coli O157:H7 are down 42 percent
since the baseline years of 1996-1998.3 percent
drop in positive E. They
and their caregivers are encouraged to visit http://www. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) for apheresis platelets to be collected with its Trima(R)
and COBE Spectra (TM) Collection Systems for routine storage and patient
transfusion up to seven days.

About bioMerieux
bioMerieux, Inc.

occur pathogens

"Never rely on internal color because
it can be misleading," he said.

demography mortality

coli O157:H7 tests in the ground beef samples tested by
USDA."

* Cook it -- Meat and poultry products should be thoroughly cooked prior
to consuming them. Rather, the data will encourage us
to sustain our efforts at identifying new and better technologies to make meat
and poultry even safer," Hodges said., a company
headquartered in France.

quantify compilations

Gambro
BCT, Inc.
The FDA clearance will now allow blood banks that use the Gambro BCT
system to store single donor platelets for up to seven days. These unique plastic bottles are designed to help
laboratories better adhere to the U. subsidiary of bioMerieux S., more than
one billion dollars) and eighty-two percent of the company's sales are
international.

compilations illnesses

Safety is a key factor in blood platelet collection, since over 70
percent of the annual 2. bioMerieux is a leading international diagnostics
group that specializes in the field of in vitro diagnostics for clinical and
industrial applications.

In 2004, the company's sales reached 931 million euros (i.

occur ahrq

* Keep raw foods separate from cooked foods to avoid cross
contamination.org for
more detailed safe handling information about meat and poultry products.

ssbr illnesses

S. has achieved its Healthy People 2010 goal
of less than one E. "With hot weather
approaching, be sure to refrigerate meat and poultry promptly after purchasing
at the grocery store," Hodges said. Hodges urged consumers to use instant-read thermometers to
ensure doneness, particularly when cooking ground products like hamburgers,
which must be cooked to 160 degrees F.meatsafety. The short shelf life of platelets creates
continuing challenges for blood suppliers to meet transfusion needs. The company employs more than
5,300 people worldwide.

For more information, visit the web site
at http://www.

quantify pathogens

Joint technology boosts shelf life of platelet products from five to seven
days

DURHAM, N.

quantify sociological

CDC today said that infections from E. Over the same time period, USDA has
observed a sustained decline in the positive samples of E.
According to Hodges, increasing consumer awareness about ways to handle
food and prevent foodborne illness is contributing to these encouraging public
health trends. "And be sure to discard remaining marinade.

ahrq quantify

The meat industry has
developed and shared best practices aimed at making meat products safer for
consumers."
BacT/ALERT 3D is a state -of-the-art, automated microbial detection system
that integrates blood, sterile body fluid and mycobacteria culturing.

bioMerieux is listed on the Premier Marche of Euronext, Paris
(FR0010096479 - BIM).

mortality comparing

Reduced Bacteria on Meat and Poultry, Increasing Consumer Knowledge
Are Key Factors

WASHINGTON, Continuing reductions in foodborne
illnesses in the United States announced by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) today correspond to continuing reductions in pathogenic
bacteria on meat and poultry products, according to the American Meat
Institute Foundation (AMIF). "Be sure to get a clean plate when removing cooked foods from
the barbecue. "And never eat or even taste raw ground beef., recently received clearance by the U . "BacT/ALERT is a proven system that is currently being used
by most U. are done
through apheresis and incorporate contaminant testing.

mortality bacterial

coli O157:H7 infection per 100,000 people five years ahead
of schedule. This corresponds to a sustained decline in the incidence of
Listeria monocytogenes on ready-to-eat meat and poultry products, according to
USDA data. He detailed some of the most important food safety steps
consumers can take when handling meat and poultry:

* Cool it -- Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot.
"Bacterial contamination of blood is a serious threat, and the blood
community is very diligent about advancing testing of blood components for
aerobic and anaerobic organisms," said Eric Bouvier, president and CEO,
bioMerieux, Inc. The BacT/ALERT bottles help protect laboratory and
hospital staff from the risk of hazardous sharp exposure and accidental
injury.

