When Ohio laboratory workers ran tests as part of an investigation of an E. coli 0145 outbreak linked to romaine lettuce, they found another rarely identified contaminant.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have determined that the strain of bacteria was Escherichia coli 0143:H34, said Ohio Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Kaleigh Frazier.
The E. coli in the bag of lettuce tested in Ohio hasn't been linked to any known food-borne illness here or elsewhere, but it could sicken people. For some food-safety advocates, the finding highlights the ubiquitous nature of contamination and builds the case to expedite reforms to improve the cleanliness of the nation's food supply.
The second type of E. coli was found in shredded lettuce from food-processor Freshway Foods in Sidney, Ohio. Another sample from the same company proved key to linking a multistate outbreak of E. coli 0145 infection to romaine lettuce and eventually back to a farm in Arizona where the lettuce was grown.
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