E. coli Happens

Escherichia coli is a species of bacteria that lives in the intestinal tract of humans and animals and is generally not harmful. It has long been used as an indicator of contamination of food and water by various pathogens, but certain serotypes such as E. coli O157:H7 can cause foodborne illness and even death. E. coli O157:H7 received widespread notoriety as a result of the Jack-in-the-Box foodborne illness outbreak in 1993, and sporadic outbreaks have continued ever since.

Most foodborne illne…