With the recent cases of E. coli infection in twenty states thanks to contaminated spinach from California, you may be wondering what it is, what it does, and how it spreads. Escherichia coli is a bacteria with hundreds of different strains. The current E. coli outbreak is specifically caused by E. Coli O157:H7, a leading cause of food borne illness. Every year in the United States, there are approximately 73,000 cases of E. coli infection. The bacteria was first recognized in 1982, when an outbreak of severe diarrhea and abdominal cramping was traced back to undercooked, contaminated hamburgers. How does … Continue reading →