The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will continue to provide the public with regular updates on the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak each day until further notice.
Case Reports To date, 131 cases of illness due to E. coli infection have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including 20 cases of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), 66 hospitalizations, and one death. Illnesses continue to be reported to CDC. This is considered to be an ongoing investigation.
States Affected There are 21 confirmed states: California, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
My personal, unasked for personal opinion is that anybody who eats raw spinach deserves the runs.
I appreciate your posting this- and I'm forwarding it to Mrs.B, who works where there is a commercial kitchen. The information is important to get out.
Or, could be the victims just got a big dose because they ate a large spinach salad?
I harken back to the day when we took cow manure straight from the barn to the garden for spring fertilizing and wonder how we didn't kill ourselves. We always tilled it in, so perhaps it composted all the bugs out by the time the vegetables came on weeks later.
I can tell you one thing for certain, nothing grows sweet corn like chicken poop. It must have anough nitrogen in to make rocket fuel.
Recommendations: Third world sanitation precautions. Sterilized or pasteurized fruits and vegetables only. I stick with stuff by known producers in the can. Anything labelled "organic" is a potential killer. No buffets ever again. Wash cans and bottles thoroughly before opening them.