Health
Salmonella outbreak linked to ground beef in Northeast sickens 16, hospitalizes 6
An outbreak of Salmonella linked to ground beef has sickened 16 people in the Northeast and hospitalized six others, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The agency said nine people who had taken ill were from New Jersey, with others in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Investigators are working to identify the source of the ground beef, and all of those who remembered the type of ground beef they ate and where they bought it reported eating 80% lean ground beef purchased from ShopRite locations.
Ground beef is the only common food people reported eating, although there has not yet been a recall.
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Recent illnesses may not yet be reported, as it usually takes three to four weeks to determine if a sick person as part of an outbreak.
Furthermore, the true number of sick people in this outbreak is also likely much higher than the number reported because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella.
“We are aware of the CDC’s notice and we are assisting as investigators seek to identify the origin of the reported cases. It’s important to note that no recall has been issued and ground beef products can be safely consumed when they are prepared to the recommended proper cooking temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit,” ShopRite told FOX News in an email on Wednesday. “Customers should also know that all of the ground beef sourced by ShopRite comes from USDA inspected facilities and includes instructions for safe handling and proper cooking.”
Ground beef is a known source of Salmonella illnesses, and any ground beef can have germs.
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Salmonella germs live in the intestines of people and animals and can be spread through contaminated food, water, food preparation surfaces and unwashed hands.
Such germs are killed when ground beef is cooked to an internal temperature of 160 F.
Symptoms of Salmonella typically start six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria and include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps.
Most people recover without treatment after four to seven days, but children younger than 5 years old, seniors and people with weakened immune systems may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.
People should contact their healthcare provider right away if experiencing signs of dehydration, so much vomiting that liquids cannot be kept down, bloody diarrhea, diarrhea for more than three days that is not improving, or diarrhea and a fever higher than 102 F.
Health
Ask a doctor: ‘Is it ever OK to take someone else’s prescription medication?’
Most of us have, at some time or another, asked a friend or family member for some over-the-counter medicine to treat a headache or an upset stomach, as the dosage and directions are fairly universal.
But is the same protocol appropriate when it comes to taking someone else’s prescription medication?
The resounding answer from medical doctors is an emphatic “no.”
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There are specific reasons why.
“Taking someone else’s prescribed medication can be very harmful,” LaTasha Perkins, M.D., a family physician at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital.
“You need to take only your own medicine and not someone else’s, because so much goes into figuring it out.”
Numerous considerations are involved in prescribing medication to a patient, Perkins said — including health status, medical history and blood work — which can be completely different from one person to the next.
Even if you take the same medication as someone else, the other person may be on a different dose of it, the doctor noted.
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“A lot of medications also look and sound the same, so you have to take what was specifically prescribed to you,” she cautioned.
Drug interactions present another concern.
“If you’re taking vitamins or any other medication that may interact with a prescription medicine, that should be taken into account when tailoring your prescription,” Perkins said.
Allergies are yet another key consideration, the doctor warned, as some people are allergic to the additives in medications.
“There’s a reason the medication is prescribed — because it’s personalized to each individual based on a variety of health factors,” Perkins said.
Chad Weston, M.D., a physician with Novant Health Oceanside Family Medicine & Convenient Care – Brunswick in Shallotte, North Carolina, agreed that taking a medication prescribed to a different individual, even for seemingly similar symptoms, can be harmful and have unintended consequences.
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“These consequences range from severe allergic reactions to medication interactions and overdosing, causing damage to organs such as the liver and kidneys,” he said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Instead of seeking symptom relief by taking someone else’s medication, you should see a doctor to get an accurate medical diagnosis and prescription, Weston advised.
In the event that you’re traveling and don’t have your medicine with you, Perkins said the best thing to do is call your doctor.
“If you don’t have your medicine, we can call it into a pharmacy wherever you are,” she said.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health
“This is why it’s so important to have a family physician,” she said.
“Having a relationship with your doctor can help you navigate situations like this.”
Health
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