Meat Madness: A Fast Food Inconvenience
Even though fast food is considered a convenience, sometimes there is a bigger price to pay that is not convenient at all. E coli O157:H7, first discovered in 1982, is the most severe strain of the bacteria, Escherichia coli. E coli lives in the intestines of cattle and is ultimately transmitted by fecal matter during the process of cleaning and slaughtering the beef at the slaughterhouses and meat-packing companies. Why is E coli o157:H7 so severe? What are the effects on the digestive system? What kind of treatments can be given to get rid of the infection? How does it spread; and what precautions can we take to try and prevent it?
Out of hundreds of strains of E coli, E coli O157:H7 is one of the most severe type. “E. coli 0157:H7 is a major health problem. It is estimated to cause infection in more than 70,000 individuals a year in the United States, and the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests E. coli 0157:H7 is responsible for the majority of "E. coli" outbreaks in the U. S.” (MedicineNet.com) It is a serious problem because there are so many ways it is carried. Both animals and humans can carry the the infection. According to the book Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser states that the infection started because of the poor living habits of cattle at the feedlots. The cattle are overcrowded with no room to move; so cannot help but pass on each other’s manure by brushing upon one another. They are also fed poorly. “Due to a rise in grain prices, about 75 percent of the cattle in the United States were fed livestock wastes.” That is the remains of other dead livestock; and they were also fed dead dogs and cats that were brought from the animal shelters. At the slaughterhouses, meat becomes contaminated when the animal hides are removed. If not pulled off properly and carefully, dirt and feces may fall into the meat. Also, the intestines must be removed carefully so that they...