--- title: "E. coli in lettuce: Why hasn’t Arizona had an outbreak yet, and what can ranchers do to help?" date: 2007-01-31T15:31:55-08:00 author: Bill Marler canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/e-coli-in-lettuce-why-hasnt-arizona-had-an-outbreak-yet-and-what-can-ranchers-do-to-help" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / [Outbreaks](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/outbreaks) / # E. coli in lettuce: Why hasn’t Arizona had an outbreak yet, and what can ranchers do to help? ![](http://www.ecoliblog.com/vfiles4911.jpg) National Public Radio’s All Things Considered aired a story on lettuce production near Yuma, Arizona, the region where leafy greens are grown during the off-season in California’s Salinas Valley. > America gets much of its winter lettuce from the fields of Yuma, Ariz. But unlike the country’s other big lettuce region — California’s Salinas Valley — Yuma’s crops haven’t been hit with E. coli contamination. Produce companies are learning new lessons about avoiding future outbreaks. The Capital Press reports that California State Senator Dean Florez is preparing to introduce legislation designed to reduce E. coli contamination in California’s fresh produce. Now ranchers are working to help be part of the solution. According to the Capital Press, Central Coast cattle ranchers are learning ways they can help in the fight against food-borne pathogens. At two "Cut the Crap for Ranchers" seminars this week, including one today in Guadalupe, Rob Atwill, a University of California Extension specialist in veterinary medicine, will tell ranchers how to prevent potential contamination of surface water with pathogens like [E. coli.](http://www.about-ecoli.com/) "Cattle certainly can carry it, shed it, and spread it. Other things can carry it, shed it and spread it," Atwill said. "Are they (cattle) just light bulbs for us telling us that it has moved into the valley — this E. coli — and are they are also being taken over and invaded by these bacteria, or are they in fact the ones that keep it going from year to year?" Cattle have been implicated as possible sources of the E. coli outbreak linked to fresh spinach from the Salinas Valley last September. Health investigators have made no definitive connection to livestock, but Atwill said ranchers can still act on their own to help by establishing buffers between livestock operations and crops. ### Other E. coli Lawsuits [Raw Farms linked to another Raw Milk Cheese E.coli Outbreak - 9 People sickened - Company refuses to recall product](https://marlerclark.com/raw-farms-linked-to-another-raw-milk-cheese-e-coli-outbreak-7-people-sickened) [10 with E. coli linked to Cheese](https://marlerclark.com/3-with-e-coli-linked-to-cheese) [Sycamore Pool in Chico California Contaminated with E.coli - Two teens in ICU](https://marlerclark.com/sycamore-pool-in-chico-california-contaminated-with-e-coli-two-teens-in-icu) [Deadly Nationwide E.coli Outbreak Linked to Grimmway Farms Organic Baby and Whole Carrots sickens 48](https://marlerclark.com/nationwide-e-coli-outbreak-linked-to-grimmway-farms-organic-baby-and-whole-carrots) [E. coli Outbreak tied to Red Cow and Hen House 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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 ](https://marlerclark.com/contact) ##### Related Resources ###### [E. coli Food Poisoning](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/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](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/e-coli-o157h7) 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](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/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](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/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](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/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. 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