News from China: Drug regulator sentenced to death
By Christie Keith
May 28, 2007
From USA Today:
China’s top drug regulator was sentenced to death on charges of corruption and negligence, state media said Tuesday, the latest development stemming from growing alarm over the country’s poor food-safety record.
Zheng Xiaoyu was convicted and sentenced “on charges of taking bribes and dereliction of duty” at the Beijing Municipal No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court, the Xinhua News Agency said in a brief dispatch. No other details were given.
More here.
A friend of mine who works for a newspaper in Australia just sent me this as well:
China is to put in place a system allowing the recall of unsafe or unapproved food products following a series of health scares that have led to illnesses and deaths, state media reported today.
Wu Jianping, director-general of the food production and supervision department at the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, said the draft would be ready by the end of the year.
“All domestic and foreign food producers and distributors will be obliged to follow the system,” the China Daily quoted Wu as saying.
The State Food and Drug Administration also plans to blacklist food producers that break the rules, the China Daily reported, adding that serious violators could be barred from the market.
Full story here.
Let’s hope this is the beginning of good things happening to protect the food industry for everyone and that animals that died or became very ill had to be the catalyst for this to happen. The universe may not work as quickly or in the manner in which we humans may want, but there surely has to be a greater power that brings about change for the good. It’s just so sad that so many pets had to die to make this happen.
Comment by VJ — May 29, 2007 @ 4:34 am
The World continues to consume from, enrich and empower this backward communist country as though they’re dealing with another friendly democracy. Boy have the corporatists and politicians pulled a fast one on us…
Comment by Frank — May 29, 2007 @ 4:36 am
My oh my, we should not be trading with China for many many reasons.
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 4:40 am
China is catching up to America as a world economic power - again, my of my!
http://tinyurl.com/29vyup
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 4:50 am
I also saw a bit on the news about the Ag Minister hanging himself in the face of criminal charges.
Comment by slt — May 29, 2007 @ 5:19 am
I don’t believe for a moment there is real change taking place. I think there is a lot of talk and probably some people publicly arrested, but it’s all a show until the media attention dies down.
Their human rights abuses are well-documented and we reward china with the olympics.
The only way china will change is when we can hit them in the pocketbook.
Comment by lablover — May 29, 2007 @ 5:54 am
slt, I heard it was the japanese ag minister.
Comment by lablover — May 29, 2007 @ 5:55 am
I wish I believed the action against Zheng Xiaoyu (the drug regulator sentenced to death) was more than window dressing. Unfortunately, I’ve become so mistrustful of the motivations behind the actions of the Chinese government that I believe this man’s death is nothing more than an attempt to pacify world public opinion by taking what looks like a “We’re getting tough on offenders!” action.
The REAL actions that will convince those like me won’t happen overnight by finding one offender to punish. The only way I’ll be convinced will take time - time during which we no longer see adulterated, polluted, or fraudulent food items being pawned off on the American public.
Comment by The OTHER Pat — May 29, 2007 @ 6:00 am
Itchmo posted a link to this article about the scare within China about the safety of their own food. I can’t but help believe that pressure from all these different sides can help effect change that will also affect their exports, over time.
http://news.independent.co.uk/.....581237.ece
Comment by Maureen — May 29, 2007 @ 6:02 am
Comment by lablover — May 29, 2007 @ 5:55 am
Yes - that is right! The Japanese Ag Minister hanged himself.
Comment by slt — May 29, 2007 @ 6:10 am
Comment by Frank — May 29, 2007 @ 4:36 am
And they will continue to try to do it.
Comment by Steve — May 29, 2007 @ 6:17 am
I’d like to be a little birdie in the room where the decision was made to “kill” the corrupt man responsible - let’s see how would it go? The Americans are unhappy…we must fix this…we will loose money…no one will buy are poison.
How many do they hang for us to be happy? It’s all insane. Killing people won’t help.
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 6:23 am
Acheson, we could send him to China. Maybe some of his friends in the PFI, also…They know how to take firm action!
Comment by Peggy (AKA: Big Fat Momma Cat) — May 29, 2007 @ 6:25 am
I mean, really, the Death Penalty for political positions…WOW, that would make a big difference around here, I’d say!!!
Comment by Peggy (AKA: Big Fat Momma Cat) — May 29, 2007 @ 6:28 am
Peggy - that’s funny. Ha!
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 6:29 am
The FDA plans to blacklist food producers that break the rules? Really…..that 1%? Gee I feel so much better.
This is thier solution? OMGoodness! What will they think of next.
Suggesting perhaps testing 99% of all Chinese food imports. HUGE fines to those violating companies and Chinese goverment agencies that over sees food safety. Shipping in toxins, illegal chemicals, GM foods, mold, filth and the other mysterious crap they have shipped in, (chickens in the guise of dried lily flowers) and then blacklisting those violators forever. No second chances.
We would quickly solve the HUGE debt to China, force them to send us edible goods.
Consquences that fit the crime.
How can they inspect 99% of Chinese imports? Treat them all like China is sending us Trojan Horses in cargo crates, by the tons. Sounds like a job for Homeland Security, the National Gaurd and on site labs at ports.
We all gotta eat.
Comment by Maudigan — May 29, 2007 @ 6:30 am
I’m sure that Zheng Xiaoyu wasn’t responsible - the entire system is hush money, bribes, shady dealings, but when it breaks down - heads fly. Zheng probably was paying the people that sentenced his to death - so they kill him to keep him quiet - because if the truth be known……
wonder if they spared his family and his children? I hope so.
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 6:32 am
Did we ever find out where that tainted corn gluten in Canada was headed - pet food companies or human food?
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 6:33 am
And who pays for all this testing?
China, of course!
I wish I could find the reference (it’s been about 3 weeks since I saw it - an eternity in this current climate!) but I read an article where US food being sent to some European country - Denmark, I believe - was ALL tested in Denmark. And WE footed the bill for the testing.
If they can enforce that on us, then I see no reason why we can’t enforce that on China. OUR testing on OUR soil, and THEY pay for it (the right to be able to sell us food).
Comment by The OTHER Pat — May 29, 2007 @ 6:34 am
Don’t know Linda. I’ve waited all weekend for more info and thought I could find something this morning.
Where did it come from; where was it supposed to be going; was it wheat flour; and was it marked as food or for industrial use? And the place it was headed for; did they get any tainted shipments before this one???
Comment by Peggy (AKA: Big Fat Momma Cat) — May 29, 2007 @ 6:38 am
Ummm….I’ll try to find out.
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 6:40 am
That’s where I was at before being distracted by:…Death!
Comment by Peggy (AKA: Big Fat Momma Cat) — May 29, 2007 @ 6:42 am
Couldn’t find anything - no recent news releases in Canada about it. Ummmm………..
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 6:46 am
Is that supposed to make us happy and pasified? They have probably killed anyone involved, so no one will talk. they don’t care. Do they think We are fools? china is China and will always be this way. I for one don’t believe anything they say.
Comment by Trudy Jackson — May 29, 2007 @ 6:53 am
This article has a lot more information.
China’s former drug head sentenced to death
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/c.....882475.htm
Comment by Mikee — May 29, 2007 @ 6:58 am
I think we need to be the little bird whispering in Bush’s ear on this, seems such a easy solution.
I for one would like to purchase food without reading the ingredient list for known Chinese ingredients, calling the company to confirm the source and banning such product from my home.
Before they figure out how to taint a coke with one toxin and a hamburger with another…….both non-toxic until mixed together in the digestive system.
As China builds up thier military and nucular power, it’s not a safe to give them an free avenue for bioterrorism on top of that military strategy.
Comment by Maudigan — May 29, 2007 @ 7:02 am
My searches came up empty, also.
Anyway this guy that got the Death Penalty; it was mostly for taking bribes, long before this Melamine scandal. So I’m not sure what effect this will have if any.
And regardless of that anyway, we have to have a control of our on food sources here in this country. We need to know exactly what we are buying and where it came from; if it doesn’t come from here it needs to be labeled as such. If it crosses our borders to come in here it is not American made and it need to be inspected and marked as such!!!
I am still boycotting everything I can and will continue to do so until I know I am buying safe, unadulterated, foods!!!
Comment by Peggy (AKA: Big Fat Momma Cat) — May 29, 2007 @ 7:03 am
China food boss sentenced to death
(His unusually harsh sentence may yet be reduced on appeal.)
http://english.aljazeera.net/N.....4F5119.htm
Comment by Mikee — May 29, 2007 @ 7:04 am
I agree. We need to know. It’s out rights!
