By Freddie M (Oslo: Friday 29. 05.2009)
Norwegian Public Health authorities have established that green peas (sukkererter) from Kenya are the source of illness (dysentery) that has now affected 12 people.
The public health authorities conducted an intensive search for the source of the infection after receiving reports that were related to consumption of contaminated food. After confirming the source of the disease, the health authorities ordered a stop of sales for the said products.
Kenyan green peas are rare products in Norway yet the authorities have established that all those affected to date had eaten the said green peas prior to falling sick.
The District Food Safety boss in Central Norway, Mr. Bjørn Knudsen Røthe says, “We are now tracing the distribution pattern for similar products. We are searching broadly with the hope of not missing any other possible sources of the infection.”
By Friday afternoon, 12 people were confirmed infected by dysentery resulting in severe diarrhoea. The registered cases are reported to have been registered in Sør-Trøndelag (6 cases), Sunnhordaland (4), Samnanger (1) and Askøy in Hordaland (1).
Not dangerous
Dysentery results in several deaths each year, mostly in the developing countries. The bacteria that causes dysentery spreads very quickly and once infected patients suffer from, among other symptoms, diarrhoea.
According to Mr. Preben Aavitsland, Head of Department at Folkehelseinstituttet “The disease is however not very dangerous since the diarrhoea most often than not, retreats by itself after some period but since many people have been affected, this has to be treated as a national outbreak.” (Comment from NRK)
Communications Director of Food Safety in Steinkjer, Mr. Kjell Løvvik says the department has ordered shops to withdraw the said peas from their shelves and asked people who have purchased similar products to check their origin before using them.
It is a pity that an agricultural product from Kenya that seems to be doing very well in the Norwegian market gets this kind of slam on the face. However, we hope that further investigation will narrow down to the real source of the infection and lead to faster corrective measures.
Other sites reporting the same in Norway:
Aftenposten
The District Food Safety boss in Central Norway, Mr. Bjørn Knudsen Røthe says, “We are now tracing the distribution pattern for similar products. We are searching broadly with the hope of not missing any other possible sources of the infection.”
By Friday afternoon, 12 people were confirmed infected by dysentery resulting in severe diarrhoea. The registered cases are reported to have been registered in Sør-Trøndelag (6 cases), Sunnhordaland (4), Samnanger (1) and Askøy in Hordaland (1).
Not dangerous
Dysentery results in several deaths each year, mostly in the developing countries. The bacteria that causes dysentery spreads very quickly and once infected patients suffer from, among other symptoms, diarrhoea.
According to Mr. Preben Aavitsland, Head of Department at Folkehelseinstituttet “The disease is however not very dangerous since the diarrhoea most often than not, retreats by itself after some period but since many people have been affected, this has to be treated as a national outbreak.” (Comment from NRK)
Communications Director of Food Safety in Steinkjer, Mr. Kjell Løvvik says the department has ordered shops to withdraw the said peas from their shelves and asked people who have purchased similar products to check their origin before using them.
It is a pity that an agricultural product from Kenya that seems to be doing very well in the Norwegian market gets this kind of slam on the face. However, we hope that further investigation will narrow down to the real source of the infection and lead to faster corrective measures.
Other sites reporting the same in Norway:
