All About E. coli O157:H7
What is E.Coli O157:H7? | Where does it come from? | How does it infect people? | Symptoms and risks.
How does E. coli O157:H7 infect people?
How it gets into the human food chain? | Meat contamination. | Produce contamination.
Waterborne transmission. | Animal exhibit transmission. | Do FARMERS get sick?
How E. coli O157:H7 gets into the human food chain
Modern storage and food preparation techniques have improved the safety of most foods we eat. Pasteurization, refrigeration, and more recent improvements in identifying risks along the production chain have helped increase consumer comfort with the safety of our food supply.
However, in spite of these advances, foodborne disease remains a significant cause of illness and death in both the developing and developed worlds (Schlundt et al. 2004). This could be partly as a result in changes in how food animals are raised and crops are grown. Modern farms have had to become much bigger in order for farmers to earn a living. This means that barns are housing more animals now than even ever before, making it easy for infectious agents such as E.coli O157:H7 to spread in a herd (Collins and Wall, 2004).
Manure—used as a fertilizer for crop production and found in runoff from beef and dairy farms—is a source of contamination for the general environment, as well as surface and ground water.
The contamination of meat, vegetables, fruits, and water as a result of exposure to E. coli O157:H7 from livestock manure is a recognized threat to human health. Preventing infections in people requires control measures at all stages of the food chain, from agricultural production on the farm to the processing, manufacturing and preparation of foods in commercial establishments and in the home (Schlundt et al, 2004).
In addition to outbreaks caused by contaminated meat, human exposure to E. coli O157:H7 is regularly traced to contaminated fruits and vegetables, unpasteurized milk and fruit juice, potable and recreational water such as lakes, rivers and streams, and animals at fairs, exhibitions and petting zoos (through direct contact).
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