All News / Outbreaks /

The E. coli O157:H7 bacteria and the significance of age

Fresh spinach contaminated with E. coli bacteria led to the death of Elizabeth "Betty" Howard of Richland, said her attorney, William Marler of Seattle.

Howard, 83, contracted E. coli O157:H7 from eating bagged spinach in September, the state Department of Health said.

The Tri-City Herald reports that Benton County Coroner Rick Corson said the cause of death still was under investigation. He said it was premature to say the E. coli infection caused her death, but it is a possibility that’s being investigated. Corson said there were other age-related health issues that may have been contributing circumstances.

The elderly are far more susceptible to the lethal complications of disease, particularly E. coli O157:H7, than most. Death rates for infectious diarrheal disease alone are five times higher in people over 74 years of age than in the next highest group, children under four years of age, and fifteen times higher than the rates seen in younger adults.

Published studies attribute the elderly’s heightened risks, both of infection and mortality due to infectious disease, to several factors: the aging of the gastrointestinal tract (reduced gastric acidity/mobility), a higher prevalence of underlying medical disorders (co-morbidity factors), and immune system changes that leave the host less able to defend itself against infectious agents.

Get Help

Affected by an outbreak or recall?

The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more.

Get a free consultation
Related Resources
E. coli Food Poisoning

What is E. coli and how does it cause food poisoning? Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a highly studied, common species of bacteria that belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae, so...

E. coli O157:H7

E. coli O157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen that causes food poisoning. E. coli O157:H7 is the most commonly identified and the most notorious Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) serotype in...

Non-O157 STEC

Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli can also cause food poisoning. E. coli O157:H7 may be the most notorious serotype of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), but there are at least...

Sources of E. coli

Where do E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) come from? The primary reservoirs, or ultimate sources, of E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 STEC in nature are...

Transmission of and Infection with E. coli

While many dairy cattle-associated foodborne disease outbreaks are linked to raw milk and other raw dairy products (e.g., cheeses, butter, ice cream), dairy cattle still represent a source of contamination...

Outbreak Database

Looking for a comprehensive list of outbreaks?

The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more.

View Outbreak Database