I’ll take one mexi-melt, a nachos bell grande and a small side of E. Coli

E. coli Outbreak Linked To Three Taco Bells

In New Jersey, an outbreak has sickened at least 22 people, two of them seriously.
Taco Bell President Greg Creed said in a statement that the company is “very concerned.''

But What is an E. coli infection?

Escherichia coli (also called E. coli) is a bacterium that can cause serious infections. Most of the hundreds of types, or strains, of E. coli live harmlessly in the digestive tracts of humans and animals. But some strains produce a powerful toxin that causes bloody diarrhea and occasionally can cause severe blood problems and kidney failure.

What causes an E. coli infection?

Simply stated, disease-causing E. coli spreads to people through contact with human or animal feces. Food and water contaminated with E. coli bacteria look and smell normal (Editorial comment: Contaminated food will look and smell normal with the small caveat that they only smell normal if the contact was minor. Submersing your food in a toilet will cause some odor and flavor changes).

Contaminated Food

Other food sources that may be at a high risk for carrying strains of E. coli bacteria include raw fruits and vegetables, such as lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, or unpasteurized apple cider or other unpasteurized juices that have come in contact with infected animal feces.

It sure is hot out. Could you pour me a nice tall glass of icy stool-contaminated water?

Human or animal feces infected with E. coli bacteria can contaminate water. People can become infected when a contaminated city or town water supply has not been properly treated with chlorine or when people accidentally swallow contaminated water while swimming in a lake, pool, or irrigation canal.

Person-to-person contact

The bacteria can be spread from one person to another, usually when an infected person does not wash his or her hands properly after a bowel movement. E. coli can spread from an infected person's hands to other people or to objects.

The effect this poopy food outbreak will have on Taco Bell is still unknown, however we know what happened to ChiChi’s a few years back. While ChiChi’s problem wasn’t E. coli, it was feces-related…

ChiChi’s Mexican Restaurant

Three people died and more than 600 others fell ill due to a hepatitis A outbreak at a Mexican restaurant near Pittsburgh in 2003. Over 14,500 patrons of Chi-Chi's Mexican Restaurant in Beaver County may have been exposed to the virus from September 1 to November 3, when officials closed the restaurant.

Chi-Chi's shuts all units; Outback buys site rights

LOUISVILLE, KY. -- Chi-Chi's Inc. said adios last month and shuttered till 65 of its Mexican dinnerhouses as Outback Steakhouse Inc. completed its $42.5 million purchase of the rights to 76 properties and leases belonging to the bankrupt chain.

The chain's Web site stated that Chi-Chi's "would like to thank all of our loyal customers of the past 27 years and, with a tear in our eye, say Adios!" (Editorial comment: With a tear in their eye and poop on their hands).

However, Outback, which operates and franchises 1,103 restaurants, including the 852-unit namesake steakhouse chain, was named winner of the bidding Aug. 3. Outback said it plans to use a "significant number" of the properties for its own brands. In addition to Outback Steakhouses, the company operates Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, Roy's, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Lee Roy Selmon's and Paul Lee's Chinese Kitchen.

So how is hepatitis A spread?

Surprise! The virus is spread mainly by oral contact with stool (feces) containing the virus. If contaminated stool gets into the water or food supply, the virus may infect anyone who drinks the water or eats the food. This is how most people around the world become infected with hepatitis A.

Sometimes a large group of people who eat at the same restaurant become infected. This usually happens when an employee with hepatitis A does not wash his or her hands well after using the bathroom and then prepares food (Editorial comment: Heaving, mouth is watering, gag...where's that article on the physiology of vomiting?)

So what have we learned? We know that poop mixed with food will make you sick. We’ve also learned that you are likely to get some poop in your food if you eat at Taco Bell. The question that comes to mind is this: If the people who work at Taco Bell look and act the same as the people I see working at McDonalds, Burger King and any number of other fast-food restaurants, am I going to be in danger of ingesting poop if I eat at one of those chains?

Fast food is cheap and delicious, and most importantly, it's fast. Is a little poopy in your meal a price you’re willing to pay for this speedy deliciousness? Your damn right it is.

by File Boy