Sarah Keating, M.D. - Etobicoke, Ontario
As a physician, I hope the E. coli outbreak from spinach doesn't dissuade people from eating plenty of other leafy green vegetables, which are full of calcium, fiber and anti-oxidants. In addition, this outbreak underscores the critical need to take precautions against food-borne illnesses ("Killer bacteria hunted in fields of California," Cover story, News, Tuesday).
By avoiding beef — the largest source of E. coli — we can significantly reduce our risk of getting sick because animal products are the source of essentially all E. coli infections. Fruits and vegetables become contaminated only when they come in contact with water contaminated by animal agriculture, animal-based fertilizers, kitchen surfaces used for meat preparation, or unwashed hands that have picked up an animal-borne infection.
Everyone, especially meat eaters, is at risk for E. coli, but children younger than 5 and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to suffering the most severe symptoms: http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2006/09/veggie_diet_red.html.
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