The Wisconsin Ag Connection reported on this story. I’ll update our readers when there is a final statement from the FDA.
The Food and Drug Administration is getting closer to identifying the source of the E. coli outbreak linked to Taco John’s restaurants, the federal agency announced on Friday. The DAN fingerprint of the strain of E coli bacteria associated with the outbreak was traced back to two environmental samples gathered from dairy farms near a lettuce growing area in California’s Central Valley, the FDA says in its statement.
Epidemiological studies by Minnesota and Iowa health officials had previously identified shredded iceberg lettuce served in the restaurants as the possible source of the outbreak. The current finding indicates that the lettuce may be contaminated by dairy farms near the lettuce growing area.
The outbreak sickened approximately 81 people in November and December of 2006, including 33 in Minnesota, 47 in Iowa and one in Wisconsin with 26 hospitalized and two suffering hemolytic uremic syndrome.