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E. Coli Outbreak From Spinach Rises to 102 Cases in 19 States

 

By Margot Habiby

 

Sept. 17 (Bloomberg) -- A deadly outbreak of E. coli attributed to

the consumption of fresh spinach has affected 102 people in 19 states

as of yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.

 

The agency warned Americans not to consume fresh spinach or products

containing fresh spinach following the outbreak, which caused the

death of one person, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease

Control. E. coli can cause diarrhea and bloody stools and can lead to

kidney failure and death, FDA said.

 

The outbreak is part of a problem in the U.S. food supply that

affects about 100,000 to 500,000 people every year. Bacteria can be

spread by insufficiently cooked meat, sprouts, lettuce, unpasteurized

milk and juice or contact with sewage- contaminated water.

 

FDA's current guidelines include cooked fresh spinach in the warning.

 

The states that have had confirmed cases of E. coli are California,

Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota,

Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah,

Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

 

The number of cases has risen from 94 on Sept. 15.

 

Most healthy adults recover from E. coli exposure within a week,

though it can be deadly, mainly to the young and the elderly, FDA

said.

 

Canada, Mexico

 

Natural Selection Foods LLC of San Juan, California, has recalled all

of its products containing spinach with ``best if used by'' dates of

Aug. 17 to Oct. 1, FDA said. Some of the company's products were

distributed to Canada and Mexico as well as the U.S., FDA said.