Peanut Probe Grows; Feds Trace Salmonella

(NEWSER) - A third of US states do not require testing of the salmonella bacteria involved in reported illnesses, possibly hampering national efforts to identify outbreaks, MSNBC reports. If testing were mandatory, proponents say, a strain’s widespread dissemination could be more quickly identified and the source more easily pinpointed. But states without mandatory testing say their methods are just as effective and more economical. More»

(NEWSER) - The latest victim of the nationwide salmonella outbreak is the Peanut Corporation of America, which filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy today, the Lynchburg News & Advance reports. “Given the events of the past month, including the broad-based recalls, the company has no alternative but to cease operations,” a lawyer for the scandal-plagued firm said. More»

People warned to throw out packets in salmonella scare

(NEWSER) - FEMA food kits given to storm victims in Arkansas and Kentucky may have contained peanut butter contaminated with salmonella, CNN reports. The kits came from a company hit by a nationwide recall following a salmonella outbreak. FEMA warns that anyone who received a meal kit should immediately throw away any included packets of peanut butter. More»

FDA, Justice Dept. team up for investigation of Georgia peanut plant

(NEWSER) - The federal government has begun a criminal investigation into the peanut-driven salmonella outbreak, after it was revealed that a supplier shipped product that initially tested positive for the bacteria, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The House has called representatives from two testing labs, which certified negative results, to testify. Peanut Corp. of America denies it “sought favorable results from any lab.” More»

'We're lucky,' but drug-resistant bacteria lie in wait, experts warn

(NEWSER) - The ongoing salmonella outbreak has sickened hundreds of people and played a part in eight deaths, and that's the good news, experts tell MSNBC. The strain in question responds to the standard treatment, but other varieties of the salmonella bacteria have become increasingly resistant to antibiotics in recent decades."This is kind of an alert," says one doctor. "We're lucky this time." More»