2006年VOA标准英语-FDA Warning Consumers to Avoid Fresh Spinach

By Mil Arcega
Washington, DC
19 September 2006
 
watch report on E Coli

The United States Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) has expanded its search for the source of the deadly E.Coli bacterium¹ that has already killed one woman and sickened more than 100 people.  The outbreak has been linked to bagged spinach² but authorities are now warning consumers to avoid all fresh spinach for the time being.

Grocers across the country have been busy pulling bagged spinach from their shelves, but the warning has been expanded to include all fresh spinach, including those mixed in tossed salads.

The F.D.A. says at least 55 people have been hospitalized after eating the tainted³ greens, 16 of them diagnosed with hemolytic uremia, a type of kidney failure.

 
Bevan Baker⁴
Hardest hit was the state of Wisconsin where the first cases were reported. Wisconsin Health Commissioner⁵ Bevan Baker said, "The key thing to note here is that this could be the tip of the iceberg⁶ because we know of 20 confirmed cases. We know individuals have sought medical advice, others who may have been exposed may not have sought medical advice and may not have the severity of illness.  The elderly and the very young are those we are concerned about."

For reasons authorities say are still not clear, 74 percent of the victims have been women.  Among the first was 27-year-old Gwyn Wellborn who got sick after eating spinach salad and spent 13 days in the hospital.

 
Gwyn Wellborn
"I had food poisoning before,” Gwyn said, “but this was kind of severe so I knew this was something a little different."

E. Coli is a naturally occurring bacterium found in humans and animals.  Doctors say the symptoms are similar to food poisoning and can include severe abdominal⁷ pain and diarrhea.  Past outbreaks have been blamed on undercooked meat, but Robert Brackett, the director of the F.D.A.'s Center for Food Safety says irrigation water contaminated by cattle feces may be the likely cause.

 
Dr. Robert Brackett
"If we could, we'd like to find the brands that might be involved.  We'd like to find the actual lot numbers or lot codes or bag codes so that we could limit the damage to the industry as much as possible,” said Dr. Brackett.

California farms sell about $115 million worth of spinach every year.  Nearly three quarters of it is grown in Monterey County, where farmers were getting ready to harvest. 

 
Bob Perkins
The County Farm Bureau's Bob Perkins says the E.Coli scare could not have come at a worse time.  "Growers and packers are frustrated⁸ right now because nobody wants this sort of problem.  We want to find it, we want to fix it."

Agricultural experts say it is not clear what long-term impact the outbreak could have on consumer buying patterns.  The California Department of Agriculture says Americans buy about $250 million worth of fresh spinach from supermarkets every year. 

1 bacterium   

n.(pl.)bacteria 细菌

参考例句：

• The bacterium possibly goes in the human body by the mouth.细菌可能通过口进入人体。
• A bacterium is identified as the cause for his duodenal ulcer.一种细菌被断定为造成他十二指肠溃疡的根源。

2 spinach   

n.菠菜

参考例句：

• Eating spinach is supposed to make you strong.据说吃菠菜能使人强壮。
• You should eat such vegetables as carrot,celery and spinach.你应该吃胡萝卜、芹菜和菠菜这类的蔬菜。

3 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

5 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

6 iceberg   

n.冰山，流冰，冷冰冰的人

参考例句：

• The ship hit an iceberg and went under.船撞上一座冰山而沉没了。
• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。

7 abdominal   

adj.腹（部）的，下腹的；n.腹肌

参考例句：

• The abdominal aorta is normally smaller than the thoracic aorta.腹主动脉一般比胸主动脉小。
• Abdominal tissues sometimes adhere after an operation.手术之后腹部有时会出现粘连。

8 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》