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  • From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] Reducing Risks from E.coli 0157 on the Organic Farm
  • Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2006 14:16:24 -0600

Reducing Risks from E.coli 0157 on the Organic Farm

David G. Patriquin*
(Biology Department, Dalhousie University, Halifax, N.S.)

Summary

E. coli 0157 is a bacterial pathogen of the human intestinal tract which is
carried in certain species of livestock and wildlife without ill-effect.
Such organisms are termed zoonotics. Various types of Campylobacter and
Salmonella are other major causes of food borne illness that like E. coli
0157, are zoonotic in livestock and appear to have been on the increase in
recent decades. E.coli 0157 is particularly hazardous because of the very
low number of organisms that can cause infection and because of serious
complications that can result from infection, especially in infants and the
elderly. As well as from contaminated food, E. coli 0157 can be acquired
through casual contact with manure and with fecal contaminated surfaces and
water. Thus farm residents and workers should be aware of the nature of E.
coli 0157 and of personal measures they can take to reduce the risk of
infection. Reducing the levels of zoonotics in farm animals is seen as a
key component of strategies to reduce the occurrence of food borne
infections generally. A number of the existing practices of organic farming
could be expected to discriminate against E. coli 0157. However, none can
ensure its absence and the routes by which 0157 moves into farms apply to
organic farms, for example via birds that have been feeding on a farm with
a high level of E. coli 0157. Some provisional guidelines for reducing
levels of E. coli 0157 on organic farms and the risk to farm workers and
residents are offered. They are pertinent also to gardeners who use manure
or buy bulk compost.

entire informative article at
http://www.cog.ca/efgsummer2000.htm#ecoli


paul tradingpost@lobo.net






  • [Livingontheland] Reducing Risks from E.coli 0157 on the Organic Farm, TradingPostPaul, 09/29/2006

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