From marc@aculink.net Sat Mar 18 18:00:52 2000 Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2000 14:53:14 -0700 From: marc@aculink.net To: sanet-mg@cals.ncsu.edu Subject: Re: four e-coli disease strains > > Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2000 13:41:37 -0800 > From: Charles Benbrook > Subject: E. Coli 0157 > > If > there is an affordable quick test for E.Coli 0157 that could be used in > finished compost, the organic industry should consider adding it to the > list of standard operating procedures. If one does not now exist, someone > should work on it, because this problem is not going to go away and all > sectors of agriculture have to become more diligent and sophisticated in > avoiding problems. There are 4 species noted for their illness-causing ability. The other hundreds of e-coli variants are considered benign and/or helpful. Specific names from the FDA web site concerning human-affecting food-borne pathogenic microorganisms and natural toxins lists: Enterovirulent Escherichia coli Group (EEC Group) Escherichia coli - enterotoxigenic (ETEC) Escherichia coli - enteropathogenic (EPEC) Escherichia coli O157:H7 enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) Escherichia coli - enteroinvasive (EIEC) In addition to these pathogens there are dozens of others that are real threats to people. PATHOGENIC BACTERIA Salmonella spp. Clostridium botulinum Staphylococcus aureus Campylobacter jejuni Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Listeria monocytogenes Vibrio cholerae O1 Vibrio cholerae non-O1 Vibrio parahaemolyticus and other vibrios Vibrio vulnificus Clostridium perfringens Bacillus cereus Aeromonas hydrophila and other spp. Plesiomonas shigelloides Shigella spp. Miscellaneous enterics Streptococcus PARASITIC PROTOZOA and WORMS Giardia lamblia Entamoeba histolytica Cryptosporidium parvum Cyclospora cayetanensis Updated! Anisakis sp. and related worms Diphyllobothrium spp. Nanophyetus spp. Eustrongylides sp. Acanthamoeba and other free-living amoebae Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura VIRUSES Hepatitis A virus Hepatitis E virus Rotavirus Norwalk virus group Other viral agents NATURAL TOXINS Ciguatera poisoning Shellfish toxins (PSP, DSP, NSP, ASP) Scombroid poisoning Tetrodotoxin (Pufferfish) Mushroom toxins Aflatoxins Pyrrolizidine alkaloids Phytohaemagglutinin (Red kidney bean poisoning) Grayanotoxin (Honey intoxication) E-coli is the current scare "fad". Looks like a lot of potential ones are in the wings. The last I heard there is no problem in the small farm or organic industry with e-coli of any type. I would like any references to the contrary. The most heavily controlled, tested, regulated and inspected part of the food industry is the part that has exposed the public to Escherichia coli pathogens!!!! Again, please correct me if my research is wrong. In actuality you cannot test, inspect or regulate quality into a product. It has to be there in the first place. The incredibly complicated and condescending "system" implemented by the most powerful country in the world cannot compete with the health track record of it's small farmer's informal system. It's the different discipline and concept that does it, not the tests for pathogens. A doom sayer must have 100% control and can spot a potential fly in a glass of water a mile a way then upon learning the fly is not there state's "but it could have been". This is the beginning point of the "consumer protection" racket. Small farms are consumer protection organizations, not a racket. Considering the old saying about an organization soon begins to resemble the one it was designed to replace then additional regulatory burdens small and organic farmers would have to undergo are a way to insure pathogens - not eliminate them. Marc S. Nameth To Unsubscribe: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command "unsubscribe sanet-mg". If you receive the digest format, use the command "unsubscribe sanet-mg-digest". To Subscribe to Digest: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command "subscribe sanet-mg-digest". All messages to sanet-mg are archived at: http://www.sare.org/san/htdocs/hypermail