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Irrigation water issues potentially related to the 2006 multistate E. coli O157:H7 outbreak associated with spinach

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  • Gelting, Richard J.
  • Baloch, Mansoor A.
  • Zarate-Bermudez, Max A.
  • Selman, Carol

Abstract

A multistate Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreak in August and September 2006 was found to be associated with consumption of fresh bagged spinach traced to California. The California Food Emergency Response Team (CALFERT), consisting of personnel from the California Department of Public Health Food and Drug Branch (FDB) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) undertook an environmental investigation to determine how and why the spinach became contaminated. At the invitation of FDA and FDB, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also participated in the environmental investigation. This paper presents findings from the portion of the environmental investigation focusing on environmental factors related to irrigation water that may have contributed to contamination of the spinach and hence to the outbreak. Analysis of the available data suggests that depths to groundwater and groundwater-surface water interactions may pose risks to ready-to-eat crops. These risks should be further evaluated and quantified to understand and identify the factors that contributed to this and similar outbreaks. One implication of this analysis is the need to continue to conceptually broaden the scope of produce-related outbreak investigations. Where feasible, investigation strategies should integrate possible contamination sources beyond those actually found on the farms that are identified as sources of produce involved in outbreaks.

Suggested Citation

  • Gelting, Richard J. & Baloch, Mansoor A. & Zarate-Bermudez, Max A. & Selman, Carol, 2011. "Irrigation water issues potentially related to the 2006 multistate E. coli O157:H7 outbreak associated with spinach," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 98(9), pages 1395-1402, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:98:y:2011:i:9:p:1395-1402
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    Cited by:

    1. Gelting, Richard J. & Baloch, Mansoor A. & Zarate-Bermudez, Max & Hajmeer, Maha N. & Yee, J. Christopher & Brown, Teresa & Yee, Benson J., 2015. "A systems analysis of irrigation water quality in an environmental assessment of an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in the United States linked to iceberg lettuce," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 111-118.
    2. Dilhani Nisansala Jayawardhana & Loan Thi Thanh Cao & Thomas A. Yeargin & Kristen E. Gibson & Angela M. Fraser, 2020. "The Relationship between Environmental Characteristics and Risk Management Practices on Produce Farms: A Systematic Literature Review," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-21, November.
    3. Gülbanu Kaptan & Arnout R.H. Fischer & Lynn J. Frewer, 2018. "Extrapolating understanding of food risk perceptions to emerging food safety cases," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(8), pages 996-1018, August.
    4. Alegbeleye, Oluwadara & Sant’Ana, Anderson S., 2023. "Microbiological quality of irrigation water collected from vegetable farms in Sao Paulo, Brazil during the dry and rainy season," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 279(C).
    5. Siele Ceuppens & Gro S. Johannessen & Ana Allende & Eduardo César Tondo & Fouad El-Tahan & Imca Sampers & Liesbeth Jacxsens & Mieke Uyttendaele, 2015. "Risk Factors for Salmonella , Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli and Campylobacter Occurrence in Primary Production of Leafy Greens and Strawberries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-23, August.
    6. Deepak Singh & Neelam Patel & Agossou Gadedjisso-Tossou & Sridhar Patra & Nisha Singh & Pushpendra Kumar Singh, 2020. "Incidence of Escherichia coli in Vegetable Crops and Soil Profile Drip Irrigated with Primarily Treated Municipal Wastewater in a Semi-Arid Peri Urban Area," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.

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