E. coli Prevention Research Focuses on Scottish Farmers
Certain farmers in the Grampain region in the north of Scotland are, to some degree, immune to the deadly bacteria Escherichia coli O157:H7, the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) reports. Researchers at Bangor University in Wales tested about 200 Scottish farmers from Grampain and North Wales and it was found that about one-fifth of the farmers, or roughly 20 percent, are at least partially immune to E. coli O157:H7. The report was published August 8 on Scotsman.com.
Researcher Dr. Prysor Williams said: “We are taking small samples of blood and saliva and looking for antibodies in the samples. That will tell us if that individual has been exposed to 0157. If antibodies are present it shows that that individual has a degree of immunity because all the volunteers are not patients.”
The story reports that the study’s findings could help in the search for an E. coli vaccine, and that repeated exposure over a long period of time may be protecting these farmers from the otherwise harmful pathogen. The Scotsman story reports that the Grampain region is said to have one of the highest E. coli infection rates in the world, and results of the study suggest a much higher rate of antibodies among that region’s population. According to the story:
Rates of E coli 0157 in Scotland are higher than the rest of the UK. Last year, there were 4.6 cases per 100,000 people in Scotland, compared with fewer than two per 100,000 in England. In Grampian there were 11.1 cases per 100,000…The reasons for the higher rates in Scotland remain unclear.
E. coli in Flour and Cookie Dough Addressed at Food Protection Conference
At this year’s annual meeting of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) in Anaheim, California, several presentations address the issue of E. coli contamination in refrigerated cookie dough and the flour used to make it.
One presentation, “Flour Food Safety: The Changing Landscape — Escherichia coli O157:H7,” was given by representatives from Cargill, Nestle and ConAgra and outlined how the industry is reexamining flour as a potential source for E. coli contamination in food. The importance of this issue is highlighted by last year’s E. coli outbreak associated with Nestle Tollhouse raw cookie dough that sickened roughly 75 people in multiple states. According to and IAFP summary of the presentation:
“Flour has been viewed as a raw agricultural product for years; but with a recent outbreak involving consumption of an uncooked product containing flour, regulators and industry are re-examining whether flour should be treated as a RTE ingredient in some foods that may be consumed uncooked by the consumer. This mini-symposium will examine the history of flour and what industry knows about the microbiology of this product during production, harvesting and milling; the regulatory perceptions of flour as a potential vehicle of pathogens; the transformation of microbiological criteria associated with flour and the verification testing required to gauge compliance with the new criteria; and one solution available to deliver RTE flour as an ingredient.”
Another piece of research included at the conference comes from researchers at the Silliker, Inc., Food Science Center in South Holland, Illinois, and focuses on validating testing methodologies for raw cookie dough and its ingredients.
Stricter Food Safety Penalites Sought in New Legislation
Companies that knowingly violate food safety standards would face stricter penalties under a new bill introduced Thursday by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). The Food Safety Enforcement Act would allow prosecutors to seek prison sentences of up to 10 years for companies who knowingly distribute contaminated food and would make it a felony offense to do so. In a press release, Leahy stated:
“Current statutes do not provide sufficient criminal sanctions for those who knowingly violate our food safety laws. The bill I introduce today would increase sentences for people who put profits above safety by knowingly contaminating the food supply. It makes such offenses felony violations and significantly increases the chances that those who commit them will face jail time, rather than a slap on the wrist, for their criminal conduct.”
The press release cites the 2009 Peanut Corporation of America Salmonella outbreak as an example of a case in which the company may have known the products were unsafe and distributed them anyway. Nine people were killed in that outbreak and hundreds more were sickened. The mother of one of the victims in that outbreak testified at an Agriculture Committee hearing on federal food safety oversight last year at Leahy’s invitation.
The proposed legislation is expected to be considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Leahy chairs. “The Justice Department must be given the tools it needs to investigate, prosecute, and truly deter crime involving food safety,” Leahy stated. “This bill will be an important step toward making our food supply safer.”
E. coli Traceability and Eradication Legislation Proposed
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) introduced legislation Thursday that would tighten testing regulations on meat and meat processing facilities. The goal of the E. coli Traceability and Eradication Act is to completely eradicate the dangerous Shiga toxin-producing E. coli bacteria, according to the announcement, and to establish tracking procedures meant to speed up the recall process if contaminated foods reach store shelves.
Some of the bill’s provisions include:
- Facilities will have to test ground beef and beef trim multiple times throughout the manufacturing process by an independent testing facility certified by the USDA.
