Dole E. coli
187 people from 26 states have contracted E. coli after eating spinach. Of these, one has died. According to the CDC, E. coli O157:H7 was isolated in 9 packages of Dole baby spinach supplied by E. coli patients in 7 states. The "DNA fingerprints" of all 9 of these E. coli match that of the spinach-related outbreak strain.
Dole E. coli: Finding a Killer Microbe
On September 13, 2006, CDC officials were alerted by epidemiologists in Wisconsin and Oregon that fresh spinach was the suspected source of small clusters of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections in those states. On the same day, New Mexico epidemiologists contacted Wisconsin and Oregon epidemiologists about a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 infections in New Mexico associated with fresh spinach consumption. Wisconsin public health officials had first reported a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 infections to CDC on September 8. On September 12, CDC PulseNet had confirmed that the E. coli O157:H7 strains from infected patients in Wisconsin had matching pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns ("DNA fingerprints") and identified the same pattern in patient isolates from other states.
On September 14, FDA advised consumers by press release and press conference to not eat bagged fresh spinach. On September 15, Natural Selection Foods, a California company that bags spinach under several brand names including Dole, announced a voluntary recall of all fresh spinach-containing products. On September 16, FDA expanded its warning and advised consumers to not eat fresh spinach or fresh spinach-containing products.
On September 20, 2006, the New Mexico Department of Health announced that it had linked a sample from a package of spinach with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7. The spinach was eaten by one of New Mexico's patients before becoming sick. DNA fingerprinting tests determined that the strain from the spinach matches the strain from patients in the outbreak. The package of spinach that tested positive was "Dole Baby Spinach, Best if Used by August 30." The Dole E. coli-contaminated spinach was the "smoking gun" investigators needed to narrow the search for the location of the E. coli contamination.
This finding allowed investigators to narrow the location of the outbreak spinach to three California counties: Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Clara. On September 21, FDA informed consumers that only spinach grown in the three California counties was implicated in the outbreak.
Since the finding in New Mexico, investigators in 6 other states have found E. coli in 8 additional bags of Dole baby spinach.
Dole E. coli: Outbreaks and Lawsuits
From the beginning of the spinach-related outbreak, Dole baby spinach has been suspected. With the new evidence obtained from bags of Dole spinach, Dole spinach is now considered a source of the outbreak. Lawsuits have been filed against Dole in several states.
This is the second Dole-E. coli outbreak in a year. In the fall of 2005, Dole bagged salad was the source of an E. coli O157 outbreak. Pritzker | Ruohonen was the first law firm to file a lawsuit against Dole.
Pritzker | Ruohonen is a nationally-recognized leader in food poisoning litigation, including E. coli lawasuits. The firm has won millions for food poisoning victims, including a recent settlement for over $3,000,000 for a woman who lost her unborn twins. To contact Pritzker | Ruohonen, call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900, e-mail fhp@pritzkerlaw.com or fill out the online, attorney-consultation form. Read about E. coli lawyer Fred Pritzker on the Pritzker | Ruohonen website, www.pritzkerlaw.com.
