO) to help stop the outbreak.

The health minister also urged the public to be confident with the ministry's monitoring measures and to wash fresh fruit and vegetables with clean water before consumption.

Meanwhile, the FDA on Friday randomised tests on fresh produce imported from the United Kingdom, Spain and Belgium at Lad Krabang customs for the inspection of the E. coli contamination.

Imported fruits and vegetables are supposed to be distributed in department stores under the chain of Tesco Lotus and the company was asked to suspend the distribution of the produce until the test results, expected in a week time, are issued by the Department of Medical Sciences.

The deadly E. coli bacteria outbreak has claimed 30 lives and infected 3,000 people since breaking out in mid-May. Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) can cause bloody diarrhea and as well as full-blown haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), a serious kidney ailment.

Agence-France-Presse (AFP) news reported that Germany however is set to announce the lifting of its warning on eating raw lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers on Friday after thousands of tests have proved negative, but the ban remains in place on eating of raw sprouts. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-06-10

[Tanaka]

Quote :: The ministry also ordered the Department of Medical Service to set up a team of specialists, comprising nine doctors to give advices to doctors in state and private hospital across the country on treating patients with diarrhoea. Unquote.

This serves to reinforce my view that there are doctors out there who couldn't get a Boy Scouts First Aid badge.

Same as there are teachers out there who cannot teach and don't know their subjects and bus drivers who have no idea of the consequences connected to driving a bus without a connected brain. And policemen and lawyers who do not know the laws. The list goes on.

[sirchai]

The E-coli bactery only occurs in the animal and human intestinal tract. It spreads out over vegetables by using animal fertilzer. But avocado's? And Thailand imports European avocado's? When you visit a market here I guarantee you walk over e-coli clouds.

I guarantee you that you could walk over the sea here as well.....:jap::lol:

[sirchai]

Quote :: The ministry also ordered the Department of Medical Service to set up a team of specialists, comprising nine doctors to give advices to doctors in state and private hospital across the country on treating patients with diarrhoea. Unquote.

This serves to reinforce my view that there are doctors out there who couldn't get a Boy Scouts First Aid badge.

Same as there are teachers out there who cannot teach and don't know their subjects and bus drivers who have no idea of the consequences connected to driving a bus without a connected brain. And policemen and lawyers who do not know the laws. The list goes on.

I guess you're a good teacher, right? Time to educate them.........

[pastitche]

<br />I can only imagine the reactions if instead of food from the UK coming to Thailand ... this was food going to the UK from Thailand.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

Quite recently the EU did ban a number of vegetable imports from Thailand for unacceptably high levels of pesticide.

[blazes]

1984....who wrote the original article? was it the "journalist's" job-for-the-day to find a story that would distract everyone's attention effectively?

Hmm, story about Death and Destruction? But believable. What's in the news this week? E sodding coli?

Ok, let's go with that.

Thailand gets world attention for 30 minutes and maybe Thai people get scared about dying from something other than Thaksin's return.

Ok, let's run with the avocado story. No Thais eat avocado, and probably not many farangs (cost too much in Tesco Lotus)...so good story....not easy to check facts, BUT can quote "government sources"....

yes, yes, good story

Yours insincerely, George Orwell

[cup-O-coffee]

Thailand said Thursday that it had found E. coli bacteria in avocados imported from Europe

A responsible journalist would have gone and done the responsible thing and began something like this, "Customs agents at Laem Chabang, after conducting sample tests on import fruits and vegetables of a recent shipment from Europe, have detected a strain of E.coli and are rushing to discover if this is a deadly form. Authorities urge the public not to panic as this issue has been contained and no vegetables or fruits will be distributed until all tests confirm that there is no danger to the public".

Now this is something off the top of my head, but this is what I expected from responsible journalism while growing up in the 60s and 70s.

Going even further, one wonders to what degree of quantity was this strain found, and did the Thai person who "found" it forget to wipe his arse that morning?

This sounds rude, but an incompetent report like this really deserves nothing else.

[Puccini]

AFP on June 9:

The O104 strain of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli was detected in a shipment of avocados from an undisclosed European country, according to a public health ministry statement.

AFP on June 10:

BANGKOK, June 10, 2011 (AFP) - Thailand said Friday that E. coli bacteria detected in avocados imported from Europe was not the same as a killer strain behind an outbreak centred on Germany.

"The discovered bacteria can be found in the general environment and does not pose a health hazard, so the authorities allowed imports of avocados," Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said in a statement.

I hope AFP will also report what action the Public Health Minister took against the ministry's official who made the false statement on June 9. If AFP does not do so, I shall assume that AFP quoted the official wrongly.