Also, I still think we should boycott the Olimpics. How would We do that? Call the TV stations and tell them We won’t watch it? Or tell the Pres. We won’t watch it?
But none of that stuff is coming into My house.
Comment by Trudy Jackson — May 29, 2007 @ 7:15 am
THAT’S A GREAT IDEA, BOYCOTT THE GAMES!!!!!!!!!
Comment by ann — May 29, 2007 @ 7:20 am
Here is the BBC news article about Zhang.
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6699441.stm
Comment by Elaine — May 29, 2007 @ 7:24 am
I will try that again
http://www.news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi.....699441.stm
Comment by Elaine — May 29, 2007 @ 7:25 am
I’ll help in any way I can if We can figure out how to boycott them.
Comment by Trudy Jackson — May 29, 2007 @ 7:27 am
This is an article about the pig deaths causing s pork shortage crisis in China.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/202a6d.....10621.html
Comment by Elaine — May 29, 2007 @ 7:32 am
This article explains that USDA chooses not to trace ecoli back to the source, the slaughter plants, and instead goes after those smaller companies that have bought the meat from the slaughter plants.
http://www.billingsgazette.net.....5-usda.txt
Comment by Elaine — May 29, 2007 @ 7:44 am
…
Giving someone the death penalty for political misdeeds just doesn’t make me feel any better.
Comment by Katherine — May 29, 2007 @ 8:09 am
I’m on a roll this morning. Here is a letter to the editor in reply to one of the articles we had a link to the other day.
Subject: Meatingplace.com Reader Comment (2s18110)
Hi Tom:
In response to your 5-28-07 Meatingplace article entitled “Chinese Lash Back at U.S. over Food Fiasco” [melamine-laced gluten].
Although these Chinese authorities desire to divert Melamine blame and dilute their liability, they are nonetheless correct in identifying American importers as focusing on cheap prices more than food safety and product quality. Every WalMart truck has the slogan “Lowest Price Always” proudly emblazoned on them. Corporate bottom lines are the primary focus, and consumer safety is the sacrificial lamb emanating from our blind rush into unfettered global trade. Americans’ budgets which are stretched by high fuel, insurance, utilities costs etc are turning a deaf ear to the liabilities involved in our increased reliance on foreign products.
Former FDA officials publicly agree that the agency’s reduced levels of staffing is increasingly incapable of adequately inspecting imports. Until our executive and legislative branches fully fund FDA and USDA, these problems will persist. Unfortunately, multi-national corporate entities enjoy substantial clout which inappropriately dampens attempts to implement meaningful inspection reforms.
Chinese challenges to American importers to more closely define their purchasing specifications is a ruse. For example, on June 2, 2005 Dr. Kenneth Petersen, then-Deputy Assistant Administrator of USDA/FSIS Office of Field Operations stated in a letter “I would expect a prudent establishment to have appropriate procedures to determine product acceptability prior to receiving the product”. USDA-inspected further processing plants, pet food manufacturers ad infinitum do indeed have thorough purchasing specifications which they demand from their suppliers, but problems persist. Chinese authorities and USDA officials share a common misdirected belief, i.e., a copious paperwork system will prevent all potential problems. Should our pet food manufacturers be required to individually list all ingredients banned from imported source raw materials? No list could ever be complete. Frankly, the offending Chinese exporters knowingly and intentionally introduced Melamine in an unethical attempt to increase protein levels. They were fully cognizant that the pet food plants did not request Melamine, but the product was commingled for profit motives.
Increased microbiological inspections of raw materials and finished products will detect quality aberrations, but FDA lacks funding to do so. Furthermore, USDA/FSIS’ blind adherence to its deregulated, faith-based HACCP system insulates the agency from an appropriate level of testing and inspection oversight.
Although COOL was designed as a consumer right-to-know issue, it will also provide consumers the ability to purchase products (pet products, consumer food, etc) from known origins. Pet owners should have the right to purchase pet foods from non-Chinese sources if they desire, or beef from non-Canadian sources because of BSE concerns, or poultry products from countries which have not been beset with avian influenza outbreaks, including Viet Nam, Thailand, and again…..China. The melamine fiasco presents a watershed opportunity to our elected officials and regulatory agencies to implement efficacious inspection policies which would protect domestic consumers.
An avalanche of paperwork will NOT guarantee product quality. Human frailties demand the presence of policemen with enforcement authority, who are willing to inspect products and punish offenders. What previously had been a pathogen chase is now a paper chase, with predictable results. Chinese and American authorities must bilaterally embrace personal accountability for ineffective inspection oversight. Some industries may work efficiently in a deregulated environment, but food is not one of them. Likewise, domestic consumers must vote with their purchasing dollars their preference for cheap versus safe.
John W. Munsell
Manager, Foundation for Accountability in Regulatory Enforcement (FARE)
Miles City, MT
5-28-07
Comment by Elaine — May 29, 2007 @ 8:15 am
This Chinese official deserves his death sentence. His actions undoubtedly resulted in the death of many people. Making him not better than any mass murderer.
Comment by Serijna — May 29, 2007 @ 8:36 am
Well, he was probably a scapegoat - and the corruption has deep veins and long tentacles - the system is broken not just one man. He family most likely is dead also, wife, children, anyone who knows the extent of the “evil”. It doesn’t make me feel better knowing anyone else had or is dying over this - Chinese or American.
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 8:56 am
I heard a story on the radio of missionaries in China when the communist took over, of a young family, and orders came down - no one could sell food to the family or even talk to them, but some of the village people took pity on them, and even those that had little, helped this family stay alive. There’s much healing power in Mercy. I hope no one else dies and somehow we learn to overcome this terrible tragedy.
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 9:03 am
John W. Munsell
Manager, Foundation for Accountability in Regulatory Enforcement (FARE)
Miles City, MT
This guy ROCKS! Great letter.
Comment by spocko — May 29, 2007 @ 9:09 am
Spocko,
If memory serves me well, (and it usually doesn’t) I think John Munsell was or is involved with the meat industry and observed firsthand the inequities in the meat inspection process.
He has been outspoken on the HACCP regulations from the beginning. He surely does have a command of the English language and is not afraid to speak out.
Comment by Elaine — May 29, 2007 @ 9:16 am
John Munsell zeroed in precisely on the inadequate protection for the food supply. Enjoyed the eloquent writing.
However, whomever has power to make the American food safe is not doing so. It certainly could be done!
I read where my products are made. I can find that. However, where my food comes from is a mystery so much of the time.
Comment by Evelyn — May 29, 2007 @ 10:00 am
The news about the death sentence makes me sad.
First of all, this guy is presumable a scape goat and I doubt severley that his death somehow solves the widespread corruption or the nonchalant handling of toxins in China.
Secondly, the *Pet Food Industry* bought food materials (cheap, cheap!) from a country with iffy standards and went on to process and sell their *premium food* - without tests, without checks, without anything but profit thinking. May I introduce the ‘D’OH! principle’?
Thirdly, the *Pet Food Industry* sat on the realization that their products are deadly for a loooooooong, loooooong time. No swift action was taken (if you don’t count the sale of shares of Menu’s CFO), instead we have been spin-doctored to the point of no return.
Anyone out there who *really* believes that the pet food on the shelves is safe?
Fourthly, our *own government* helped to muddle up and draw out the situation, did their utmost best to help *big business* instead of the tax payers, and threw sand in the eyes of the ‘hysteric public’ with their mantra of ‘harmless’, ‘non toxic’ and ‘dilution factor’.
The death sentence for this Chinese guy is an incredibly sad situation, and it will help nobody, it won’t change a thing.
The only change that really gets things moving is the US consumer changing their habits. Buy locally, from smaller farmers who actually farm with an environmental conscience; cook your pet food yourself (you can’t do worse than the pet food industry), and refuse to play the games that our government and big business wants you to play.
Comment by MaKo — May 29, 2007 @ 10:22 am
Evelyn,
A quote from John Munsell’s letter.
“Unfortunately, multi-national corporate entities enjoy substantial clout which inappropriately dampens attempts to implement meaningful inspection reforms”
This “clout” also applies to blocking mandatory Country Of Origin Labeling for our food. Walmart, and the big 4 meatpacking companies have the FDA/USDA under their influence, and it will take a vocal and tireless bunch of folks to overcome this influence.
It’s a crime that we can know where our t-shirts our made, and yet they will not label our food!
We also need to push to have our drugs and cosmetics labeled as to COOL. Did you know that the contact lens solution that was recalled was made in China?
