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Secret of ancient Athens plague is being unraveled Kerameikos, Athens’s ancient cemetery, has yielded conclusive evidence as to the nature of the plague that decimated a third of the population of the ancient city and influenced the outcome of the Peloponnesian Wars. Scientists at Athens University’s School of Dentistry have used molecular biology to help solve the riddle of one of history’s biggest mysteries.Greek scientists find typhoid after excavating graves By Dr Manolis Papagrigorakis (1) Recent findings from a mass grave in the Ancient Cemetery of Kerameikos in central Athens show typhoid fever may have caused the plague of Athens,...

Typhoid May Have Caused Fall of Athens, Study Finds Nicholas Bakalar for National Geographic News February 27, 2006 An ancient medical mystery—the cause of a plague that wracked Athens from 426 to 430 B.C. and eventually led to the city's fall—has been solved by DNA analysis, researchers say. The ancient Athenians died from typhoid fever, according to a new study. Scientists from the University of Athens drew this conclusion after studying dental pulp extracted from the teeth of three people found in a mass grave in Athens' Kerameikos cemetery. The mass grave was first discovered in 1994 and was dated...

For hundreds of years, history left us wondering what disease killed the Aztecs in the mid-1500s. Many assumed the Aztecs were one of many Central American groups to be wiped out by European diseases like smallpox. However, DNA testing has unearthed new evidence about what really killed 80% of the Aztecs. Scientists extracted DNA from Aztec teeth, and discovered the presence of a strand of Salmonella. Research on climate change in Mexico at the time indicates droughts could have precipitated the spread of disease. Some things remain unexplained, however; only continued research can explain how a massive epidemic ravaged the...

Tomatoes could help fight off bacterial infections in your gut, a new study has found. One of the world's most widely consumed vegetables (or perhaps fruit?), they are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and other compounds – two of which scientists at Cornell University in the US have identified for their potent bacteria-killing properties in a series of cell experiments. The research team, led by Cornell microbiologist Jeongmin Song, was interested in Salmonella, a genus of enteric bacteria that invade the intestine, often causing food poisoning. Specifically, the team focused on one typhoidal serotype of Salmonella, Salmonella enterica Typhi, which lives...

JENA, GERMANY—Phys.org reports that a study of genetic material recovered from the teeth of people buried in the Hagios Charalambos cave on the Greek island of Crete between about 2290 and 1909 B.C. detected the presence of extinct strains of two pathogens. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, the British School at Athens, and Temple University suggest that epidemics brought about by Y. pestis, which causes plague, and S. enterica, which causes typhoid fever, could have contributed to the collapse of Egypt’s Old Kingdom and the Akkadian...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating an outbreak of salmonella infections that is possibly linked to Jif peanut butter products. The J.M. Smucker Company issued a voluntary recall for its creamy, crunchy, natural and reduced fat peanut butter products that were distributed nationwide, with lot code numbers 1274425 to 2140425, the FDA announced Friday. There have been at least 14 illnesses reported, including two hospitalizations, according to the FDA. The 12 states that have reported salmonella cases are Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, Ohio, North Carolina, New York, South Carolina,...

Federal health officials warned consumers Saturday to avoid eating Citterio brand Premium Italian-Style Salame Sticks after the product was linked to a growing salmonella outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a food safety alert, advising consumers and businesses to not eat, sell or serve Citterio’s salami sticks.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning that a salmonella outbreak believed to be linked to onions imported from Chihuahua, Mexico, has spread to 37 states — sickening over 650 people. The CDC directed businesses on Wednesday evening to stop selling fresh whole red, white, or yellow onions that were imported from Chihuahua and distributed by ProSource Inc. It also suggested businesses clean any surfaces that may have touched such onions. The agency urged Americans to throw away any whole red, white, or yellow onions that don’t have a sticker or packaging.

