FDA finds clues of E. Coli in Californian lettuce

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday reported that lettuce is the possible source of the E. coli outbreak that sickened more than 80 people who ate at Taco John's restaurants in Albert Lea and Austin, Minnesota, and Cedar Falls, Iowa.

State and federal investigators have matched the strain of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria associated with the outbreak to two samples taken from dairy farms near a lettuce growing area in California's Central Valley, the federal agency announced.

FDA and the state of California are working in conjunction with state health officials in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin to trace out the real source of the outbreak that sickened approximately 81 individuals in November and December of 2006, with reports of illnesses in Minnesota (33), Iowa (47), and Wisconsin (1).

In addition, at least 26 people were reported hospitalized and two with hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious complication of E. coli O157:H7 infection that can cause permanent kidney damage and death.

However, the Taco John's-linked outbreak did not claim any life and no new cases of illness are being reported, according to the US health agency.

Local health authorities had earlier linked shredded iceberg lettuce served in the restaurants to the possible source of the outbreak. But, yesterday's finding indicates that the lettuce may be contaminated by dairy farms near the lettuce growing area, just as the investigators suspect happened with spinach in the largest of last fall's E. coli outbreaks.

Cattle manure is the primary source of E. coli O157:H7, the potentially-fatal E. coli strain that sickened the victims of the Taco John's-linked outbreak. "Whether it is transferred by manure, water or wild animals, the proximity of the dairy to the lettuce fields is an invitation to disaster," Caroline Smith DeWaal, director of food safety for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said.

The health agency’s investigation is in progress to determine if and how material from the dairy farms may have contaminated the lettuce growing area.

This is not the first time California’s leafy green industry is in question, instead, few months ago health officials fingered California spinach in an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 that sickened more than 200 people and claimed three lives.

The iceberg lettuce industry alone generated about $750 million in annual revenues in 2005, which is nearly 75 percent of the total national crop. Most of iceberg lettuce was grown in the Greater Salinas, which is accountable for nine of the 20 E. coli outbreaks from lettuce and spinach since 1995, and Central valleys.

Headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyoming Taco John's, which has franchises in more than 25 states, is accountable for the outbreak no.22 that occurred only Taco John's two restaurants located in Iowa and Minnesota.

A separate outbreak that occurred in Taco Bell restaurants and was no. 21 has sickened more than 70 customers and forced 53 to get hospitalized. It occupied in Taco Bell’s New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware situated restaurants.