DNA tracking links raccoons to riverborne bacteria with possible human spillover

Article excerpt

The emerging infectious bacterium Escherichia albertii has caused outbreaks of severe food poisoning and hospitalized people through contaminated water and foods, such as salad ingredients. Now, a new study from Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU) has gathered evidence from river, animal and genetic samples that suggests a pathway by which invasive raccoons (Procyon lotor) transmit infections to humans.