Fatal E. Coli Outbreak In U.S. Linked To Bagged Spinach
Posted September 15, 2006 12:00 pm.
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One person died and 94 others became sick in 20 separate states according to federal health officials, who then issued a warning to consumers not to eat the bagged leafy greens.
The death and 29 of the sicknesses occurred in Wisconsin according to Dr. David Acheson of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Others were made ill, 14 seriously, in Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon and Utah.
The FDA was alerted to the outbreak Wednesday and early evidence suggests the same bug is responsible for all the cases.
It’s unclear at this point whether a certain brand of spinach is involved, but so far there doesn’t appear to be any impact in Canada.
E. coli causes diarrhea and blood in the stool. Most adults recover within a week although in some cases – especially with the very young and the elderly – it can lead to a potentially fatal form of kidney failure.
Most of the cases in the most recent outbreak have involved women, according to Acheson. No other bagged vegetables, including prepacked salads, appeared to be affected. Health experts recommend washing all bagged vegetables before eating them.
E. coli strains are believed to cause 20,000 to 40,000 cases of infection in the U.S. annually. Common sources include uncooked produce, raw milk, unpasteurized juice, contaminated water, and meat – especially raw or undercooked hamburger.
An E. coli outbreak sickened eight children in Washington state last December after they drank unpasteurized milk.