Comment by Elaine — May 29, 2007 @ 10:23 am
Does not look that Zheng was the only one that got arrested.
http://english.people.com.cn/2.....64900.html
Comment by Serijna — May 29, 2007 @ 10:36 am
*urban agriculture*, that’s what we’re talking about! the safest, cheapest, most ecological food comes from our own backyard!!! Here is a great article: http://www.newfarm.org/features/1104/urban_farm/
let the boycotting begin!!!
Comment by Peggy (AKA: Big Fat Momma Cat) — May 29, 2007 @ 10:49 am
all of that was a quote except the intro and last line
Comment by Peggy (AKA: Big Fat Momma Cat) — May 29, 2007 @ 10:52 am
Of course we never know what we are eating is a restaurant - I suppose we need labels info next to the choices?????
I’m meeting my son for lunch - maybe it’s better not to ask.
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 10:52 am
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 10:52 am
I do.
I ask and drive them crazy.
The next thing happening is usually a lively, friendly debate between the restaurant patrons and a helpless looking manager.
Helps spreading the word.
And, little by litte, we can re-educate our restaurants to offer not only good, but also healthy food.
Helps the local farmers….
Comment by MaKo — May 29, 2007 @ 10:59 am
Oh my, this is hilarious.
http://english.people.com.cn/2.....55950.html
Maybe we can do the same on a variation of Menu Foods.
Comment by Serijna — May 29, 2007 @ 11:04 am
Ha, ha MaKo I bet it does drive them nuts. Well, maybe I’ll give it a try.
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 11:18 am
I try not to complain at a resturant. After seeing a special a few years back on what can be done to your food by desgruntled employees in the back room where you can’t see them. I return it with the excuse that I have lost my appitite. The usually won’t charge you and I just eat at home later.
CNN is doing food safety right now. Questioning the only inspecting the 1% of our food supply, on right now on the west coast.
Comment by Maudigan — May 29, 2007 @ 11:40 am
What a sad situation. Unfortunately this fellow had nothing to do with the melamine issue, if I understood the article. His claim to fame was the Drug scandal. So what happens to the guy in charge of the Food System in China? I am lost for words. Compounding tragedy on tragedy.
Comment by lostforwords — May 29, 2007 @ 11:40 am
Maudigan: Oh, I forgot about that..and it does happen, oh my goodness, it happens. What a wise choice to make - lost my appetite.
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 11:46 am
Former FDA William Hubbard is being interviewed, telling it like it really is, he is bringing up everything. Says they send us contaminated food because they know no one is inspecting it.
Wow… it was brief but he hit hard. Talked about the melamine and the same thing happening in the pet food recall happening in the human food chain as easily.
CNN Newsroom, hopefully they will cycle back through the story again as they do.
Comment by Maudigan — May 29, 2007 @ 11:47 am
The health food stores go bananas too, ‘cause they are full of China….
Comment by Bee — May 29, 2007 @ 11:48 am
Bee,
you are so right about that.
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 11:50 am
Linda… make sure you send it back after everyone is served too.
Comment by Maudigan — May 29, 2007 @ 11:51 am
Lost for words 11:40
I think it is terrible to sentence people to death over this when the entire country is riddled with such practices.
They’d have to kill (murder) 1/2 the population -
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 11:53 am
Oh thanks. I’d heard of really awful things - but I won’t go into it. Just forgot about it ……UGH, sigh, and shakes head.
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 11:54 am
Sorry 11:54 was response to Maudigan at 11:51
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 11:55 am
“First of all, this guy is presumable a scape goat and I doubt severley that his death somehow solves the widespread corruption or the nonchalant handling of toxins in China.”
I actually don’t see him as a scape goat even if they are using him to make a point/be a goat. He is still guilty of taking money and letting unsafe/counterfeit/etc products on the market and lots of deaths from the look of things.
China may very well try and clean up their act to some extent. They may not want us to tell them to, try and push the blame off on others, but reality is, they won’t have anyone to trade with if this keeps up. yes, they’ll still have the big manufactures over there, but I think they’ll need more than that. Purina is/was well aware of their food/ingredient problems as are the others. they will still source local, but China will need to be able to supply safe resources or they won’t be buying. But that isn’t all. If people stop buying Chinese made goods from these companies with factories there, the companies will leave eventually. it’s about the bottom line, so I would ‘assume’ China would feel some pressure from these corporations. Especially if the rest of the world starts banning imports like fish, pharmaceuticals, raw grains/proteins, baby items, blankets, poultry and other meats . . . .
we need to keep the pressure on . . .
Comment by straybaby — May 29, 2007 @ 11:59 am
It’s cheaper, healthier, safer and much tastier to eat at home anyway. I have food issues outside a kitchen I am in or can be in. Now with an added twist banning foods from China.
We’re all going to end up with PTSD from our food supply. ~hystarical pat owner~ BLAH!
Comment by Maudigan — May 29, 2007 @ 12:04 pm
RE: Comment by slt — May 29, 2007 @ 5:19 am
I saw that too, very early this AM. I think he had embezzled. Falsified utility bills for refunds where the utilities were included in rent. The East has a real “thing” about honor & pride.
Wonder if our elected officials & tainted product assemblers are trembling in their booties?? Honor?-No Pride?-No Disgrace?-Yes
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 12:07 pm
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 4:50 am
Well - 4 billion peopole each 10% as productive as each of 350 million people is still more productive — just not as efficient.
———————-
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 12:07 pm
Most cultures based on ‘honor’ find that faculty to be the first thing to die. Consider ours based on ‘freedom’ too. They have had 7000 years to cleverly kill honor and still live with themselves, we have only had a couple centuries to kill freedom - give it time…
Of course Profit is on his death bed, which is why we are importing so much stuff and exporting so many jobs.
And I remember hearing about Ethics, I’ve even met a few relatives over time, but they never seem to make it to management or political office… ;)
Comment by steve a — May 29, 2007 @ 12:18 pm
correction pet owner, not pat. Sorry all the Pats.
It’s a shame they believe killing this man will solve any of their many problems with their tainted, filthy, nasty food they send to our borders.
The Chinese goverment is appartently thinking upside down and backwards without end or accountablity, shamefully ignorant that the rest of the world isn’t theirs to rule.
Comment by Maudigan — May 29, 2007 @ 12:19 pm
Comment by Maudigan — May 29, 2007 @ 7:02 am: “I think we need to be the little bird whispering in Bush’s ear…”
Or we could recruit this one: http://tinyurl.com/33ozku
Comment by Ticocats — May 29, 2007 @ 12:28 pm
I think that Ag man sentenced to death was directly because one of his “approved” drugs killed 10 people. He says he was told to approve — fast track — the system.
That is what our FDA does every day with the relatively new computer system. Fast track imports - no matter what their REAL content is.
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 12:37 pm
I just found an article that is in UStoday about Judge tells pet food Reps to back off and it was done 31 mins ago. It tells about the recall and that people are getting phone calls from Menu Foods.
Comment by Jill — May 29, 2007 @ 12:43 pm
Jill: that happened Fri. Here’s the blog page, article & court report:
http://www.petconnection.com/b.....pet-owners
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 12:46 pm
Here’s something kinda funny - this guy & his cat have taste-tested tuna — and reporting…
http://home.comcast.net/~bryansavage/tuna.html
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 12:51 pm
This is a different one then that. This is for today in US Today.
Comment by Jill — May 29, 2007 @ 12:53 pm
Just got this email in:
Breaking News from ABCNEWS.com:
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT HAS ISSUED A QUARANTINE ORDER, THE FIRST SINCE 1963, FOR A MAN WITH A RARE AND DANGEROUS FORM OF TUBERCULOSIS. DEVELOPING…
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=3222797
——————————-
I’ll be this is the man they’ve had locked up for months — treatment resistant TB
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 1:09 pm
Unless it’s the gourmet style, most canned tuna looks like flecks of saw dust collected in a strainer vs fish nowadays…maybe it needs to be pressed into a shape that makes it look like it came from some body part of a fish.
Comment by Bee — May 29, 2007 @ 1:10 pm
This is a different man. Anyone travel Atl - Paris this month?
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 1:12 pm
So, with ‘revised’ food import rules, the U.S. and other countries will be leaving the food testing up to China, i.e. at country of origin. Are they ALL crazy? That’s one way to take over the world. They’ll kill us all with toothpaste, dyes and who-knows-what-else that lurks on our dinner plates and in our medicine cabinets! Has anyone checked lately where bottled water comes from? Coke? Pepsi? Sobe!
