Unusual Suspects Posted by Reggie at 10/10/06 02:50 PM

The FBI has launched a criminal investigation of Salinas Valley California spinach producers into the 3 deaths and 192 illnesses associated with the e.coli 0157:H7 outbreak.
Assuming the Feds suspect criminal negligence, investigators will try and determine whether producers could have foreseen the possibility of the outbreak and if they failed to take reasonable actions to prevent it. 19 incidents of leafy green contamination since 1995, 8 of which are linked to Salinas Valley, suggests the producers could have foreseen the potential for a multi-state outbreak. So far, no mention has been of extending the criminal probe to nearby cattle operations, the most likely source of the deadly pathogen.

comments (2)

1 Posted by Jessica VanHook at 10/26/06 01:09 PM

I am leery of implicating nearby cattle operations until evidence is presented that definitively links the bacteria found on the spinach that caused disease in consumers with bacteria found on the farms. While it is easy to jump to conclusions and livestock have been the source of E. coli before, it is premature to presume that cattle were the ultimate source of this outbreak. I have heard that there have also been questions about the lack of restroom facilities provided for the workers, who may have had to choose between holding it for up to a twelve hour work day or using the fields they are working in as a restroom.

2 Posted by Reggie at 10/30/06 08:55 AM

Thanks for your comment Jessica. Your reminder to be careful in implicating a specific source of the problem is well taken. We do not know the specific source of the strain of E.coli that caused the spinach outbreak. Matches have been found in cattle droppings and in wild pigs in the area. Nevertheless, the ultimate source of e.coli 0157:H7 is cattle. It is fairly well established that the virulent, acid resistant strain of e.coli developed in cattle, most likely as a result of shifting from grass to grain as the primary feed. Although I agree, this does not tell us the specific source of the outbreak