Genesee County Health Department
Better Life Through Better Health
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact
Person:
Dorothy Gonzales, R.S.
Environmental Health Supervisor
Genesee County Health Department
Phone:
(810) 257-3190
Re:
E. coli outbreak in bagged fresh spinach
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has implicated bagged fresh spinach as the cause of a multi-state E.
coli outbreak. Consumers in multiple
states including
Michigan
have become
ill with a strain of E. coli
bacteria, most likely from eating bagged fresh spinach.
Currently 50 people have been diagnosed with E. coli 0157:H7, a strain of the bacteria that causes severe
illness.
The FDA, in cooperation with state and local
health departments, is continuing the investigation to determine the initial
source of this E. coli 0157:H7
outbreak. Currently no single brand of
spinach nor a single grower has been implicated.
For that reason, the Genesee County Health Department and state and
federal agencies are recommending that food establishments do not serve and
that consumers do not eat any bagged fresh spinach until this issue is
resolved. Illness is associated
with eating fresh spinach leaves, as in a salad.
Cooked spinach is not a public health concern.
Cooking spinach to a minimum internal temperature of 155º F will kill E.
coli and any other bacteria that may be present.
E.
coli
bacteria occur naturally in the intestines of animals, commonly cattle herds,
and are present in cattle manure. E. coli bacteria can contaminate vegetable crops that are fertilized
with manure and can contaminate meats when cattle are processed into cuts of
meat. Produce should always be
washed well under fresh running water before consumption, and red meats,
especially ground beef, should always be cooked to a minimum internal
temperature of 155º F to kill any bacteria. Consumers
should buy and use only pasteurized milk and other dairy products to avoid E.
coli infections. Also, consumers
should always wash their hands after touching raw meats, using the bathroom,
changing diapers, or tending to someone ill.
E.
coli
0157:H7 causes severe and often bloody diarrhea, sometimes accompanied by a mild
fever. The onset of illness is
typically between two and ten days after eating the contaminated food, with
three to four days most common. In
severe cases, the E. coli 0157:H7 infection can cause kidney failure and death.
Anyone who is experiencing symptoms of bloody diarrhea and has eaten
fresh spinach in the past few days should seek medical treatment immediately.
For more information call the Genesee County Health Department at (810) 257-3603
or log onto the following web sites:
Genesee County Health Department:
www.gchd.us
Centers for Disease Control:
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/submenus/sub_ecoli.htm
U. S. Food and Drug Administration:
www.fda.gov/opacom/7alerts.html
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