Question about the spinich e-coli outbreak....?

Question

We have bagged spinich in our refridegerator for our pet lizard, question 1) can e coli hurt lizards? 2) Is that something that can spread just by being in our refridgerator? Should we get rid of it even if humans do not comsume it??

NO I don't want to kill my lizard, That is why I am asking if it will hurt him.. So I can take him to the vet and get him treated if it can.

Answer 1

It is unlikely to infect your lizard or anything else in the fridge... but I personally ould not risk it for something this minor. I'd toss it.

Answer 2

I was wondering the same thing. I am going to check to see the package date. and see if there is something on the net about it. To see if we can get it. If yours is already opened and part eaten then I would not worry about it. This is suppose to act fast. I have animals that eat spinach every day and they seem okay. I am going to have to grow more of my own so I don;t have to worry about it. Is there a phone number on yours to check on. Or maybe call the store.You got it from

Answer 3

Just get rid of the spinach, don't take a chance. Call vets to be sure about lizards and any illness. Be sure to ask what symptoms to look for too

Answer 4

I just heard that the Natural Selections brand is the one that is tainted. If you have that -- throw it out and wipe the inside of your fridge with a mild bleach water solution. It won't spread but if you touched the spinach, and the bag, and the shelf in your fridge....wipe it off.

Answer 5

I had actually heard about that before this "newsbreak..." It's best to avoid it, and actually spinach is not good for lizards. It's just as easy and cheap to buy fresh collard greens, mustard greens, endive, escarole, bok choy, etc...

Answer 6

use yoour garbartore and get rid iof the spinich

Answer 7

I would not test that. Return it to the store for a refund and buy something else.

Answer 8

Throw it all away and start over.

Answer 9

ON THE NEWS THEY SAID NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT TO THROW IT ALL AWAY!!!! POOR LIZARD DO WANT TO KILL IT

Answer 10

Many animals can be infected with the E. coli O157:H7 and not have symptoms. Cows, sheep, pigs and poultry are vectors for that variety of E. coli. I doubt whether that variety of E. coli would be pathogenic for your lizard, however, you might phone your vetrinarian to ask since E. coli O157:H7 does infect poultry, chances are it may infect lizards. It may not harm them however. From what I read, the danger to lizards is from parasites and Salmonella.

You could follow the same precautions as you would for a human by thoroughly washing the spinach and cooking it.

Spinach is a healthy food. You may eat it. The problem with bagged "pre-washed" packaged spinach and salads is that people tend to eat it right out of the bag without washing it again. That is not healthy. Raw food should be thoroughly washed, not just rinsed. Cooking does kill most pathogens.

For some people, especially young children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, foodborne illness can be very dangerous.

Foodborne illnesses are more common that most people think. Use a brush to scrub produce with firm or rough surfaces, such as oranges, cantaloupes, potatoes and carrots. You should always soak raw fruits and vegetables in chlorinated tap water for a few minutes and rub them to get them clean. Then rinse them under running tap water before you prepare and eat them . Any bacteria left-over will be killed by cooking.

At this time, Natural Selection Foods, LLC, of San Juan Bautista, California, is recalling all of its products that contain spinach in all the brands they pack with “Best if Used by Dates” of August 17, 2006 through October 1, 2006. The products were distributed to about 20 states and Mexico.

Natural Selection Foods, LLC brands include: Natural Selection Foods, Pride of San Juan, Earthbound Farm, Bellissima, Dole, Rave Spinach, Emeril, Sysco, O Organic, Fresh Point, River Ranch, Superior, Nature’s Basket, Pro-Mark, Compliments, Trader Joe’s, Ready Pac, Jansal Valley, Cheney Brothers, Coastline, D’Arrigo Brothers, Green Harvest, Mann, Mills Family Farm, Pro*Act, Premium Fresh, Snoboy, The Farmer’s Market, Tanimura & Antle, President’s Choice, Cross Valley, and Riverside Farms. These products include spinach and any salad with spinach in a blend, both retail and food service products. Products that do not contain spinach are not part of this recall.

Another company, River Ranch, of California, is currently recalling its spring mix containing spinach. River Ranch obtained bulk spring mix containing spinach from Natural Selections. The following brands are involved: Farmers Market, Hy Vee, Fresh and Easy.

Sometimes, the contamination comes from cow manure used as fertilizer. Cows, pigs, sheep and horses may be infected with E. coli O157:H7 and not become ill. In the past, contaminated seeds, irrigation water, and flooding have contributed to E. coli outbreaks traced to alfalfa sprouts, lettuce, spinach, parsley, and other fresh produce.

E. coli O157:H7 has formerly been found on all types of produce including strawberries, lettuce and bean sprouts. It has also been found in meat. You should thoroughly wash all vegetables and fruits that you eat raw. The tap water is chlorinated which generally is sufficient to kill most bacteria but O157:H7 is also resistant to chlorine so you must soak the vegetables for around 10 minutes and use friction to rub the vegetables. Unpasturized fruit juices were the source of a large E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in 1996.

Meat must be thoroughly cooked. E. coli O157:H7 bacteria is believed to mostly live in the intestines of cattle, but has also been found in the intestines of chickens, deer, sheep, and pigs. E. coli O157:H7 does not make the animals that carry it ill; the animals are merely the reservoir for the bacteria.

It takes about 2 to 8 days for a person to show signs of infection which include:
o- bloody diarrhea
o- nausea and vomiting
o- severe abdominal cramps
o- fever

Healthy adults infected with E. coli O157:H7 may recover within 5 to 10 days without treatment. The higher risk is for those with a compromised immune system, children and older adults. A serious complication is called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). It leads to destruction of the red blood cells and kidney failure. About 2%-7% of infections lead to this complication. Even with the patient receiving intensive care, the death rate from hemolytic uremic syndrome can be about 3%-5%.

The very infectious E. coli -- type O157:H7 may also be antibiotic resistant. During the current epidemic of E.coli O157:H7 found in spinach an 85-year-old woman died in Wisconsin and 109 people have been hospitalized.

The CDC estimates that about 73,000 cases of E.coli related illness occur each year. And 76 million cases of other foodborne illness. As a direct result of pathogenic E. coli infections and its complications, every year 2,100 Americans are hospitalized, and 61 people die. A recent study estimated the annual cost of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses to be $405 million (in 2003 dollars). Those costs that contributed to this estimate included $370 million for premature deaths, $30 million for medical care, and $5 million for lost productivity.

The virulence of E. coli O157:H7 is a result of its ability to produce Shiga-like toxins, or verotoxins. Shiga-like toxins inhibit protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells and play a role in hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome by causing damage to endothelial cells in the kidneys, pancreas, brain, and other organs, thus inhibiting those organs’ ability to function.

The primary mode of transmission of E. coli at agricultural fairs, petting zoos, and farm visits was previously thought to be fecal-oral – that is, by ingestion of bacteria-laden feces via contaminated food or water, or transfer by hand to mouth following contact with contaminated surfaces or animals. Conclusions reached by investigators in several recent fair-associated outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 suggest that ingestion or perhaps even inhalation of contaminated dust particles may be an additional cause of E. coli infection among fairgoers and visitors to petting zoos.