Professor comments on E. coli outbreak

Professor Ken Macklin of Auburn University’s College of Agriculture offers comments on the E. coli outbreak affecting 10 states. The CDC reports 177 cases: Kentucky (65 patients), Tennessee (52), Georgia (41), Ohio (10), Florida (3), Virginia (2), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Minnesota (1) and Mississippi (1). No deaths have been reported. The CDC indicates ground beef is the source of this outbreak and that recalls have been issued.

How common are E. coli outbreaks?

Unfortunately, E. coli outbreaks are more common than people realize. The CDC believes the current outbreak is connected to ground beef, and in the past we primarily associated it with ground beef. However, over the last several years we are seeing it regularly in produce, mainly in leafy greens like lettuce and spinach

What precautions should people take to prevent E. coli infection?

To prevent getting sick from E. coli, ground meat should be cooked until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit for beef, lamb, pork and veal and 165 degrees Fahrenheit for ground poultry. Unground meat should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit for beef, pork lamb and veal and 165 degrees Fahrenheit for poultry and poultry parts. Ideally even the produce should be heated, however wilted lettuce isn’t very appetizing. Instead produce should be rinsed off with lukewarm water, making sure that all the dirt is removed, since that is the likely place where the bacteria may be. Admittedly rinsing produce is not 100 percent effective in eliminating the potential threat, but unless you cook it it’s all that can be done…unless you avoid eating it. 

Can you take preventative measures to protect animals from E. coli?

One thing about E. coli is that it is almost everywhere. Just about every animal, including us, has it. Fortunately, the E. coli that we and our animals are carrying do not cause sickness. Since most animals, both farm and pets, are in fields or yards with access to the same healthy animals, the chance is low. At least from catching it from other animals. However, there is a chance they can catch this bacterium from the feed. My advice for this is to feed the animal a good quality feed bought from the store, since most of this is pelleted. Pelleting is a process in which the feed is essentially pressure cooked and it is well known to eliminate almost all bacteria and for sure would eliminate E. coli. Animals that are not fed pelleted feed, care should be taken in that the source of the feed is reputable and has had no problem with E. coli or any other bacteria. If there is any chance of the feed being contaminated, I would just not feed it to my animals.

Why are some strains of E. coli harmless while others can cause infection?

This is an interesting question, since technically there is no such thing as a harmless E. coli. With that said, the vast majority of them have little chance in getting a healthy person sick. Pretty much what separates the harmful E. coli from the rest are the toxins that are produced. These toxin producing genes are only found in the harmful E. coli. Currently the government has control measures in place that have reduced the incidence of E. coli infections from beef and soon there should be some in place that will reduce the incidence from produce. Even with these measures in place, some E. coli positive products still get through. When they do, a recall is issued to remove the contaminated product from the shelves and to inform consumers to not eat the product.