Bagged Spinach | The International Outbreak Museum

Outbreak: Bagged Spinach
Product: Spinach	Investigation Start Date: 09/08/2006
Location: Multi-State	Etiology: E. coli (STEC) O157:H7
Earliest known case onset date: 08/25/2006	Latest case onset date: 09/13/2006
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 5 / 0	Positive Samples (Food / Environmental / Water): 0 / 0 / 0
Hospitalizations: 98	Deaths: 3

Oregon, CDC, and Wisconsin share hypotheses via conference call about their locally emerging (but nationally connected) E. coli O157 clusters; Oregon is convinced of bagged spinach.
Contaminated spinach purchased just before the national product recall of these brands was initiated. Packaging with replica spinach are museum exhibits.
Contaminated spinach collected from the home of a case of E. coli O157:H7 infection from Douglas county, Oregon.
Contaminated spinach collected from the home of a case of E. coli O157:H7 infection from Malheur county, Oregon.
Spinach field in Salinas Valley, CA.
Out tending the spinach in the field.
Headlines in the news as the recall story breaks wide open.
A selection of newspaper clippings about the outbreak investigation.
A selection of newspaper clippings about the outbreak investigation.
A selection of newspaper clippings about the outbreak investigation.
A selection of newspaper clippings about the outbreak investigation.

OUTBREAK SUMMARY:

This outbreak highlighted Inter-state health department cooperation. Oregon epidemiologists identified that 4 out of 5 cases in Oregon consumed bagged spinach using their homegrown "Shotgun" hypothesis-generating questionnaire. Contact with WI and NM showed cases already underway with spinach showing signs of being the culprit. Contact with Utah allowed them … Continue Reading ››