At least 279 infections have been linked to the strain observed in the outbreak — including 26 people who were hospitalized, according to the latest CDC case count released on Friday. Last week, the CDC had only confirmed 127 infections linked to the unidentified food source, including 18 hospitalizations, in 25 states. Since then, the outbreak has expanded to a total of 29 states. An outbreak of the strain Salmonella Oranienburg began Aug. 3 and grew “rapidly” in the following weeks, according to the CDC. No deaths have been linked to the outbreak. Officials believe the number of sick people...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is investigating two salmonella outbreaks in 17 states that are linked to Italian meats like "salami, prosciutto, and other meats that can often be found in antipasto or charcuterie assortments." There is an active investigation underway, but no recalls have been announced. As of Tuesday, 36 people had fallen ill and 12 were hospitalized, the CDC said. The numbers could be higher, though, because many who have salmonella symptoms don't seek medical care. It also takes three to four weeks to figure out whether a sick person is part of the...

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has urged people to refrain from kissing live poultry amid an outbreak of salmonella. The CDC and public health officials are investigating salmonella outbreaks after 163 people were reported ill in 43 states. The infections have been linked to contact with backyard poultry. "Don't kiss or snuggle the birds, as this can spread germs to your mouth and make you sick," the health agency said. It warned that poultry, like chicken and ducks, can carry salmonella germs even if they look healthy and clean, and these germs can easily spread in...

California company Jule’s Foods has announced the voluntary recall of its plant-based food products over possible Salmonella contamination. The issue appears to potentially stem from the use of cashews, but the source is still a mystery at this point. The company notes that it is working with the FDA and that the recall is joined by a Salmonella probe by the CDC and FDA. The recall was recently published by the FDA; it notes that some Jule’s Foods cashew-based brie products tested positive for Salmonella via the California Department of Public Health. The products were sold in several US states,...

A Utah company is recalling two-pound frozen bags of Quest beef cat food sold nationwide over fears it may be contaminated with salmonella. “Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products,” the US Food and Drug Administration said this week. The items affected were distributed nationwide through retail stores and are identified with UPC 6-91730-17101-8, Lot N128. No illnesses have been reported. A sample collected tested positive for...

The CDC is advising folks in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island to avoid eating whole, fresh papayas from Mexico. They also say not to eat fruit salads or mixes including Mexican papayas. If you encounter papayas and have doubt about their country of origin, the CDC says to be on the safe side and throw them out. The agency recommends washing and sanitizing places where papayas are stored, including counter tops and refrigerator shelves. Meanwhile, the US Food and Drug Administration wants importers, suppliers, distributors and other food service providers to halt sales across all states of...

Live poultry in backyard flocks are linked to several multistate outbreaks of salmonella infections that have now sickened 212 people in 44 states, federal health officials warned Monday. The most recent illnesses began on June 21, with 88 of the cases reported in the last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, said in an advisory. The federal agency is working with multiple states in investigating several outbreaks of salmonella infections linked to contact with live poultry in backyard flocks, it said. A half-dozen strains of salmonella bacteria have sickened people starting in the middle of February,...

OUTBREAK Update: 100 Salmonella infections in 33 states linked to Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal. Do not eat this cereal.

Just before the agency announced the outbreak, the Kellogg Co. announced a recall of 15.3-ounce and 23-ounce packages of the cereal with a “best if used by” date from June 14, 2018, through June 14, 2019, according to a statement. Twenty-four of the sick patients have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported, according to the CDC. New York has reported the highest number of cases — seven — while California, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania have each reported five cases. The other states involved in the outbreak have reported between one and four related illnesses. Health officials have identified Kellogg’s Honey...

A farm in Indiana is recalling more than 200 million eggs sold in nine states over salmonella fears. Rose Acre Farms voluntarily recalled 206,749,248 eggs due to potential contamination with Salmonella Braenderup, the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement. At least 22 illnesses have been reported so far, the FDA said Friday. The eggs were sold through retail stores and restaurants. They reached consumers in ...

One of the worst epidemics in human history, a sixteenth-century pestilence that devastated Mexico’s native population, may have been caused by a deadly form of salmonella from Europe, a pair of studies suggest. In one study, researchers say they have recovered DNA of the stomach bacterium from burials in Mexico linked to a 1540s epidemic that killed up to 80% of the country's native inhabitants. The team reports its findings in a preprint posted on the bioRxiv server on 8 February1.

Assistant State Health Officer Dr. Karen Landers told news outlets on Thursday that the Alabama Department of Public Health has suspended the caterer’s permit because of the outbreak at the Saturday wedding, which was attended by about 150 people. Officials did not immediately release specific details about the wedding, the caterer that prepared the meal, or exactly what food caused people to fall ill with salmonella gastroenteritis.