Tainted Meats Point to Superbug C. diff in Food - 40% Tested Positive

Do we know if this bug is found only in fresh meat?  In other words, does freezing the meat make a difference or is the bug resistent to cold temperatures as well as cooking?

My father just recently died from this terrible bacteria. He was in St Jerome, Quebec, where many others have died as well. The province of Ontario was conducting a class action law suit for these deaths...does anyone know of one that is being done in Quebec?

Lemme tell ya: I became a vegetarian a year ago and have had no regrets. When you stop eating meat, you can stop worrying about contracting mad cow disease, ingesting growth hormones, and getting sick from eating spoiled or contaminated meat.

We have got to stop our unfounded fears of turning into 1950's B-Movie monsters/mutants from eating irradiated food.  The process using newer methods is performed by ionization and not by radioactive substances.  Its been noted that over 40 countries in the world irradiate food and that all the food the Astronauts eat has been irradiated. 

Per the CDC,"  An overwhelming body of scientific evidence demonstrates that irradiation does not harm the nutritional value of food, nor does it make the food unsafe to eat. Just as for the pasteurization of milk, it will be most effective when irradiation is coupled to careful sanitation programs."

While it cannot be used with all foods, regulation and promotion of its use should be considered like that of pasteurization for milk. 

Lastly, I would like to note that agencies/departments involved with the monitoring/inspection of our food supplies need to be adequately staffed and made resistant to budgetary cuts.

I lost my father to this bacteria ealier this year. The province of Ontario has a classs action law suite filed. Does anyone know if one has been done in Quebec?

Indigo Halo, all the power to you for your vegitarian diet, but eating only vegetables doesn't prevent you from contracting food born illnesses.  Contaminated fruits and vegetables have been involved in quite a few recent outbreaks of Salmonella.  Remember the problems with tomatoes, spinach, cantaloupe, geen onions?, and iceberg lettuce to name a few.

This seems alarmist.  Article on tainted meat when the source is health care facilities?  Come on!

I contract this nasty bug, presumably after eating at my favorite Chinese restaurant.  The health dept could not confirm that's where it originated.  I had not been in the usual suspected locations: day care, nursing home, hospital, nor had I been on any antibiotics. I suffered for 34 days -- yes, 34 days.  I was out of work for two weeks.  Thought that my gut was going to explode as it was the most horrific sickness I've ever had.  The first round of antibiotics I had a reaction to, so my doc had to put me on another -  which cost $999.00 for a 30 day supply.  Thank goodness I had a Rx plan -- my co-pay was $160.00.  Those of you who've never had this, should take heed as contracting this bacterium can change your life.  I never-ever want to experience that again.  Salmonella is a piece of cake compared to C-diff.

I wish they had mentioned in the article if they tested organic /antibiotic free meats as well as the standard factory food.... all of antibiotic residue in our food HAS to have a connection to this.  Everytime the FDA says "its ok" I'd say run the other way.  For those who say just irradiate it... yeah well how about producing food that won't make us sick to start with then you don't have to irradiate it.

knowing "why" hormones are injected into our beef  is so crazy.  They inject hormones that give the steers the feeling that they just had cow-sex!  So they  don't chase each other around, jump on each other...hence they just want to stand around and eat more!

This is given to them periodically through-out the years until they are slaughtered and processed for OUR consumption.

Yes, it is enough to make you become a vegetarian...or to hunt your own game if your a die-hard carnavore.

And while I'm on it, what about the chickens diet.....what is fed to the chickens we eat?  Guess?  Ground up chicken!  Now, what is gonna happen after a multitude of generations of carnavoure chickens eventually mutates OUR genes.

It's just hard to believe that the USDA thinks this is a safe practice..this whole Government program needs an enema.  Lets get some intellegent people in there so that this nation will have a healthy diet.   

Not only is c-diff a hard to kill bacteria, it makes the excriment extremely caustic, a horrible situation for a bed-riddened patient. I should know, my mother had two rounds of it in a nursing home. Often the problem is the failure of the staff to properly wash their hands when going from one room to another. Plus, the hand sanitizers have NO effect on c-diff.

*sigh*

Would it come to a surprise to everyone that there are all kinds of microbes in every single type of food you eat except canned foods? 

Would it come as a surprise to you that if you grew your own food, including cows, pigs, chickens, etc, raised them all organically, etc, that not only would you find C. diff (a natural microflora in the GI) but also a wide range of Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7, and in the poultry Campylobacter jejeunii?

Listen.  Bacteria is everywhere.  Nothing is 100% safe.  Nothing.  And to think that they are is naive at best. 

Personally, I think our food source is too sanitary.  Our bodies are not allowed to build up a natural resistance to infection from a single cell of one of these pathogens.

I'm sorry for those that have lost their loved ones to this organism.  But it happens.  And it is highly likely that nothing could have been done about it.  And initiating a class action law suit on something that has a tenuous link, that is a stretch in and of itself, does no good for anyone but the lawyers.

Songer is close, but it is not just retail meats - the spread of the contamination is at the processing level.  It may be that scratches in steel that hide bacteria from industrial cleaning practices or poor handling/cross contamination.  Either way, everything that is processed or mixed with other ingredients is susceptible.  Everything.  And it may not even be C. Diff 027... but a deadlier bug masquerading.  Be careful out there, and eat only whole foods if you can.  Cook meats thoroughly (350 deg. min), and make you own sauces, etc.  Think amish level of food preparation and independency, and God Bless.

Boy, I am so glad our government agencies can be relied on to tell us what we need to know.  Why of course, if the CDC says it's safe to eat meat containing a bacteria known to cause a serious illness, it must be true!  After all, no one in the DCD or FDA or EPA or any other protection agency could possibly do -- or fail to do -- anything that would needlessly expose the people to harm.  It would be shocking, simply shocking.