Epoch Times, NZ reports that “In the 2007 Annual European Food Safety Authority Report released by the European Commission 924 items in the market were listed as dangerous products. Of these 440 were from China.”
“Around 20 percent of the food consumed in New Zealand is imported and China is New Zealand’s second biggest trading partner…”
More here:
http://tinyurl.com/yrbchu
And to ‘correct’ the situation they just hang the official in charge at the time? Each time? Like flogging dogs in the streets? What’s wrong with this picture?
Comment by Nadine Long — May 29, 2007 @ 1:13 pm
CNN, Fox, and Bloomberg have been great about reporting on our pets and this food chain problem…Thanks folks and keep up the good work on our behalf, your consumer/viewers.
Comment by Bee — May 29, 2007 @ 1:14 pm
Has anyone checked lately where bottled water comes from? Coke? Pepsi? Sobe!
I found some rejected bottled water — somewhere on OASIS today.
This TB guy is really suspicious. He’s spread a treatment a rare & exceptionally dangerous form of TB all over the place - Atlanta, Paris, Prague, Montreal then drove back into the U.S.
This is the first US quarantine since 1963!
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 1:22 pm
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 1:22 pm
his travel route intrigued me more than the rare form of TB!
Comment by straybaby — May 29, 2007 @ 1:35 pm
I had read a article in the Newspaper that bottle water came from the fawcett and not where they say it is from. It was in the LA times.
Comment by Jill — May 29, 2007 @ 1:38 pm
Comment by Jill — May 29, 2007 @ 1:38 pm
you need to read the label ;) if it says “from a municipal source”
then that is likely. there was a good link posted at one point here.
funny that we need to read label on something as simple as water . . .
Comment by straybaby — May 29, 2007 @ 1:45 pm
straybaby - the WHOLE THANG’S SUSPICIOUS ~
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 2:03 pm
Bottle water labeling is SUPPOSED to state it’s source: Municipal water district, natural spring water, ozonated, etc.
I’ve forgotten which water it is, but it comes from Houston Municipal Water District. I think Coke has a bottled water too from a mun. district. Wonder — WHY !! ?? Just to make money?
I wouldn’t doubt that some brands fake their source.
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 2:08 pm
Oh boy!!
“She said the passenger was aware he had TB but had “compelling personal reasons” to travel. She did not identify him.”
http://www.ajc.com/health/cont.....mettb.html
Comment by Kat ~ >" — May 29, 2007 @ 2:15 pm
Are U.S. Food Imports a Growing Health Problem?
http://www.organicconsumers.or.....e_4897.cfm
Comment by Bee — May 29, 2007 @ 2:29 pm
What was the very first thing you all noticed when your dogs got sick? The very first. I know what cats do, i lost 3 , but what about dogs? I have a sick dog.
Comment by Trudy Jackson — May 29, 2007 @ 2:35 pm
Loved the link to the tuna testing ‘cause that is what my cats have to eat more of since the discovery of poisons in their cat food.
Big difference between tuna cans when you open them up. I always get the ones packed in water but some are tastier to the cats than others, and the cats think the liquid is the best part because they are eager to slurp that first.
Comment by Evelyn — May 29, 2007 @ 2:43 pm
If our FDA and USDA were held to the same standard as the Chinese scapegoat Bush’s political appointees would be standing in line to be executed.
Comment by Sharon — May 29, 2007 @ 2:49 pm
Trudy - if you question, take the dog to the vets and read about the symptoms on Pet Connection - Gina does a good job of listing them - but when in doubt always error on the side of caution - and there’s tests that need to be done for the kidneys and blood work - a sensitive test but I can’t remember the name - I’ll look it up - Gina did a thread on it and you can possibly do a search on this site too: kidney test.
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 2:57 pm
Comment by Evelyn — May 29, 2007 @ 2:43 pm
I thought that tuna website was so cute. I’ve been feeding my 3 cats canned salmon & tuna, for the most part.
I cook for the dogs & cats, but the cats get the canned stuff every day along with the cooked. I always at extra water to the can of salmon near the bottom. I buy the generic fresh caught from AK. I don’t really trust the tuna all that much any more after seeing all the import refusals for filth.
:(
Comment by Kat ~ >" — May 29, 2007 @ 2:58 pm
Sharon—how unkind to say that about the loyal Bushies. They help make our food what it is today.
Comment by Evelyn — May 29, 2007 @ 2:59 pm
It’s funny that I ran across that site. I’ve been thinking about analyzing it myself. The canned Great Value of WalMart’s seems like it is over half water. Mine like to lap the water too.
Comment by Kat ~ >" — May 29, 2007 @ 3:00 pm
Trudy - it’s a test for Albumin in the blood - an early sign of kidney damage and failure. Good luck.
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 3:08 pm
They do not need to sentence the drug regulator to death. It will not solve the problem. Again, the chinese are being duplicitous bad actors. They need to quit trying to deliberately corner the market on EVERY product that exists, by lowballing prices until all competition is bankrupted.
The only reason they can lowball that much is that they are adulterating their products, for one thing. I want safe food from China. Maybe killing a Government official for such a thing really is cool and rings the bell of the average chinese person. It horrifies me.
I don’t want to live in a society that behaves that way on a regular basis, I don’t want to trade with a country that behaves that way, and I am continuing to eliminate anything chinese from my food supply personally.
I honestly don’t think China could be a viable trading partner for food in the next 50-100 years, given how backwards they wish to remain socially and morally.
Comment by TC — May 29, 2007 @ 3:12 pm
Blood Panel test for BUN & creatine levels + some are doing urine sampling.
I think she wanted symptoms described from someone who had a dog that had been sick. We were grazed by the bullet. All were drinking water heavily, lethargy, throwing up. That’s what mine did — before the recall. I switched immediately.
Comment by Kat ~ >" — May 29, 2007 @ 3:15 pm
Oh-Boy, Goodie!i only hope it’s televised?
(so when do we “takeout” menu foods?
i just love a good lynching;~)
beware you corrupto corporate scum?
your day is comming
i’d take all that illicit cash and flee to another country, ‘cause sure as the sun rise your gonna recieve from what you’v given?
Comment by johnypaycut — May 29, 2007 @ 3:18 pm
TC - from what I’ve read — one of the drugs he passed killed 10 people. He’s taken bribes along the line & killed innocent people along the way. It is like drunken vehicular homicide. You don’t intend to kill someone when you drive drunk, but if you do — you are going to pay the price.
He chose his misdeeds. I know how you feel. I was shocked last night when I read that at 1:30 thiis morning. But, his greed killed people. I think he was already in trouble when the pet food crap started. I remember seeing an article at least 6 weeks back about him being removed from office & taken to jail. They have a swift system over there. I suspect those 2 at Xouzhou & Binzhou will end with the same fate.
Comment by Kat ~ >" — May 29, 2007 @ 3:21 pm
GARBAGE in stuffed animals????!!!!!!!!
yes folks, according to a story Lou just did on the imports, they’ve been puttin’ garbage in stuffed animals . . .
can you hear screams from brooklyn?!
Comment by straybaby — May 29, 2007 @ 3:27 pm
Comment by Kat ~ >” — May 29, 2007 @ 3:21 pm
also the infant formula *incident* happened under his watch.
it looks like China is now *really* being looked at as a global trade problem. they may just have to adjust. they’ve sent tainted products to enough countries that, while we still have issues with them, it’s going to be a global strong arm for reform, not just a US/China *issue*.
Comment by straybaby — May 29, 2007 @ 3:31 pm
Tc,
in a few years china will be so polluted, hot and dry from global warming that they won’t be able to feed their own 1 billion people?
i’d start my own crops? (im already working on this).
you need to think surival here.. forget china,
the corporations have it all figured out. they
encourage china to industrailise , pollute it’s
ecology , buy the produce, the masses starve when the enviorment no longer supports agriculture , and they move on?
what we need to do is to focus on feeding america , utilise our land for crops.. grow food , and stay out of the way of other countrys.
lesson ? “capitalism is cruel”.
Comment by johnypaycut — May 29, 2007 @ 3:32 pm
ABC News lead with the Federal Quarantine news. He knew he had it. He’d been medically advised not to take his trip, but did. It took a couple of weeks to get the strain test back, then they found out he’d left the country. The Fed’s tracked him down in NYC !!
My guess is he was taken to Atl because that’s were the CDC is.
THIS IS SERIOUS!! IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE ON ANY OF THOSE FLIGHTS - THEY MUST BE TESTED!!
