Strawberries Linked to E. coli

Oregon agricultural officials are attempting to limit the fallout of a recent E. coli outbreak. The cause of the outbreak was traced back to strawberries grown on a Newberg, Oregon farm. Jaquith Strawberry Farm, the farm in question, finished its strawberry season at the end of July and shipped the tainted fruit across the state.

While the season is finished and there is no risk of further shipments of contaminated berries, agricultural and health officials are racing to remove the already shipped fruits from the market.

E. coli contamination can result in potentially life threatening bacterial infections. While some E. coli strains are harmless, pathogenic varieties can cause a number of illnesses in humans, including serious food poisoning. Nausea, diarrhea, fever, and vomiting are some of the most common symptoms of E. coli infection.

So far at least ten people have been sickened by contaminated berries and one woman has died from kidney failure.

One of the difficulties Oregon officials face in reigning in the illness is the range of tainted berry sales. Jaquith Farm ships strawberries across the state. While the traditional retail locations that carry Jaquith products can be easily traced, the farm has also sold berries to a variety of roadside vendors across the state. It has so far proven more difficult to recall the tainted products at these locations.

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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer