Tainted seal oil linked to botulism outbreak in Southwest Alaska

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.adn.com/article/20141224/...uthwest-alaska

Tainted seal oil linked to botulism outbreak in Southwest Alaska
Dave Bendinger | KDLG News
December 24, 2014

DILLINGHAM -- A botulism outbreak in Bristol Bay communities is being monitored by state and local health officials, according to the state Department of Epidemiology, which said Wednesday that more than 25 people have so far been linked to a batch of contaminated seal oil produced in the village of Twin Hills.

Several people have been hospitalized, some are being monitored and health officials are still trying to contact others...

[Shiloh]

Source: http://kdlg.org/post/botulism-outbre...-public-health

Botulism outbreak under control, says Dept. of Public Health
By Dave Bendinger

Those hospitalized have improved, and others have passed a period of observation.

DILLINGHAM: The outbreak of botulism across a few Southwest Alaska communities from a batch of seal oil appears to be contained at this point, but not all of those who consumed some of the product are out of the woods just yet.

Dr. Michael Cooper is the Infections Disease Program Manager with the state?s Public Health Department. He says medical officials are still keeping an eye on just over a handful of the original 25 who were known to eaten some of the oil..

[AlaskaDenise]

Local TV news tonight (KTUU) reported that traditional ways of storing seal oil, in unsealed containers buried in cool ground, prevented the development of botulism.