Comment by Kat ~ >" — May 29, 2007 @ 3:38 pm
Comment by johnypaycut — May 29, 2007 @ 3:18 pm HAHA! Maybe if they leave the country & fly over the Bermuda Triangle they’ll get all turned around & end up in China — they’ll take care of them! They ain’t to health conscious, but they are swift in regards to shame.
Comment by Kat ~ >" — May 29, 2007 @ 3:41 pm
Ticocats May 29, 2007 12:28
Thank you for the little birdie that told his own side of the story. That was a good laugh.
Comment by Maudigan — May 29, 2007 @ 4:00 pm
Comment by straybaby — May 29, 2007 @ 3:31 pm
If that happened on his watch — I wanna buy a ticket to go watch!
Comment by Kat ~ >" — May 29, 2007 @ 4:00 pm
Comment by Maudigan — May 29, 2007 @ 11:47 am
I caught Hubbard on CNN today too and wished he was still working for the FDA. When asked (I’m paraphrasing here, to the best of my memory) if our food was basically safe or if we should be worried, Hubbard responded that he was worried now. Said he hopes the pet deaths would be the thing that brings about needed funding for the FDA so they can do their jobs better, that he hopes it won’t take a massive number of human deaths as a result of poisoned food.
Comment by slt — May 29, 2007 @ 4:16 pm
It’s a media show trail non-event. Corruption is so rampant in communist China they could take just about any offical and find him/her guilty in a fair trial. China is simply trying to tone down the heat. This will have no effect on food quality or drug quality or children’s toys with lead in them or …
China routinely hands out the death penalty for many crimes. It has by far the highest rate of capital punishment in the world. And what about the thousands or tens of thousands that died in Bengladesh and Panama from triethylene glycol poisoning - many of them children. The Chinese companies that shipped the poison probably just changed names and moved on.
The pet food companies and our do-nothing federal no-regulators are probably happy to see a little of the focus put on a death sentence in China. A little drama to take some heat off the domestic scandal.
This “sentence”, this Chinese photo op changes nothing.
Comment by MFEMFEM — May 29, 2007 @ 4:20 pm
I am just sooo skeptical these days. That TB guy is really bugging be. It’s just too weird of a story. He has a RARE form of TB. How did he get THAT? Then, he had PERSONAL REASONS to travel to 4 countries by air & who knows where else he went. Then, end up in one of the largest cities in the world — NYC, spreading his germs — of a resistent-type TB?
I blame the airlines for letting someone sick onboard those flights! A person with TB is hacking, coughing (sometimes coughing up blood) & it’s obvious they are sick. With recycled air in the plane cabins… good GOD!!!
I guess we’ll see what they release in a few days.
Him knowingly getting on a trans-atlantic flight & contaminating 1000’s of people in his little person journey is criminal!
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 4:41 pm
Here’s the CDC News Alert today:
http://www2a.cdc.gov/HAN/Archi.....tNum=00261
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 4:50 pm
Would justice be served if China cleaned their act up, set up a stringent testing system and turned back the US products?
They’d have a lot of economic power to flex their muscles then.
We’ve let our ability to produce go to hell in a hand basket. They’ve got it. Think They’ll use it?
..Not to mention the reports of their missles that came out on the heels of their leaving the US to return to China.
Comment by Ann H — May 29, 2007 @ 4:53 pm
Ann, oh that is just so terrible. Shameful. This guy knew he had it and went on those trips?
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 5:02 pm
Lou Dobbs did a very good job and took air time to really comment about the contaminated food and other products coming in from China. There is a poll at CNN/Lou Dobbs about who we think should be held responsible about the bad products coming into the US from China. I think that the corporations/companys should be held liable for bring the junk into the US. We know that the gov isn’t doing the testing that they should be. If the companys were liable and actually had to face jail time and/or big fines then they would be more willing too straiten out their part in all this mess.
Comment by Cathy B Oregon — May 29, 2007 @ 5:02 pm
I wonder how much of their products are good. Do we know what % of food ingredients etc. from China are safe and worry free?
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 5:05 pm
My post from 10 mins ago still hasn’t shown up.
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 5:31 pm
I answered Linda’s post about the safety of China food. Wonder where that post went?
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 5:32 pm
Kat, you KNOW where missing posts go. They get trapped in the spam filter. Christie and I clear them when we get a chance.
That said, I accidentally deleted the post in question when I cleaned out the spam, so post again. It’ll probably end up the filters, but I’ll check later and clear it.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 29, 2007 @ 5:45 pm
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 5:05 pm
“I wonder how much of their products are good. Do we know what % of food ingredients etc. from China are safe and worry free?”
Food from China good - Russian roulette with 5 bullets in the cylinder.
Comment by MFEMFEM — May 29, 2007 @ 5:47 pm
We have to fight for what’s right and everyone here is doing such a good job of it. Sometimes it all seems too much but I know it must be done, not just for our food now and for our pets but for our children and grandchildren too.
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 5:55 pm
Straybaby & kat- The Aquafina bottled is Houston tap water.
Comment by Leslie k — May 29, 2007 @ 6:11 pm
ah, it’s been too long ago. That post didn’t even have a link on it. Just my little rant.
I don’t even remember all of it.
It was about the 1.3% of all the imports being tested & with China’s high incidence of rejects it was a gamble.
There is a new game in town: Chinese Roulette, the rules are “buyer beware”.
(But, I like MFEMFEM’s post better.)
Anyway — that post was longer, but that’s about all I remember.
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 6:36 pm
**********This TB guy is really suspicious. He’s spread a treatment a rare & exceptionally dangerous form of TB all over the place – Atlanta, Paris, Prague, Montreal then drove back into the U.S.
This is the first US quarantine since 1963!
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 1:22 pm
Kat - first re the above, I just heard about the TB guy. News said he had been “asked” to self quarantine, and the first thing he did was hop a flight across the ocean. Reminds of me the FDA and their requests for “voluntary” compliance on life/death issues - it isn’t working for them, and whatever agency asked for this also got zip for follow through. Planes full of people,everytime he switched to another flight to another destination, exposed to Mr. Uber Deadly Drug Resistant TB.
As to the Chinese drug regulator/soon to be dead guy: I may have the time sequence incorrect on this - if he had what I consider real justice and a trial, mea culpa. Sounded initially to me like he was rushed through the process, which means the outcome is suspect. But I see it may have pre-dated this melamine scandal. It isn’t the death penalty that bothers me, just that to administer the ultimate penalty means the level of certainty and fairness better be extremely high. Barring a confession that wasn’t beat out of someone, I usually don’t have that high a certainty factor anymore.
And in this case, I don’t think it does anything to solve the problems the Chinese face. They gotta change their way of doing business. I really don’t think they have changed one bit.
Comment by TC — May 29, 2007 @ 6:36 pm
Comment by Maudigan — May 29, 2007 @ 12:19 pm
“correction pet owner, not pat. Sorry all the Pats.”
{giggle!} Yeah - there are a few of us, aren’t there? That’s why I began to clarify myself as “The OTHER Pat”!
Comment by The OTHER Pat — May 29, 2007 @ 6:37 pm
I don’t know if this link will work. I have an online subscription to Consumer Reports. From January 2005 “You are what they eat”
http://www.consumerreports.org...../index.htm
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 6:39 pm
Trudy, here’s the website of the test for microalbumin:
http://www.heska.com/erd/faq.asp
Comment by The OTHER Pat — May 29, 2007 @ 6:42 pm
TC - He knew he had TB, but didn’t know it was the extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis - XDR-TB. That variation responds to none of the 4 medications to treat TB.
Anyway, the ABC news said he had gone against medical advice, then after they did all the lab work & it came back this rare form, they went to look for him & found he’d left the country.
That’s when they started looking for him & found him in NYC !! There is a 30% survival rate. He has infected thousands of people. Who knows what he did in those 11 days from Paris to Praque.
This is VERY SERIOUS!
About the Chinese Ag Minister. I agree it is a hasty trial. All I know about his quilt is what I’ve read. You are right, for a death penalty, it had better be conclusive evidence.
Plus, those two Chinese manager’s of the melamine contamination to already have been deemed “guilty” at their arrests — so the articles said.
Justice appears to be swift over there. They have vague, minimal laws, but if you violate something it’s hell to pay!
Who knows what type of court system the Chinese have — if any. They WERE crude warriors — and they are STILL crude warriors.
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 7:02 pm
Rose - how barbaric.
