Over the weekend the FDA expanded its warning for consumers to avoid spinach due to a potentially lethal presence of E-coli, although officials have primarily focused on the packaged greens that came from a large San Juan Bautista-based operation, Natural Selection Foods.
The products are sold under the brand names Rave Spinach, Natural Selection Foods, Dole, Earthbound Farm, Trader Joe's, Ready Pac and Green Harvest.
The recommendation does not extend to frozen and canned spinach.
Twenty-one states have now reported E. coli cases. At least 60 people have been hospitalized, and 16 have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition that can lead to kidney failure.
At least one death has occurred—a 77-year-old woman from Wisconsin. Investigators were determining whether another death in Ohio was connected to the national outbreak.
Individuals who believe they may have experienced symptoms of illness after consuming bagged spinach are urged to contact their health care provider.
“Given the severity of this illness and the seriousness of the outbreak, FDA believes that a warning to consumers is needed. We are working closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local agencies to determine the cause and scope of the problem,” said Dr. Robert Brackett, director of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN).
E. coli causes diarrhea, often with bloody stool. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS).
HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.
To date, 50 cases of illness have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including eight cases of HUS and one death.
At this time, the investigation is ongoing and states that have reported illnesses to date include Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wisconsin.
Three in four of those sickened have been women, which authorities say is because women are more likely to eat fresh greens. Many more people may have been sickened in the outbreak but weren't ill enough to seek treatment or be tested.
“Washing it does not help according to our district epidemiologist,” Larry Abrams, bio-terrorism coordinator for the Rush County LPHC said. “She also said it is a really bad strain.”
During a recent bio-terrorism training exercise in Alabama, Abrams was educated on the thinking patterns of terrorists in using bacteria to infect their enemies.
“One of my instructors said that E-coli is easy to obtain, and that that is what he would use to infect people if he were a terrorist,” Abrams said. “He said he would contaminate the water supply with it, and he said, ‘It would be so easy.’ Maybe this time the terrorists listened. It is impossible to say what caused this outbreak yet, but I can assure you that the CDC and others are working on it day and night. And, they have some great people there.”
Since 1995, there have been 20 cases nationally of E. coli outbreaks linked to lettuce or spinach, and nine of them, including this one, have been traced to the Salinas Valley. Officials began an investigation several weeks ago to evaluate the growing and processing practices of lettuce in the region; that was expanded to include spinach.
Rushville Republican staff writer Elizabeth Gist can be contacted at (765) 932-2222 or via e-mail at elizabeth.gist@cnhimedia.com. To add a comment visit our Website at www.rushvillerepublican.com.
x_News
Related Photos
Discussion
September 20, 2006
Beware of bagged spinach!
Deadly E-Coli present, one life lost
- x_News
-
-
Main Street welcomes Santa
It's a Rush County Christmas. Main Street welcomes Santa Claus from 5 to 8 p.m. Nov. 18. Santa will be arriving with the parade beginning at 6 p.m. Festivities include craft and food vendors, local artisans in the 201 Building demonstrating their arts, warming stations, Christmas tree lighting, carolers, luminaries and pictures with Santa in Santa's house. Vendors and parade participants are welcome.
-
Local "All Pro Dads" chapter hopes to expand
t the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year, a group of fathers in Mays began a local chapter of "All Pro Dads."
-
Meth lab bust nets four
A morning raid on multiple homes and a vehicle in Carthage early Thursday resulted in the discovery of eight active methamphetamine labs being seized and dismantled and the arrest of four individuals.
- Connersville man sentenced in OWI case John E. Gilley of Connersville was sentenced Tuesday in the Rush Superior Court to two years in the Indiana Department of Correction after pleading guilty to Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated, a Class D Felony.
-
Conner seeks City Council at large seat
Lifelong Rush County resident Brian Conner has announced he is seeking a Republican nomination for a Rushville Common Council at large seat.
- County offering info on tax sales The Rush County Commissioners, Auditor and Treasurer will be sponsoring a seminar for people interested in participating in the upcoming online tax certificate sale. The sale of county owned tax lien certificates will take place from 10 a.m. March 25, 2011 to 8 p.m. April 4, 2011.
- Relay for Life kick-off time change The 10th anniversary kick-off of Relay for Life will begin at 9 a.m. instead of 10 a.m., which was earlier publicized, this Saturday at Booker T. Washington Center.
- Lane resigns, city will pay A joint meeting of the Rushville Board of Public Works and Safety and the Rushville Common Council held Friday afternoon brought members together to unanimously approve a mutual release and settlement agreement which Rushville Police Officer Chris Lane and his attorney were to sign at 5 p.m.
-
Wessel graduates from academy
Police Chief Ron D. Cameron has announced that Rushville Patrolman Brad L. Wessel has successfully completed his training at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA), having graduated Oct. 1, and is back on regular duty.
- Muncie man injured in crash Emergency personnel from Rushville Township, the Rush County Sheriff’s Department and RMH medical personnel were dispatched to the scene of a injury accident shortly after 12:30 a.m. Thursday.
- More x_News Headlines
-
Main Street welcomes Santa
Nordic Festival Puts North Korea in Spotlight
'Rumor Has It' Adele's Rolling in the Grammys
Grohl, Grammy Nominees Cut Up on the Red Carpet
Greece Passes New Austerity Deal Amid Rioting
Coroner: Houston Autopsy Results Weeks Away
Raw Video: Greek Rioting Ahead of Austerity Vote
Raw Video: Child Rescued After Kosovo Avalanche
Pop Music Superstar Whitney Houston Dies at 48
Whitney Houston's Church Mourns Her Passing
Reaction to Houston's Death at Clive Davis Party
79 Turtles Seized at Shanghai Airport
Severe Cold Wreaks Havoc in China
Fuel Removal Under Way on Capsized Italian Ship
Police: Houston Found Dead in Her Hotel Room
Paul Suffers Narrow Loss to Romney in Maine
Palin Brings Anti-Washington Message to CPAC
Obama Scraps Birth Control Mandate
Navy Names Ship for Gabrielle Giffords
Uzbek Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Kill Obama
Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag
