Was environmental contamination responsible for the outbreak involving E. coli bacteria and spinach?
Yes. In October 2006, investigators found E. coli in environmental samples collected at a spinach-growing ranch in California. The strain matched that of the bacteria causing the outbreak. The same strain also showed up in water taken from a stream, cattle feces taken from pasture areas, and wild pig feces collected on the ranch. All of this underscores the idea that a pathogen can contaminate the growing environment, making produce potentially unsafe.