- Facilities found to be producing unsafe products for three consecutive days or ten days in a year will have their company name posted on a list of safety offenders.
- A tracing protocol would be created for the USDA to track contaminated meat products.
- Facilities found producing contaminated meat products must have their products tested by the USDA for 15 consecutive days following the positive contamination test results.
Congresswoman DeLauro pointed out several other important features of the bill:
“Because this bill will require processors to test incoming beef trim, it would cease the current industry practice of processors being blackballed by their suppliers. Another important component of this bill is that, when E. coli is detected at a facility, it would require USDA to establish a traceback procedure all the way back to the original source of the contamination. This will allow USDA to recall products more quickly and prevent additional illnesses during an outbreak. Our current food safety system is not doing its job— contaminated meat is still hitting the shelves, and people are still getting sick. This legislation will establish higher standards for food safety and protect the public health.”
Minneapoils-based food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker commended DeLauro’s efforts and confirmed the need for more extensive testing and tighter regulations on American meat producers. “I see the reality of E. coli food poisoning cases every day. I represent people whose lives have been irreparably damaged by this dangerous pathogen. The consequences are too great for our policymakers to sit by the sidelines on this issue, and Rep. DeLauro has clearly recognized that.”
E. coli is Among the Threats in Salsa, Guacamole
Recent advice from a noted epidemiologist to be wary of food poisoning in salsa and guacamole seems acutely profound in the wake of news in Iowa that an outbreak of Salmonella is tied to salsa, guacamole and tamales made by La Reyna restaurant in Iowa City.
Twenty-five people are sick in the Iowa outbreak, which is connected to sales of the restaurant-made items at farmers’ markets and other locations in eastern Iowa.
Dr. Magdalena Kendall, surveillance epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a recent research project showed that nearly one of every 25 outbreaks associated with restaurants or delis between 1998 and 2008 may have been caused by contaminated salsa or guacamole.
Dr. Kendall said the most common infection was norovirus, followed by Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli, and other less common germs, which can all cause diarrhea.
E. coli infections can be particulary dangerous because up to 15 percent of cases lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of kidney failure in children.
Dr. Kendall’s research found that in 30 percent of the outbreaks, local investigators reported that the salsa or guacamole wasn’t stored or refrigerated properly. In another 20 percent, the investigators reported that food workers were the likely source of the contamination. In some cases, ingredients may have been contaminated before arriving in a kitchen.
Also, salsa and guacamole are often made in large batches at restaurants, so even a small amount of contamination can affect many servings.
E. coli in Well Water Puts McLeod, ND Residents on Alert
Well water has tested positive for E. coli in the tiny town of McLeod, North Dakota, according to local news sources.
The water that supplies residents of this tiny town 55 miles southwest of Fargo comes from local wells that use groundwater. These wells have tested positive for E. coli contamination twice since 1986, news reports indicate. North Dakota state health officials plan on testing every well in the town on Monday.
E. coli Well Water Lawsuit
E. coli safety attorney Elliot Olsen recently settled a case on behalf of an Iowa toddler who became sick with E. coli poisoning after consuming the water that supplied the rural home her family rented. In May of 2007 she came down withsymptoms of an E. coli infection, including severe diarrhea and abdominal pain. She was hospitalized and her symptoms worsened as the pathogen infected her blood. She developed a condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome (E. coli HUS) that destroys red blood cells and keeps kidneys from serving their function as filters that remove waste from the bloodstream.
She was on dialysis and in the hospital for a month and still has long-term kidney damage even now, three years after her initial illness. She could need a kidney transplant later in life.
How Does E. coli Contaminate Well Water?
Because harmful strains of E. coli can live in animal and human digestive systems, they can therefore be found in animal and human waste. After any kind of precipitation—a rainfall, a snowmelt—E. coli from animal or human fecal matter can wash into groundwater, rivers, lakes and streams. This can consequently contaminate water sources and, if the water isn’t sufficiently treated, can make people seriously sick.
According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- Over 15 million U.S. households rely on private, household wells for drinking water.
- If polluted ground water is consumed, it could cause illness. Ground water pollution can be caused by seepage through landfills, failed septic tanks, underground fuel tanks, fertilizers and pesticides, and runoff from urban areas.
- It is important that private ground water wells are checked regularly to ensure that the water is safe for drinking.
- Typically, private water systems that serve no more than 25 people at least 60 days of the year and have no more than 15 service connections are not regulated by the EPA.
Source: http://www.wday.com/event/article/id/36320/