Do ya think maybe the meat companies have had any input into the decision not to mention any brand names, so as not to "alarm" people?  Could it be that when the CDC says "there are no definitive studies," they actually mean "we never even thought about it" ?

It's abundantly clear that we're on our own when it comes to food safety, toy safety, water quality, clean air, etc.  We need to realize that we -- as individuals -- need to protect ourselves any way we can, whether we kill our own beasts for food or buy only from a local organic butcher or grow all our own vegetables, or anything else.  Until or unless our government protection agencies are re-energized, it's back to the beginning of "Buyer Beware."  Perhaps we need a citizen-run forum that would hire real scientists to do what our government is supposed to do -- but doesn't  Then maybe we could rely on a few food sources, manufacturers and suppliers.

Songer is close - but its not just meat sources.  Cross contamination is happening at the processing level and is affecting everything.  Everything.  Perhaps it was scratches in steel shielding bacteria from standard industrial sanitation processes, or just poor handling / cross contamination.  But anything that has more than one ingredient or source is susceptable.  And it might not even be C. Diff, but a nastier bug masquerading.  Cook your meat thoroughly (350 deg min) and wash salads.  Cook your own sauces and remove levels of production in your food prep.  Think amish level in preparation, isolation and self reliance.  Be careful out there, and God Bless.

I will only say this is no laughing matter and i am relieved to have found this article.  Last week the last meal i ate unfortunately contained ground beef.  Wouldn't you know it, the following morning my system was in turmoil and for 4 days non stop my system painfully purged everything from my body.  I didn't know that i could go for so long without eating and at the same time i wondered what was wrong with my body that my intestinal system was in complete turmoil.  I am generally known for having a strong stomach, but this was absolutely rediculous and i am relieved to be eating again and holding down my food.

I have no doubt what so ever it was the bacterium discussed in this article and will now stay away from ground beef.

Good luck to all and practice caution.  Note that this beef was purchased via a well known California food chain.

Also note, that the CDC study doesn't have accurate info, because people like me who never reported it and did a self cure assuming it would ride it's course.

Good reason to use probiotics and limit the use of all pharmaceutical drugs...Our food has been contaninmated purposely and through neglect.....consumer protection does not exist....as Senator Dodd stated on 11/13/08....consumer protection was neglected for the purpose of a strong economy. And alas he has had a caharsis.....it does matter....JERK!!!!!

I have had the c diff bug too. I agree with the previous poster, it is the most horrific sickness I have ever had too. On the one hand, I wanted to die. On the other hand, I didn't want to die on the toilet. I was sick for weeks and still do not feel like I am back to normal. This was early 2008. My occurence was preceded by an infected tooth for which I was given two courses of antibiotics, each for seven days. I had been visiting my grandmother at both a hospital and a nursing home for several weeks prior and right up to the onset. I am now taking pro-biotics and I think it is doing some good. I think the c diff bugs are everywhere and cannot be avoided.  I blame antibiotics and the overuse of antibiotics for the spread of this sickness previously found only in healthcare settings. I don't think it comes from food and don't plan to change my diet until there is something that clearly shows a link from meat to an actual infection.

CDC says not to worry.............  yeah right! While I lie here with this bug I caught 5Nov and have not lost yet.  Looks like another fast! 

Earlier this year I became extremely ill and thinking it was merely just a bad "flu" bug simply rode it out.  Felt better and returned to work, only to have it recur in even worse condition.  I went to doc, he put me on antibiotics and something to stop the cramping, etc.  That didn't help much.  I just got weaker and more dehydrated, ran a steady low fever (once in awhile it reached 100+).  Tests run in the doc's office and sent off to Houston for exam apparently showed nothing.  Meanwhile, fever spikes to 103+, I call paramedics, they stabilize me and I beg to stay home.  Two nights later, fever spiked to 104+, called ambulance, spent entire next day in hospital with no apparent ability of theirs to diagnose anything extraordinary.  (RIGGGHHHHTT!)  This rocked on for 6 weeks, I kid you not.  I have never been so sick in my entire life and for that length of time.  I still believe deep down in my very soul it was this "superbug" thing, and if it was let me tell you it is unbelievably devastating.  Many times I thought I was going to die, and the other I just wished that I would.  Yep, it's that bad.

So, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.  How I survived is still a mystery.  I would hardly wish it upon my worst enemy, that is if I had one and I hope and pray none of you get it either.

The only antibiotic that is effective on c-diff is Flagyl(sp?). It is important not to partake of anything containing  alcohol during and several days after taking Flagyl..it will make you "sick as a dog".

Srvfan, interesting you should bring this up.  Although I cannot remember the sequence of events, at some point either before this all occurred or during ( I was so sick I can't remember a lot of it), I was treated with Flagyl but I thought that was earlier than this and to treat a minor bladder infection.  Could be wrong, tho'.  Could the Flagyl have been a part of why I got that ill? 

Wreching your guts out is one way not to take your mind off of the economy.  Too bad the economy is already doing that to many of us. 

Good to know that the CDC thinks its nothing to worry about, just like our politicians aren't very worried about half of the bailout money already having been spent, with no oversight committee in place, and banks paying bonuses, acquiring other banks, and not making any loans.  Don't need to bail the automakers out though - its only 355,000 people directly working for the big three, another 4.5 million working indirectly for companies that supply the automakers, and another 1 million currently receiving retirement benefits. 

Maybe the plan will be to send them all to the supermarket, buy meat, and that may take care of that problem.