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 7:02 pm
Sometimes I’d like our justice to be a little swifter but this seems a bit too extreme - scary place to live.
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 7:05 pm
Kimberly Dozier’s on CBS. She’s a journalist and survivor of a roadside bomb in Baghdad. She lost nearly all her blood.
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 7:07 pm
Thanks Kat - yes a big gamble uh!
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 7:13 pm
I’m probably in the minority and pardon me upfront if I anger anyone. I really don’t give a rat’s sweet patootee about this guy. Only means one less cheating, money-grubbing rat. What is THE most important issue to all of us is whether we are seeing any progress at all towards having safe food to feed our pets. Do we know this. Do we know this is happening now. Safe food for our pets.
Comment by VJ — May 29, 2007 @ 7:21 pm
johnnypaycut - I am raising my own beef on grass, gonna get chickens, have gardened my whole life, and will be planting berry vines and fruit trees too. What I buy will be local if possible; if not, we can do it all from here. My parents and grandparents did this, and passed on some knowledge (I still have some new skills to learn and practice). And I have done this before, back in my late 20s and early 30s, so nothing new.
Except my gray hair, ha ha:)
Comment by TC — May 29, 2007 @ 7:24 pm
Kat - I am often disappointed in our legal system (of which I worked in for years), until I see what everyone else in the world has in the way of justice. I don’t mean to excuse the bad stuff in our system, but at least we are worlds ahead of others in this respect, and of course, we can always improve things without losing our heads in the process, lol:)
The TB guy and the rammifications scare the snot out of me as well. Big time.
Comment by TC — May 29, 2007 @ 7:30 pm
:) Linda - the original post was longer, but I’m too tired to even remember half of it.
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 7:30 pm
Here’s the CDC Health Alert Network Alert from today about the TB guy:
http://www2a.cdc.gov/HAN/Archi.....tNum=00261
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 7:32 pm
Thanks Kat, I get the picture.
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 7:50 pm
I have heard China has a thriving organ donor program, and the executions are scheduled to provide organs.
Comment by Elaine — May 29, 2007 @ 7:54 pm
Good can come from evil - as long as they are not killing to harvest the organs! Choosing certain blood types first etc…ummm….
Comment by Linda — May 29, 2007 @ 7:57 pm
And the bigger question is where did the TB guy originally become infected? How many other people were infected in the same way, near or at the same time as he, and have been unknowingly running around with it, also infecting others? Are they loose anywhere out there in public today, yet undiagnosed?
Comment by Nadine Long — May 29, 2007 @ 8:05 pm
Here’s a reply from P&G to my complaints about their animal testing policy,and their pathetic aproach to the pet food poisonings.
Do we all feel better now?
Lorna
Thank you for contacting us.
P&G has ended research involving animals on all our finished consumer products except when required by law. We use non-animal alternatives first. We’ll only use animal testing when there are no other reasonable options.
In our Healthcare business, we’re focused on developing innovative medicines that improve people’s lives. Current regulatory standards require animal research while developing these medications. It’s our policy to use the minimum number of animals necessary while working toward our goal of the reduction and replacement of animals. We continue to identify screening techniques that are acceptable to global regulatory groups to take the place of animal tests in the earliest phase of drug discovery.
Through our pet care and nutrition products, we help dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives. We feed our foods first to dogs and cats to help us develop nutrition that delivers true health benefits to millions of pets worldwide. We make sure the dogs and cats we work with receive the best care. We treat them as if they’re our own pets. They are adopted into loving homes or placed in our retirement facility when their help is no longer needed. At the same time, we’re working hard on alternatives to find even better ways of getting these results and eliminating the need for additional research with other animals.
We’d rather use alternative test methods. Not only is the use of animals avoided, but reliable alternative tests generally cost less and take less time than animal research. We’d like to be able to eliminate animal research on ingredients in consumer products altogether, and we’re making progress. We’ve invested over $190 million in alternatives, making us an industry leader. We’ve helped develop over 50 alternative methods and have shared our work in over 300 scientific publications. We’re also working with the FDA and respected animal welfare groups, such as the Humane Society of the United States, to work on reforming regulations and validating alternative methods. To learn more, check out our website at http://www.pg.com/science/animal_alt.jhtml
Please feel free to contact us again via the Contact Us page on pgbrands.com or by calling 800-332-7787.
Vicki Christakos
Procter and Gamble Professional
Customer Contact Center
http://www.pgbrands.com
Comment by Lorna — May 29, 2007 @ 8:11 pm
Linda said ‘as long as they are not killing to harvest the organs!’
It would not surprise me to learn that the Chinese are creating for the world market their very own highly profitable, volume sales organ donor program. I can visualize the Alibaba sales promo ad copy as I write this.
Comment by Nadine Long — May 29, 2007 @ 8:14 pm
TC~ I’m a skeptical person these days & that TB guy has really scares the pa-jeeebers out of me too!
At first I was thinking a plot — rare form, maybe from a lab; but then I read that is a mutant.
Mutations come from people not taking their medications. The germs mutate & develop into strains that do not react to that medication, that is it becomes resistant to that medication. This strain is resistant to all 5 (said 4 earlier, but it’s 5) drugs used to treat TB.
This variation is deadly, so he has nothing to lose. How can they determine if this was an intentional act when this person will very probably die soon.
Incubation for TB is less than a week. If people have been infected it will be showing up soon. They really should be blasting his photo all over the place. No one knows if they sat near him or at a restaurant with him, or drove him somewhere in a cab. What about the car from Montreal? Was it a rental? All those people too. Every stop along the way.
According to the State of GA: http://health.state.ga.us/pdfs......fs.02.pdf
“Incubation Period: It takes 2-10 weeks after TB infection before it can be detected by the
tuberculin skin test. TB disease can develop
very soon after infection or many years after
infection if LTBI is not treated. In the United
States, about 5% of persons who have been
recently infected with M. tuberculosis will
develop disease in the first two years after
infection. Another 5% will develop disease
later in their lives.”
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 8:19 pm
ahhhhhhhhhh! Just killed 2 scorpions !!
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 8:30 pm
many thanks for that info, Kat, and the links too.
I thought I had a vague recollection of a guy in maybe Phoenix, AZ, who had some form of TB and I thought they were threatening some kind of formal isolation unless he agreed to certain things. Does that sound familiar, and if so, is this guy from GA a different case?
I need to look this up online, because now I am really curious. I remember it because I was wondering about the state and fed quarantine powers in general. Of which I still know zip.
Comment by TC — May 29, 2007 @ 8:36 pm
TC: When the ABC News Alert came in this afternoon, that guy was who I thought of first. He had a treatment resistant strain too. I remember him locked up.
I’ll look too.
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 8:47 pm
AZ & Montreal men in jail for TB exposing others:
Man in lockdown for exposing others to TB
PHOENIX, May 2 (UPI) — An Arizona man with tuberculosis is being kept in a hospital jail ward for going out in public without a mask and not taking his medication.
Robert Daniels, 27, has been confined to the fourth floor jail ward of Maricopa County Medical Center in Phoenix since August, the Los Angeles Times said Thursday.
The newspaper said Daniels suffers from a drug-resistant form of tuberculosis. The hospital said the only secure place to keep him is in the jail ward
Daniels, who has not committed a crime, admits he went out in public without a mask and forgot to take his medication at times. He said he is willing to stay in the hospital for treatment but wants to be housed in a regular room.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona has said it would file a motion to compel his release.
Daniels, a U.S. citizen born in the former Soviet Union, was raised in Arizona but returned to Russia 10 years ago. The newspaper said Daniels returned to Arizona last year in hope of getting better medical care.
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 8:49 pm
What is THE most important issue to all of us is whether we are seeing any progress at all towards having safe food to feed our pets. Do we know this. Do we know this is happening now. Safe food for our pets.
Comment by VJ — May 29, 2007 @ 7:21 pm
I agree.
I think all pet food companies are still at as much risk as before from contaminated ingredients. Some of the more progressive ones are testing for the contaminant flavor of the month, but what about the next things that dishonest sellers decide to throw out into the market? The Chinese, for example, send contaminated food items in containers under different names, so that they won’t be tested. They put poison in an ingredient, call it something other than what it is, list a price, and our companies buy it.
I hold the people put the poison into the product the most responsible. I read articles where the chinese interviewed said it was just no big deal because these poisons are not outlawed in their country, so tough toenails, it is NO big deal. Well, sorry, I call it criminal in my country.
