Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Got Drugs? St. Louis Officials Would Like Your Unwanted Prescription Medications

Got drugs? The city of St. Louis wants 'em. In an effort to curb medication abuse, city officials are partnering this week with the St. Louis College of Pharmacy and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to encourage residents to remove "dangerous, unused and unwanted medications" from their ho ... More >>

The Flu Epidemic is Here

Should we put an exclamation mark after that? As in, "The flu epidemic is here!" Last month we only had Christmas to dread. But now you can look forward to a week in bed, in acute misery. The Center for Disease Control has declared it so. In case you're curious, Google has prepared a map of the spr ... More >>

St. Louis: The 23rd Drunkest City In America

We didn't make the top five, ten, fifteen or even twenty, but hey, we weren't left out altogether. According to the Daily Beast, St. Louis ranks 23 in its study and list compiling the 25 "drunkest cities" in America in 2012. Maybe we're a skosh too sensitive, but we're sort of offended by our ranki ... More >>

City of St. Louis Has 2nd Highest Rates of Chlamydia and Gonorrhea in the U.S.

Just looked at the new numbers released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. There's a sliver of good news and some pretty bad news. First, the bad news. Among U.S. counties and independent cities, the city of St. Louis had the second-highest rate of both chlamydia and gonorrhea in the ... More >>

The Great Peanut Recall of '12: What Was THAT About?

On Saturday, September 22, Trader Joe's announced a voluntary recall of its Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter, citing the risk of salmonella contamination. Within days that li'l recall of a single boutique variety of peanut butter revealed itself to be but the tip of the proverbial iceberg, the ... More >>

Peanut-Butter Recall Expanded to Two Years' Worth of Sunland Products

Sunland Inc., the company identified by the FDA and the CDC as the "likely" source of the recent outbreak of salmonella traced to peanut butter, has expanded its voluntary recall of peanut-butter products that it produced at a single plant and then sold under various brand names to include over two ... More >>

Cantaloupe Salmonella Outbreak Strikes 21 States, Including Missouri and Illinois [Updated]

Chamberlin Farm Produce of Owensville, Indiana, has announced a voluntary recall of all of the cantaloupes from this year's growing season after being linked to an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium that has sickened at least 178 people across twenty-one states.

Flight from the Living Dead

Guess Who's Fat? New CDC Data Says There's MO of Us to Love

In an announcement that should surprise no one who mingles with the general public, Missouri has been classified by the Center for Disease Control as one of the heaviest states in the nation. No, don't clap, Shamu. This is bad news.Missouri finished in the top twelve of the heavy-weight states, with ... More >>

Nazi Zombies Definitely Attacked a Road in Chesterfield

After a string of horrific incidents, including the time Miami police had to shoot a man dead to stop him from eating a homeless man's face, the Centers for Disease Control released an official statement denying that the crimes were signs of a zombie apocalypse. The "CDC does not know of a virus or ... More >>

It's a Bug, It's a Pain, It's...Supergonorrhea!

There was much rejoicing last fall when the Center for Disease Control and Prevention released its annual report on sexually-transmitted diseases ranking the prevalence of the disease in U.S. cities and St. Louis came in at number 12. Yes, 12! All the way down from number 1 from the 2007 report. The ... More >>

USDA To Start Testing for Six More Strains of E. coli

Starting Monday, the USDA will begin testing raw beef manufacturing trim for six additional strains of E. coli bacteria, the agency announced yesterday. Raw beef manufacturing trim is the main component in most commercial ground beef. E. coli is the bacteria that makes you really, really sick. Repe ... More >>

Think Antibiotics Can Cure a Sinus Infection? Wash. U. Docs Say 'Snot So

Except for a migraine, there are few things as distractingly painful as a sinus infection. Imagine someone applying several tons of pressure to your face, relentlessly, for days on end. Surely, surely there must be something that can get rid of the pain and the infection, short of cutting your sinus ... More >>

Fight Over Missouri's Cigarette Tax Heats Up; Lung Association Gives State Failing Grade

​Missouri received its annual report card last week from the American Lung Association. The result ain't pretty. The state earned an "F" for tobacco prevention and control (spending just $58,693 last year to prevent tobacco use statewide); an "F" for smoke-free air (with legislators refusing to pa ... More >>

St. Louis: 8th Drunkest City

​St. Louis has made yet another ranking in the Daily Beast, this one for Drunkest Cities in America. According to the list makers at the online magazine, metro St. Louis ranks as the 8th drunkest city in all the land -- nestled between No. 9 San Diego and No. 7 Austin.And why is that? Because rese ... More >>

CDC Identifies Source of E. Coli Outbreak

​Romaine lettuce sold at an area grocery chain and sourced from a specific farm was the source of the E. coli outbreak that sickened dozens in Missouri and several other states earlier this fall, according to a report published yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The report ... More >>

We're No. 2 in Chlamydia, No. 3 in Gonorrhea!

