'U' Expert: Europe's E. Coli Outbreak Could Happen Here
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Minnesota disease expert says the deadly E. coli outbreak in Europe could happen here.
Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota said the outbreak in Europe that's killed at least 16 people and sickened 1,000 others is unusual in scale and severity.
"The people who are dying today, many of them, are young healthy women who ate their salads and so part of the problem we have today is that we have to keep up with the highest levels of food safety," said Osterholm.
Produce from Spain is the leading suspect in an outbreak in nine countries.
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''Foodborne disease continues to be an important issue," added Osterholm. "And with this global food supply today, this outbreak that's occurring in the E.U. could just as easily have occurred in the United States."
He said safety must be stressed from the farm field to the kitchen.
