“Bacterial gastroenteritis in young babies is a growing problem in the developed world and an increasing cause of infant death in the developing world. Current treatments involve antibiotics, with more than half of all babies in Europe receiving them in their first year. But antibiotic resistance is a growing problem. Antibiotics also disturb the balance of beneficial bacteria, reducing natural defences against infection.”-Institute of Food Research, United Kingdom

Despite fasting during the day during the month of Ramadan, Muslims are increasingly binge eating at night, and it’s making them sick.  Reports say that hospitals in the Persian Gulf states are reporting an increase in gastroenteritis cases: “It’s a combination of overeating or binge eating, and reduced immunity due to dehydration and bad sleeping habits.”-Rabee Harb, Kuwait‘s Royale Hayat Hospital

In Pennsylvania U.S.A., people are being told not to drink ‘organic’ milk from a local farm.  Officials with the Departments of Agriculture and Health believe it is contaminated with a bacteria called Campylobacter.   The farm has been ordered to stop selling the milk, however the farm owners have third party test results, based on samples of the very same milk tested by the state, that say their operation is clean: “The test result from our third-party lab came back this morning just ahead of (the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s) and it is negative for Campylobacter. But our third-party pathogen-free test does not really matter to the state.”-Edwin Shank, The Family Cow

In Tennessee U.S.A., 62 Robertson County school employees got sick on the same day.   The director of schools thinks they got sick from food served at a school wide teacher meeting, however, that meeting was on a Tuesday and the 62 employees got sick on a Friday.  Health officials are investigating.

In Oregon U.S.A., the Grant County Health Department suspects norovirus to be the cause of an outbreak in the city of John Day.  About two dozen people got sick after eating at a local restaurant.  In Baker City, reports that the city’s water supply was contaminated with the parasite cryptosporidium.   As many as 400 people sick.  One source says this ends the city’s track record of providing 100 years of clean water.

In Iowa U.S.A., state health officials have confirmed 358 cases of cryptosporidium, and 138 new possible cases.  For all of last year Iowa saw 328 cases.   Health officials are blaming it on public swimming pools, but they have not confirmed that hypotheses.

Interesting info on cryptosporidium, according to the U.S. CDC no U.S. city suffered from the parasite contamination until 1984!

The cyclospora parasite (not to be confused with cryptosporidium) outbreak has hit 504 people in 16 U.S. states.  The U.S. CDC still does not know the source.  Health officials with Nebraska and Iowa say they’ve traced the parasites to produce that came from a U.S. run farm in Mexico. The U.S. FDA is trying to confirm the claim. The California based owner of the farm swears their own testing shows their farm in Mexico is clean.

Russia is threatening to ban all Russians from going to Turkey for holiday.  Russian health officials say resort destinations, mainly targeted to Russians, are battling increasing cases of stomach bug infections.  The Russian government is accusing the Association of Tour Operators from not disclosing such health risk facts before selling vacations to Russians.  Last year 3.3 million Russian’s vacationed in Turkey.

In United Kingdom, the city of Hull had to close their East Park kiddie pool because of cryptosporidium.  And the mom of a teenaged boy who died from meningitis is raising public awareness.   Meningitis hits fast, like a tummy bug, and includes vomiting.  This can cause some doctors to misdiagnose it.  The other problem is that there are a growing number of varieties of it, current vaccines do not cover all variants.  Her son died from the rare Group Y meningococcal meningitis. In the empire’s colony of Northern Ireland, the Antrim Area Hospital is being harshly criticized after two years of dismal performance, including dozens of tummy bug cases and a child that died.  An investigation pointed out two major factors; the hospital was built to handle 30000 patients per year, but is actually handling as much as 72000.  And hospital staff are suffering from extreme low moral blamed on the overwhelming bureaucracy of the NHS.

A Swiss study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology blames heat waves for increased gastroenteritis (tummy bugs, stomach bugs, vomiting bugs).  The study basically says, for many people, high heat temps weaken the tummy: “This study ties heat stress to digestive symptoms supporting the observed seasonal variation in the clinical course of inflammatory bowel disease and suggests that microbial infections of the gut might be additionally influenced by climate changes.”

In the city of Anantnag, India, at least 250 people have been hospitalized with  gastroenteritis in the past five days, at least 300 people infected.  A local doctor blames the water on the outbreak: “Outbreak of gastroenteritis is possible only due to the consumption of contaminated water. There can be no other reason for it.”-Nasir Khan

The people getting sick agree with the doctor’s claims, but point out the water is being supplied by the government: “This all happened due to the impure and contaminated water supplied to the people by the PHE officials. The spring where from the water is supplied is without any cover allowing all the dusty and garbage into it. Besides outside laborers who work on brick kilns in the area also use the spring for all purposes including bathing and washing clothes.”-Riyaz Ahmad Magray

An arrogant unnamed government official with India’s PHE (Public Health Engineering) disputes both claims: “…there is no possibility of the outbreak due to water. The people seemed to have taken some juice leading to the outbreak of gastroenteritis…”

The Kasmir Times reports that the PHE has not inspected their water source since the outbreaks were first reported, about a week ago.

In the city of Mumbai, India, the number of gastroenteritis cases has increased by 123 since my last update.  City health officials say they seen a 36% increase in cases compared to the same time last year.  Some people blame it on water being supplied by PHE.

In the sate of Chhattisgarh, India, 20 people have died in several villages from gastroenteritis.  State health officials say they’ve dispatched four “combat” medic teams to the villages to find out what’s going on.  Cholera is suspected, due to recent flooding, and more deaths are expected.  One report noted that most of the dead are women.

In the state of Karnataka, India, two villages have been declared cholera areas.  This means water must be boiled, the sale of cut (picked/harvested/prepped for eating) fruits are banned, fairs and markets are banned, fried foods banned in hostels.

And in Bhopal, India, dogs are going down to a viral fever and diarrhea known as parvo.  In the city of Jehangirabad, 60% of dogs brought to veterinarians have parvo.  Parvo has a 90% kill rate in India.  Vets blame it on the rainy season.