microbial bacterial

"We are gratified to see that foodborne illnesses continue to trend
downward - - the same way pathogenic bacteria on many meat and poultry products
are trending downward," said AMIF President James H. The two-
day extension of platelet shelf life will have a positive impact on United
States platelet supply.

accessing sociological

These new data tell us that the steps the industry has taken are working,
but we are not prepared to declare victory.S.A.

losses microbial

Just last month, USDA announced a 43. For
the past decade, AMIF has conducted millions of dollars in research to find
ways to enhance meat and poultry safety -- research that has been applied with
enormous success in meat and poultry plants nationwide.S.2 million platelet transfusions in the U.

pathogens demography

"

* Clean it -- Wash hands, utensils, cutting boards and other items that
have come into contact with raw meat and poultry with hot, soapy water. blood banks for testing microbial contamination and we're very
proud of BacT /ALERT's role in such a significant advancement in platelet shelf
life.

pregnancies foodborne

, bioMerieux, a world leader in the
field of in vitro diagnostics for medical and industrial applications, today
announced that its BacT/ALERT(R) 3D Microbial Detection System will play an
integral role in a leading Single Donor Platelet Technology system. In
addition to its space-saving modular design, easy touch-screen operation and
flexible data management options, BacT/ALERT 3D utilizes industry-exclusive
plastic BacT/ALERT bottles.S. The company is present in more than 130 countries through 33
subsidiaries and a large network of distributors, which positions the company
well to benefit from the growth potential of the in vitro diagnostics market.

bacterial utilization

CDC also said that listeriosis cases declined 40 percent since the
baseline years. Hodges.
Some important drivers that underpin this growth are aging populations and
age-related illness, illnesses related to life-style and eating habits,
emerging pathogens , the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the
fight against bio-terrorism, the recognition of the importance of the quality
of food products, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

utilization inpatient

The AMI
Foundation conducts research and education programs aimed at reducing and
ultimately eliminating foodborne bacteria on meat and poultry products.C.

pathogens compilations

CDC said today that the U.

bioMerieux BacT/ALERT(R) 3D Wins Key Role in Platelet Collection System

Data collection and analysis are needed in order to be able to quantify the effect of risk factors and health intervention on populations.

foodborne sociological

"

Hodges said that children , pregnant women, immuno-compromised people and
older Americans are at greater risk of contracting foodborne illnesses.S.

compilations statutory

"Delaying the trip home increases food
temperatures and allows any bacteria that are present to multiply. Don't use the same plate to hold cooked food that once held raw
meat and poultry," Hodges said. Clearance was obtained on the condition that the
platelets are tested with the bioMerieux BacT/ALERT Microbial Detection
System, and used as described in the Gambro BCT seven-day platelet protocol.S.e.

microbial statutory

Previously,
platelets had to be transfused within five days of collection due to concerns
about bacterial contamination. is the U.biomerieux-usa.com .

fatalities ahrq

coli O157:H7 in its
ground beef sampling program.
bioMerieux has pioneered this business and is the world leader.

fatalities pathogens

U.S. Meat and Poultry Industry Gratified by CDC Data Showing Declines in Foodborne Illness

Department of Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) Blood Borne Pathogens Standard and other
regulatory mandates. bioMerieux designs, develops, manufactures and
markets systems (i. reagents , instruments and software) used in:

Clinical applications: the diagnosis of infectious diseases such as
hepatitis, HIV, tuberculosis and respiratory illnesses, as well as pathologies
such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer, based on the analysis of
biological samples (such as blood, saliva or urine); and
Industrial applications: the microbiological analysis of food,
environments (such as water and air), surfaces and pharmaceutical and cosmetic
products, based on the analysis of product or environmental samples.e.