Brooke Borel
at 20:26 PM Dec 26 2015

The holiday season is upon us—that is, of course, if you celebrate Christmas or capitalism. Regardless, the season brings homemade treats and feasts, and the crushing paranoia of new home chefs who were perhaps too ambitious with their menu and guest list. So much can go wrong. For example, you may accidentally give your guests food poisoning.

Brooke Borel
at 10:46 AM May 1 2015

Your monthly roundup of infestations, contagions, and controls from around the web.

Douglas Main
at 10:48 AM May 23 2014
Mobile // 

Yelp and its user reviews help discerning diners find a good spot to eat, but public health officials in New York City have now used the online guide for another purpose--to identify three previously unidentified outbreaks of foodborne illness. In the project, officials from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) used a program to sort through some 294,000 reviews, posted between July 2012 and March 2013. They looked for complaints that might signal something gone awry with the food, such as the words “sick,” “vomit,” “diarrhea,” or “food poisoning.” Hungry yet? 

Shaunacy Ferro
at 05:28 AM Aug 8 2013
Tech // 

Twitter isn't as much a micro-blogging site anymore as it is a data pool. It can tell us what's happening during an emergency, how people are feeling about national news events, and even the difference between a geek and a nerd. Mined for the right keywords, it can also tell you where people are getting sick.

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