E. Coli Outbreak Linked to Spinach

The "popeye plague" is now deadly as reportedly at least one person has died from what is thought to be tainted spinach harboring the highly virulent E. coli. Central Oregon is on the case:

"Federal health officials are warning people not to eat bagged fresh spinach after an outbreak of E. coli in eight states, including Oregon, has left at least one person dead and 50 others sick. The death occurred in Wisconsin. The cases of people getting sick were reported in Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon and Utah. F-D-A officials say they do not know the source of the outbreak, other than it appears to be linked to bagged spinach. One official says, "We're advising people not to eat it." Oregon public health officials said Thursday they have joined colleagues in the other states investigating an outbreak of E. coli O157, a foodborne illness that has been identified in at least five people across Oregon.

Epidemiologists in the Oregon Department of Human Services and in Wisconsin have traced the illness to packaged, washed spinach, although they so far have been unable to identify whether the contamination is confined to a single brand. "We have reports of cases of E. coli O157 illness in Oregon, Idaho, Washington, Wisconsin, Utah, New Mexico, Connecticut, Indiana and Michigan," DHS epidemiologist Bill Keene said Thursday afternoon. "Although we have identified packaged spinach as the source, people have either varying or no recollection of the brand they purchased."

Keene said that epidemiologists are asking people who have become ill for credit and cash-register receipts they received when they made the purchase. "We're now trying to pin down the brand," he said. Although five persons' illness has been confirmed by the state public health laboratory, he said, state epidemiologists have received reports of illness in several dozen people and are working with them as well.

State public health officials are urging people who develop diarrhea after eating raw spinach to call their local health departments. Those who have bloody diarrhea or are particularly ill should seek medical attention and tell their doctors if they ate uncooked spinach. "Most people who ate the spinach will not get sick," Keene said. "If you ate spinach and aren't ill, there's no need to call your doctor."

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Fortunately for me I only eat that frozen spinach shit that you have to microwave in a cup full of water. Is it just me, or does anyone else think that there's some sort of governmental oversight thats supposed to be in place to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen?

Oh well, I guess the FDA was too busy playing politics with the Plan B pill to make sure huge lots of contaminated crops weren't being shipped all across the USA.