Image viaFolks, please wear more of these. ​St. Louisans are still ridin' durrty - even more than before! According to fresh stats from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, our city has retained its number-two spot in the nation for cases of chlamydia, and vaulted from twelfth to th ... More >>

Cantaloupe Aftermath, St. Louis E. Coli and a Cute Little Frog

Wikimedia CommonsI'm in yur saladz, surviving cuz itz organgic.​Over a month after recalling listeria-contaminated cantaloupes from Jensen Farms in Colorado, the death toll continues to climb. As of Wednesday, 29 people have died from listeria linked to the melons. While a 1985 listeria outb ... More >>

Listeria-Contaminated Rocky Ford Cantaloupes Linked to Deaths [Updated]

Wikimedia CommonsListeria-tainted Rocky Ford cantaloupes have been linked to several deaths.​Update: (Thursday, September 15, 4:05 p.m.) A voluntary recall of Rocky Ford cantaloupes has been issued by Jensen Farms in Colorado because of a possible listeria contamination. The recall includes ca ... More >>

Steven Soderbergh turns the star-studded Hollywood disaster flick on its head

[UPDATED] Pilgrim's Pride Recalls Over 11,000 Pounds of Cooked Chicken

Pilgrim's PrideThe pilgrims aren't too proud, thanks to listeria fears. ​Yesterday we reported that there was a recall on 204 pounds of precooked chicken in Starbucks new Bistro Boxes for possible listeria contamination. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Or the beak of the bird. Yesterday ... More >>

Stupid People Tricks: The raw crawfish conundrum

Get Tested: It's National HIV Testing Day

​Today is National HIV Testing Day. Do you know your status? Are you sure?According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are more than a million people in the U.S. living with HIV. And even though we aren't being bombarded with prevention messages like we were when the disease ... More >>

New Salmonella and E. Coli Outbreaks. Even Celebrities Aren't Immune

Wikimedia CommonsThis little E. coli bacteria continues its reign of terror.​ Although our food contamination issue might not be as bad as the E. coli outbreak gripping Germany, we're still not doing great. The Centers for Disease Control notes in its June issue of Vital Signs that salmonell ... More >>

St. Louis Ranks Second in Kids Killed by Guns

CDC study confirms gun violence is an epidemic.​The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is out with a new study of gun violence in America that shows youth ages 10-19 in St. Louis are three times more likely to die from a bullet than the national average.The study looked at crime data from 2 ... More >>

The Coldest Cut: Eat Your Cold Cuts Hot (With Poll!)

Image viaListeria monocytogenes: Goes well with honey ham, yellow American.​Do you enjoy cold cuts, in sandwich form or, perhaps, eaten directly from the wrapped deli package while standing in front of the fridge 'round midnight? Are you over the age of 50?THEN PUT THOSE COLD CUTS DOWN, MY FRIEND. ... More >>

Bans Help People Too Stupid to Feed Their Kids, Themselves

Wikimedia Commons​ It's not just Jamie Oliver trying to save American kids from their parents. The Law is getting involved. Again. Reuters reports today that the Federal Trade Commission, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agricultu ... More >>

What Dangers Lurk Within...Jelly Beans?

www.icanhascheezburger.comNo word on whether the cat was allergic to shellfish.​Gimbal's Fine Candies is on a mission to make Easter baskets safe for kiddos. How does the venerable sweets maker propose to protect children from unseen dangers hidden in the candy cornucopia? With allergen-free ... More >>

Bad Nuts! Peanut Butter and Hazelnuts Recalled

Wikimedia Commons​ Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don't, because you're too busy suffering the effects of salmonella or E. coli. Unilever has issued a voluntary recall on Skippy Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter Spread and Skippy Reduced Fat Super Chunk Peanut Butter Spread wit ... More >>

Missouri Flunks Food Safety Test

Missouri, you get an F in reporting foodborne illnesses. TheHill.com shared a new report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, grading states on their ability to report outbreaks of foodborne illness. The more a state reports, the better chance they have of getting it under control. "' ... More >>

Sprout Recall Hits Illinois Farm Despite Lack of Evidence.

