Ten scientists at the New Mexico Department of Health laboratory have isolated the connection between the nationwide outbreak of E. coli and fresh spinach tainted with the same bacteria after testing a partially eaten bag of Dole baby spinach from the refrigerator of a Bernalillo County resident.
The unnamed resident, who ate some of the spinach before becoming infected with E. coli on Aug. 31, was hospitalized for about two weeks.
Until now, the link between fresh bagged spinach and people sick with the identical bug, including five in New Mexico, was based on anecdotal evidence from patients. Since August, E. coli O157, as this strain is called, has infected at least 146 people in 23 states and killed a Wisconsin woman who died of kidney failure caused by the infection.
With the Bernalillo County patient’s bag of spinach and a stool sample, scientists on Tuesday night were able to confirm the link on a molecular level.
Nice work guys!