Manure Happens

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is the name of the deadly strain of bacteria behind last month's E-coli outbreak and the widespread spinach recall. Today, newspapers are reporting that some lettuce is being recalled for possible E-coli contamination.

O157:H7 lives in cow guts and is more commonly associated with meat, especially hamburger meat tainted by cow feces. That was the scenario in the first-known cases of the bacteria infecting humans, in the early 1980s. Since that time, there have been many more cases involving the contamination of leafy greens with E-coli. So what is the connection between cow guts and the salad bar?

The Why Files, a site from the University of Wisconsin that specializes in ruminating on the science behind the news investigates the link and, more importantly, what can be done about it. As usual, the answers are not simple, but one thing's clear: We have to be mindful about managing manure.