The Los Angeles Times reports yet another alfalfa sprout salmonella contamination scare. This time the sprouts are from Tiny Greens Organic Farm in nearby Urbana, Illinois. Farm owner Bill Bagby Jr. said that samples tested from his farm were clean. The FDA's results are the same, but interviews wit ... More >>

New Study Finds Fewer Cases of Food-Borne Illness

E. coli (and other pathogens): Fewer cases, still deadly.​The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has lowered its estimate of the annual number of cases of food-borne illness in America, the New York Times reports. This new estimate reckons that each year 48 million people suffer from food p ... More >>

Americans Eschew Fruits and Vegetables, Find Way to Delivery Sundaes.

Eat your fruits and vegetables, already! A Centers for Disease Control study shows that American adults still aren't eating enough vegetables, and they're decreasing their fruit consumption. Only 34% Americans eat more than two servings of fruit a day. Maybe it's because a Chicago pair has found a ... More >>

Factory Farmers and Animal Groups Strike Deal to Expand Chicken Cages

The New York Times reports that factory farms are starting to provide more space for confined animals in light of consumer preferences and changes in farming laws. They look at West Mansfield, Ohio, where farmers and animal rights activists have struck a deal that will stop construction on tightly c ... More >>

Europe's Largest Fruit Seed Bank Endangered by Real Estate Development

Yesterday we mentioned that a heat wave has threatened Russia's wheat crop. Now the country's in danger of losing its fruit seed bank. Marion Nestle writes in The Atlantic that the Global Crop Diversity Trust has issued a warning that real estate developers are threatening the home of the Pavlovsk E ... More >>

Salmonella: It's Not Just for Chicken and Eggs Anymore.

How does a salmonella outbreak come from a meat production facility that's following all the rules? The Providence Journal investigates the strange case of Daniel, Inc., a sausage-curing company in Rhode Island with a perfect food safety track record for 34 years. That is, until the company's meat c ... More >>

Ask a Mexican! Why Mexicans are getting taller, don't wear coats, and other mysteries explained

18 Symbols That Should Be Made "Official" in Missouri

​In Missouri, legislators didn't think it was a good idea to name a dead dog as the official state canine. On Thursday, the state House defeated a bill aimed at making "Seamen," the dog that accompanied Lewis and Clark on their trip West, the official canine in our state. As the Post-Dispatch ... More >>

The Morning Brew: 3.31

Yep, the morning brew's tardy again. Can you say "dentist appointment"? Can you say it with Novacain Mouth? Let's just get started, shall we? Even as Eat Me Daily reports that a Wisconsin legislative committee has approved a bill that would legalize the sale of raw milk, the Wall Street Journal wr ... More >>

Raise the Roof: In praise of fair wages for Mexican laborers

Ask a Mexican!: Latin Lovin': When's a Mexican girl supposed to get hitched?

Press Releases of the Day: Beware the Possible Swine Flu Pandemic

via WikipediaThis press release just in from the Red Cross, St. Louis Area Chapter, regarding the Swine Flu outbreak:"Think of this swine flu outbreak like severe weather. If you thought a storm was coming - you would take steps to prepare yourself," said Nicole Holtgrefe, director of preparedness a ... More >>

The Morning Brew: Tuesday, 12.2

In today's news: Stevia, a new artificial sweetener; the CDC on microwaved moves; a three-year organic diet; and whale meat in Japan.

The Morning Brew: Thursday, 11/29

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King's Cups

Unreal gets tipsy on premium cocktails, then asks a bunch of questions about beer bellies and white weddings.

The Great Imitator

The scourge of syphilis re-emerges, deadlier than before

Two Steps Forward

In the wake of controversy over the city's lagging health initiatives, the family of a lead-poisoned child wins a settlement and the city's health director steps down

The Lead Menace

In its lawsuit, St. Louis is eager to blame the lead industry for making the area one of the most contaminated in the nation. But the city itself is guilty of doing little to prevent the poisoning of thousands of children like "Little Al" Evans.