I hold any mfg’r similarly liable IF they know or have reason to know by virtue of inside knowledge or maybe low price (though I don’t think that is a sure fire indicator that poison is contained in a product) that they are purchasing a tainted ingredient.
But if you don’t know what to test for, and the country you buy from is using many things that are either outlawed in your country, or okay under their law, and they lie & claim the product is free of other substances, well, I don’t know how to hold anyone liable for that, other than the people directly doing the deed. At that point, the only responsible thing is to do what I have done personally - do NOT use products from that country until something verifiable and real is done to change things, and for a prolonged period.
Since the Chinese still do biz the same way, and we do biz with them, and our companies have plants there, and our FDA still can’t mandatorily ban things or recall things or even check a useful amount of the imports from suspect countries - no, I don’t think pet food is safe.
We are just waiting for the next crisis, in the form of a new and improved adulteration that will harm more pets.
Comment by TC — May 29, 2007 @ 8:50 pm
Link to article above:
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/S.....ers_to_tb/
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 8:50 pm
Thanks Kat, much faster on the draw than I. So we have two drug resistant TB dudes that we know of, with one deciding to take some people with him for the ride.
Comment by TC — May 29, 2007 @ 8:54 pm
Different guy in Montreal. 2000 article:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story.....01128.html
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 8:55 pm
There are a lot more treatment resistant people out there. Don’t give a flying flip about the next person.
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 9:00 pm
Okay, and also the AZ guy comes back from a 10 year stay in his country of birth, Russia, supposedly because of our better medical care. But the reason he is jailed is that he just keeps “forgetting” to take his meds. Eww. If I were reading any Clancy spy stuff, I would have a few theories on that.
Comment by TC — May 29, 2007 @ 9:02 pm
Here’s another one in jail:
http://www.boston.com/news/loc.....e_tb_drug/
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 9:05 pm
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 8:19 pm
coming in over the Canadian Border bothered me. Especially since he came to NYC, Hello!, direct flight anyone?! I haven’t kept up since the earlier news alerts, but I will say, news alerts and Canadian borders perks my ears up :-/
I always said, much happier working at home. One of the ‘small’ perks is NOT riding the subway. Some days, that’s a pretty nice one, but I usually attribute those days to cold and flu season . . .
Comment by straybaby — May 29, 2007 @ 9:07 pm
And, yet another:
Calif. Officials Jail Farmworker With TB.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Financial Times Ltd.
(From AP Online)
A man health officials believe infected 56 people with tuberculosis was jailed for refusing an order to be quarantined.
Feliciano Morelos, 19, a farmworker from Oaxaca state in Mexico, was being held in a jail cell equipped with special air filters so other inmates do not…
There’s one from Durham, NC…
HERE’S THE YAHOO SEARCH RESULT PAGE FOR “MAN IN JAIL WITH TB” - there’s a bunch:
http://search.yahoo.com/search.....0with%20TB
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 9:12 pm
His flight back was from Prague, Czech. That’s a country neighboring Russia, on Russia’s west side, if I remember correctly. I don’t have a world map handy…
It’s all WAY to strange. I think it’s intentional.
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 9:16 pm
If it was intentional Paris & NYC are great places to do a LOT of damage! Montreal is pretty big too, I think. A guy out on a stroll, having a coughing good time as a bio-terrorist!
When I’m at the store, if someone coughs in the isle I’m in, I hold my breath & get away as fast as my cart can go.
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 9:21 pm
straybaby - you a New York kitty cat?
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 9:22 pm
Not to be too contrary to the potential of a deliberate plan, but the TB guy really could just be stupid.
Where humans are involved I never underestimate the power of ignorance.
It is not that they don’t care about the next person, they just don’t realize the potential scope of what they do.
Of course it could be bioterrorism, not ruling anything out this early.
As accurate as I know the news can be, all we know is that someone with TB was on a few planes and in a few cities. We only know that because the CDC told them. Any further embellishment is likely all over the map, rumor, what the reporter thought they heard, utter nonsence, editorial embellishment, and the list could go on and on… ;)
Comment by steve a — May 29, 2007 @ 9:23 pm
I’ve posted the CDC Health Net Alert. It’s pretty detailed.
The AZ was still locked up on 4-3-07:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/157492
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 9:33 pm
Here’s a new article about the TB FLIGHT man. Now, they’re saying they found him in Rome & NOT to take a commercial flight, but he did.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/s.....TE=DEFAULT
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 9:42 pm
— typos — The CDC located him in ROME & told him NOT to take a commercial plane — again — and he did.
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 9:46 pm
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 9:22 pm
I’m 5 NYC kitties and 1 NYC Dal ;)
the dude is prob innocent of anything and was just doing his own thing, but i have a certain level of jadedness about me that wasn’t there in, say Aug ‘01. Normally my first thought would have *not* been “Why didn’t he fly to NYC? Why drive in from Canada?!”
I’ll have to catch up on the news, but for now, must finish a couple work pieces :)
Comment by straybaby — May 29, 2007 @ 9:53 pm
OK> have a nice nite!
AP / NY Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponlin.....ref=slogin
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 10:02 pm
It is a good point - I too firmly believe in the power of ignorance. Been alive far too long to discount its popularity:)
I am now surprised at how many instances have occurred, so I regretfully must leave the realm of Clancy’s plots.
Comment by TC — May 29, 2007 @ 10:08 pm
straybaby - wow, you are in NYC, AND you found a CSA that you buy your produce from? Okay, I know there is an upstate NY (been there a long time ago) but that is cool that you can access such a thing despite your metro location.
One more thing - you spoke so fondly of your KA ice cream bowl, that I bought a Cuisinart model (cheaper). Made chocolate almond fudge ice cream today & dh is delirious with happiness. I found a recipe for my fav pecan caramel, and better, peppermint ice cream. Normally only available in limited quantities around the holidays, now soon to be available at the TC ranch year round:)
Comment by TC — May 29, 2007 @ 10:14 pm
His wife went with him on the trip. She tested neg for TB prior to the trip.
I can’t believe how blatantly he disregarded the GA & CDC officials. Reuter’s has a good article too with a bit of new info.
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 10:16 pm
http://www.reuters.com/article.....7420070529
Nite, TC, et al!
Comment by Kat — May 29, 2007 @ 10:19 pm
Nite back at ya’all too:)
Comment by TC — May 29, 2007 @ 10:23 pm
hey TC!
yeah, I was surprised they came down here! there’s a couple of farms that come down to my hood and others that handle the other areas of the city. we do have a great farmers market or 3, and I thought that is what i was going to rely on full time. The Mayor has been making sure to work with the nyc green market group though, and even if the CSA’s didn’t come in, the green markets have expanded so all hoods (and economic levels) will have fresh produce and such available at a decent price. and in my hood especially, the grocers and such have been growing the green availability over the 15 yrs i’ve been here, so i have options. and competitive pricing :) still higher than reg, but they can’t go all out on us ;) i also have a small Saturday market in the park, 7ish blocks away. and when you own a dalmatian, that’s a VERY short walk!!!
so glad you are enjoying the ice cream!i found a recipe for homemade Bailey’s! I will be making that up tomorrow and the only non organic ingredient will be the Irish whiskey, lol!~ and then it will be used in Mudslide Ice cream! I got the Ben n’ Jerry’s ice cream book. also has brownie and other recipes. Can’t wait to make ice cream with the organic chocolate syrup i found last night (YUM! on the syrup!!!) and some homemade Baileys! Maybe by the end of the summer I’ll weigh enough to meet the FDA’s 132lb safe from Melamine and Friends risk assessment stats! lol!~
ok, really gonna work now!
Comment by straybaby — May 29, 2007 @ 10:33 pm
Ahhhh homemade ice cream - sooooo wonderful.
Can’t believe that creepy guy with the TB. Now he is a dangerous person, total disregard for others. I’ve never liked flying, planes are okay, but being in close quarters with so many strangers and shared ventilation - their sickness becomes yours.
But this - this is senseless and the man is a criminal - a walking bio terrorist lab.
Comment by Linda — May 30, 2007 @ 5:45 am
Here’s a good one. NJ is starting an agency to battle “fat” - they need an agency to spread the word on how toxic our food is - people might stop eating:
http://tinyurl.com/yvevlx
Comment by Linda — May 30, 2007 @ 5:48 am
Remember the book the “HOT ZONE” about the Ebola Virus - plagues are only a plane ride away -
true story!
Comment by Linda — May 30, 2007 @ 6:01 am
The guy with the TB is in jail and I heard that from a family member.
