A nationwide recall of 13 different brands of eggs has been issued due to Salmonella contamination.  The Iowa company, that produced the 228 million eggs in question is currently under a multi-state investigation.  So far 266 people in California have reported sickness from the tainted eggs and the federal Centers of Disease Control and Prevention predicts hundreds more illnesses in other states due to the outbreak.

Salmonella poisoning causes severe fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea that lasts four to seven days.  It can cause serious illness in people with weakened immune systems; therefore consumers should not eat the eggs, and should return them where they were purchased immediately.  If the purchaser has ingested the egg, they should contact their healthcare provider immediately.  The recall is for eggs that still contain their shell; other egg products by Wright County Eggs have not been contaminated.  

Salmonella Bacteria

 The egg brands that are being pulled from shelves include Albertsons, Lucerne, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms, and Kemps.  The cartons dates and codes can be found stamped on the end of the container, and if they include Julian dates that range from 136-225  or plant numbers 1026, 1413, and 1946 then they may have been contaminated.  Consumers should visit www.eggsafety.org or call 404-367-2761 if they have any questions or concerns. 

 

Phillip Markoff

Former medical student Phllip Markoff, 24, killed himself in a Nashua Street jail on the anniversary of what was supposed to be his wedding to .  He was alone in his cell, and evidence observed at the scene indicates he took his own life. Markoff shaved a jail-issue pen into a surgically sharp razor, he then stuffed toilet paper down his throat so authorities could not resuscitate him.  He then used a bag to catch the blood from his leg and tied it over his head.

Julissa Brisman

 

Markoff faced an expected trial in March for the fatal shooting of Julissa Bisman of New York, and an armed robbery of a Las Vegas woman.  Both crimes happened in Boston hotels in the span of four days in April 2009.  Markoff used craigslist postings for erotic services, and advertised himself as a professional masseuse to lure the women in.   Evidence of the murder included Bisman’s blood and a handgun that was retrieved during a search of Markoff’s apartment in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Phillip Markoff and Fiance Megan Mcallister

The case has now come to an end, and he will not be subject of trial or further interrogation.  Authorities cannot prosecute a dead man, and the charges could even be dismissed.  The Bisman family will not have to face him in court, but there has been no comment regarding the next steps in the case. 

On the island of St.Kitts, monkeys routinely steal alcoholic beverages from tourists and raid local bars. Vervet monkeys were brought to the Caribbean over 300 years ago by slave traders, and have reproduced on a wide scale.  Their species became fond of fermented sugarcane used to produce rum, and have acquired a taste for the “good stuff.”  

Studies of this unusual mammal behavior have brought insight to human drinking habits.  According to this documentary by the BBC, Vervets percentages of drinkers vs. non-drinkers resemble the same proportions in the human population. About  are steady drinkers, %5 heavy drinkers, and a few abstain from drinking completely.  The similarity between the Vervets and humans is evidence that human drinking habits are a result of our genetic makeup.  

Does this mean alcoholism is a gene you are born with, or just an addiction that you bring on yourself?

Watch the BBC video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSm7BcQHWXk

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