In January 1993, the first major E. coli outbreak swept through the
northwestern United States. This is not the first time that a person had been infected
with E. coli, but it is the first time that an outbreak became widely known and as far
spread. Jack in the Box fast food chain was accredited with the blame for this first
big E. coli outbreak. Ever since this first large infection with Escherichia coli the
world has been on edge, not wanting another major outbreak.
Jack in the Box hamburgers were blamed for carrying the E. coli bacteria.
Only three children actually died of E. coli and they were all under 3 years of age.
Jack in the Box never fully took credit for their contaminated hamburgers. They
blamed their meat supplier …show more content…
(Communications Group)
The world then began seeing another strain of E. coli, only this time plant
products were to blame. E. coli O175:H7 was found in leafy greens, more
specifically, lettuce. Lettuce is not the only plant that has been found with E. coli in
it. Everything from apples to herbs has, at some point, tested positive for
Escherichia coli. (Norwich BioScience Institutes) E. coli, however, cannot grow on
plants. Plants do not possess the correct conditions for a colony of Escherichia coli
to grow and thrive. E. coli’s best environment is the moist, warm conditions that can
be found inside of animals. E. coli is found, mainly, in the stomach and intestines of
mammals. Studies have shown that when an animal is done digesting, some of the E.
coli from its digestive tract is released from the animal through defecation.
These specific types of E. coli are not harmful to these organisms. Even
humans have healthy E. coli in their own digestive tract. Escherichia coli actually aid
in digestion of starches, which is why it is common for a cow that has been fed more
of a corn-based diet, to have more Escherichia coli in their digestive
northwestern United States. This is not the first time that a person had been infected
with E. coli, but it is the first time that an outbreak became widely known and as far
spread. Jack in the Box fast food chain was accredited with the blame for this first
big E. coli outbreak. Ever since this first large infection with Escherichia coli the
world has been on edge, not wanting another major outbreak.
Jack in the Box hamburgers were blamed for carrying the E. coli bacteria.
Only three children actually died of E. coli and they were all under 3 years of age.
Jack in the Box never fully took credit for their contaminated hamburgers. They
blamed their meat supplier …show more content…
(Communications Group)
The world then began seeing another strain of E. coli, only this time plant
products were to blame. E. coli O175:H7 was found in leafy greens, more
specifically, lettuce. Lettuce is not the only plant that has been found with E. coli in
it. Everything from apples to herbs has, at some point, tested positive for
Escherichia coli. (Norwich BioScience Institutes) E. coli, however, cannot grow on
plants. Plants do not possess the correct conditions for a colony of Escherichia coli
to grow and thrive. E. coli’s best environment is the moist, warm conditions that can
be found inside of animals. E. coli is found, mainly, in the stomach and intestines of
mammals. Studies have shown that when an animal is done digesting, some of the E.
coli from its digestive tract is released from the animal through defecation.
These specific types of E. coli are not harmful to these organisms. Even
humans have healthy E. coli in their own digestive tract. Escherichia coli actually aid
in digestion of starches, which is why it is common for a cow that has been fed more
of a corn-based diet, to have more Escherichia coli in their digestive