Comment by Jill — May 30, 2007 @ 6:04 am
Jill - good and I hope he’s isolated - probably the only way to stop him from walking about - solitary confinement with an air hose.
Comment by Linda — May 30, 2007 @ 6:15 am
Kat 8:19 May 29th - you just killed 2 scorpions - are they the small deadly kind? I wrote a story of a woman living in the desert and in the beginning she almost ate one - almost - stuck in her butter dish - just watch out for your butter.
Comment by Linda — May 30, 2007 @ 6:22 am
Chinese stocks dropping today. ummmm
Comment by Maudigan — May 30, 2007 @ 7:28 am
Here’s the lastest news on stocks dropping in China.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/.....refer=home
Comment by Maudigan — May 30, 2007 @ 7:37 am
Re: Fat.
I have long thought that if we could spread the word that melamine is fattening, the media would care.
And btw … Chinese stocks dropped today not because of food issues, but because the gov’t acted to cool the rising market by tripling the tax on stock trades.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 30, 2007 @ 7:39 am
Actually, putting government officials to death for corruption doesn’t strike me as all that bad an idea.
Comment by Don — May 30, 2007 @ 9:10 am
Linda: I have the Hot Zone! Really a powerful book & scary!
About the scorpions - the ones we have here are not the more poisonous ones. Those are found in NV, AZ, NM. I’m in TX. We have the *striped bark scorpion, Centruroides vittatus*.
In fact, we’ve had so many scorpions out here we named our place “Rancho de eScorpiones” or Ranch of Scorpions! ahhhhh! I’ve been counting them for 6.5 yrs. We’re up to *738* .
We didn’t find many last year, but they are out in force this year! One stung Simon (my big dog) on the nose a few weeks ago. He had a big lump for a week or so. The cats get stung too. Everything will be all nice & quiet, then “meewwwrrroooooow!” one of them has gotten stung outside. The cats have never had much of a reaction as far as swelling. I read last year somewhere that cats are fairly resistant to the toxin.
For several years after we moved out here I would go out at night with my black light (they fluoresce)
Jack Jackman is at Texas A & M (TAMU) as an entomologist. I used to send him my scorpion count & photos. I found a false catydid eating a scorpion & sent it to him. He didn’t know they were a preditor. Here’s his report on scorpions (no photo): http://insects.tamu.edu/extens.....-1678.html
Here’s another interesting website about them & natural ways to control: http://www.thebestcontrol.com/.....rpions.htm
PetHobbyist/InsectHobbyist has a great photo:
http://gallery.pethobbyist.com/?photo=43894
That’s what we have — eeeeeeekkkks!!
Comment by Kat — May 30, 2007 @ 9:54 am
Hi again, I’m the one who had the sick dog. the little doxie. well, He threw-up all last night. all night We were up with Him, and He drank a lot of water. I took Him to the vets first thing this morning. They are running all kinds of tests and blood work. They are keeping him hydrated, He was just starting to get dehydrated. I’ll let you know what I find out. I am so scared. After losing the cats, I can’t take anymore.
Comment by Trudy Jackson — May 30, 2007 @ 10:52 am
Hong Kong doesn’t mess around with “pork of dubious origin”, whatever that is! Maybe dog meat! Or???
Arrests follow intercept of suspicious pork
Chris Harris, Editor
Bryan Salvage, Editorial Director
Meat News
May 30, 2007
HONG KONG: Questionable pork missing official papers seized by the authorities.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Customs and Excise Department in Hong Kong conducted a joint operation on May 25 and seized about 450 kilogrammes of pork suspected of dubious origin.
The officers intercepted a private car at the Lok Ma Chau Control Point about 7 a.m. and found 17 bags of pork without health certificates. Two men arrested during the operation were assisting investigation.
A Food and Environmental Health Department spokesman said that under the Imported Game, Meat and Poultry Regulations of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, it was an offence to bring into Hong Kong any meat and poultry without an official certificate. The maximum penalty is a fine of $50,000 and six months’ imprisonment.
He said the department would continue to closely monitor the sale of meat at retail level and take stringent enforcement action to safeguard food safety and public health.
meatnews.com
Comment by Elaine — May 30, 2007 @ 11:13 am
Trudy, I’ll keep him in my thoughts; what is his name, if you don’t mind telling? Whatever it may turn out to be, I’m sorry you have to be afraid. I didn’t know you lost your 3 cats. I was saddened and felt for you when I did read that elsewhere. It’s OK to be scared. You’ve been through a lot, so much more than most, you and E. and unfortunately, probably others; to lose a so many pets in just one family, it’s far beyond my ability to understand. It could have happened to us here; they all eat the same food, only one actually got sick, he survived, somehow. But there are 7 of them altogether and it could have been, well you know. You do know, that’s the thing. You know the pain and suffering and your huge loss; I feel for you. I’m truly sorry from the bottom of my heart. Let us know how he comes out, OK?
Comment by Peggy (AKA: Big Fat Momma Cat) — May 30, 2007 @ 11:24 am
Oh Trudy, please keep us posted.
I sure hope your little guy gets better soon!
Comment by The OTHER Pat — May 30, 2007 @ 11:56 am
Oh Kat, how terrible. All I worry about is maybe a flea or two, don’t have many, and then heart worm and haven’t had problems with that either.
Gads, if I had to fight scorpions I’d be freaked…
Comment by Linda — May 30, 2007 @ 12:16 pm
Oh Trudy. So sorry to hear. You are in our prayers.
Comment by Linda — May 30, 2007 @ 12:20 pm
Oh. My. Dog.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/w.....-van_x.htm
Comment by The OTHER Pat — May 30, 2007 @ 2:07 pm
Harvesting Organs - no bullets - makes sense to me.
Comment by Linda — May 30, 2007 @ 4:18 pm
Comment by Trudy Jackson — May 30, 2007 @ 10:52 am
Trudy~ many have said that the animals who received the IV’s the soonest had the best chance of survival. I wish him great success!
We had a great Dachshund when we were growing up. Four kids. He counted us when we came in the door, if the whole family had been out. Chico was his name. He got into loco weed in OK twice. Great family dog. They are strong dogs.
What food was he on? Other’s may have had trouble too. Are you able to get it tested?
I am so sorry, Trudy!
Comment by Kat — May 30, 2007 @ 5:49 pm
RE: Comment by The OTHER Pat — May 30, 2007 @ 2:07 pm
all i can say is *”!! GOOD GOD, ALMIGHTY !!”*
Comment by Kat — May 30, 2007 @ 5:53 pm
If China’s reasoning for the public display of traveling death vans & death squads is to deter crime — that theory is failing.
Tax evasion? Drug smuggling? Reasons for death??
“Sixty-eight different crimes — more than half non-violent offenses such as tax evasion and drug smuggling — are punishable by death in China. That means the death vans are likely to keep rolling.”
Comment by Kat — May 30, 2007 @ 5:58 pm
WOW!!!!!……I am just so relieved that China is taking action against this guy!….WOW!!….NOT!!!!
Is it just me…or does this look like a country that’s just trying to save face before the 2008 Olympics?….Yup!!!
I have been posting since April on various sites that the Olympics should be boycotted in China…and moved to a country with already existing Olympic facilities from past Olympics!
This to me, is so transparent that it makes me want to hurl! After the Olympics are over…and China’s made a sh*t-load of money…then what? That government has NO regard for ANY life….here or there! As long as their wallets are stuffed…they’ll just keep on doing what they’ve been doing for many years….making money off poisoning us.
Duano:….as far as I’m concerned you’re not much better! What an arrogant piece of work you are! Encouraging everyone that evrything’s A-OK…back to life as usual!…what a scum-bag!
What about criminal charges here?….I suppose evryone here is off the hook? I hope people stay strong and never let these dirt-bags off for their parts in this tragedy!!!….or should we be expecting a shipment of Anthrax or Smallpox to arrive in our ports undetected due to lack of inspectors?…..Well, how ‘bout getting the Hell out of Iraq…taking the 2 billion that’s being spent there weekly…and put it towards more efficient inspecting?
OK folks…..I’ve probably said too much! Just had to vent!
Time to walk the dogs….as I’m one of the “lucky” ones to be able to still do so after this disgusting debacle!….oooops!!!…There I go again!…I’ll stop now……as my keyboard is smokin’!!!!!!
Deanna
Comment by Deanna — June 1, 2007 @ 1:14 pm
Ummmmm…..I don’t know where all those boxes with the “x’s” came from….as they were typed in as exclamation marks.
Comment by Deanna — June 1, 2007 @ 1:25 pm