Feral Pigs may have Spread E. coli to Spinach Field

October 31, 2006 — 

Investigators exploring the source of E. coli-tainted spinach implicated in 200 illnesses and 3 deaths have suggested that feral pigs may have contaminated the spinach field with bacteria from an adjacent cattle ranch.

Feral pig activity was evident at the spinach field, and the bacteria detected in the cattle and isolated from a feral pig was determined to be the same strain of E. coli as that implicated in the outbreak.

[Ed. Although sampling in this wild pig has demonstrated the presence of E. coli 0157:H7 in intestinal contents, there is no scientific evidence that the bacterium has contributed to any human infections in the U.S. This finding may represent nothing more than a transient presence of the bacterium. Thousands of fecal samples were collected during the National Animal Health Monitoring Surveys (NAHMS) conducted in 1995 and 2000 and examined for the presence of E. coli 0157:H7 and all were negative. The feral hog population is not representative of the U.S. commercial swine herd. For some additional information on E. coli 0157:H7 and its implications in swine, please see the accompanying article from Dr. Liz Wagstrom of the National Pork Board elsewhere in this edition of e-Letter.]

Source: USAgNet - 10/31/2006