Narrator: in 1996, more than
A dozen children in
Seattle, washington, were
Seriously ill and fighting for
Their lives, all gripped by a
Mysterious illness.
When one of the children died,
Officials feared more deaths
Would follow, and medical
Detectives frantically searched
For the cause.
Terry and kelley beverly both
Work in the computer industry
And have two children, a son,
Michael, and a daughter, batina.
After a leisurely day of playing
In the woods, michael complained
Of pain in his stomach.
Later he had uncontrolled
Diarrhea.
When his diarrhea contained
Blood, his parents became
Alarmed.
He was just laying on the
Couch, just still, having bloody
Diapers every 30 minutes.
And it was just very painful.
And it was just changing him.
Looking at his little body,
It was turning itself inside
Out.
Narrator: the beverlys took
Michael to a hospital emergency
Room, where doctors discovered
That his blood count had dropped
To dangerous levels, his kidneys
Were failing, and
Life-threatening clots were
Forming in his blood.
Acute bloody diarrhea in an
Otherwise healthy child is an
Important medical problem.
And physicians here and
Elsewhere work that up very
Aggressively, take that very
Seriously.
Narrator: michael's stool
Sample was sent to the
Laboratory for testing.
Doctors were alarmed when they
Found a potentially deadly
Pathogen known as e. Coli o157.
It's a bacteria usually found in
The intestines of both humans
And animals.
When an individual becomes
Infected, there is no cure.
E. Coli o157 infects more than
In 1993, four people died after
Eating e. Coli-tainted
Hamburgers from the
Jack in the box fast-food chain.
Fully cooking hamburgers can
k*ll the e. Coli bacteria.
But these burgers had not been
Fully cooked.
When I found out it was a
Strain of e. Coli, I asked him
If it was the same strain that
Affected the kids in
Jack in the box.
He said, "yes, michael has the
Same strain."
And I said, "oh, my god."
When e. Coli o157 is in a
Widely disseminated vehicle, out
In the population for general
Consumption, it's like a serial
m*rder*r is potentially loose in
The population.
Narrator: brianne kiner was
One of the children infected
With e. Coli o157 from an
Undercooked hamburger purchased
At the jack in the box
Restaurant.
She was in a coma for six weeks.
The e. Coli produces cytotoxins
Which k*ll other cells, breaking
Through the endothelial layer of
The intestines, spilling poisons
Into the bloodstream.
That complication is called
Hemolytic uremic syndrome.
Although brianne kiner
Eventually came out of her coma,
Most of her major organs were
Damaged and she'll need a kidney
Transplant when she's older.
Michael beverly also developed
Hemolytic uremic syndrome, which
Can cause brain damage, kidney
Damage, sepsis, and death.
Doctors immediately placed
Michael on kidney dialysis to
Cleanse his body of toxins.
Hemolytic uremic syndrome is
Life-threatening.
Of all the kinds of diarrheas a
Child -- an otherwise healthy
Child can get in north america,
Almost none will cause a death
Or could cause a death except
For this one.
That's why this one is so
Fearsome once it gets into a
Person.
The kidney specialist came in
And he said, "it's very serious,
And he might not pull through
The night.
It's up to his little body."
And then that's when I just
Broke down.
I came out and I started crying
Immediately.
I said, "this is it."
Narrator: as michael beverly
Lay near death in a seattle
Hospital, medical investigators
Were still trying to figure out
How he came into contact with
This deadly pathogen.
Narrator: as 2 1/2-year-old
Michael beverly lay unconscious
And near death in a seattle
Hospital, 12 more children were
Admitted to local hospitals, all
Diagnosed with the same deadly
Pathogen -- e. Coli o157.
Since there is no cure for
E. Coli o157, investigators
Needed to find the source of the
Outbreak before even more people
Were infected.
My biggest concern was that
The cases we were seeing every
Other day were just the very
Beginning of a much larger
Outbreak.
Medical investigators
Suspected that food was the
Probable source.
But the e. Coli might have been
In one food source or many.
Dr. Mansour samadpour's job was
To see if he could identify the
Exact strain of e. Coli that
Infected the children.
To find out, he turned to
Something usually used for
Criminal investigations -- dna
Testing.
When we see e. Coli o157,
It's a very large clan, very
Large family, or tribe, in the
E. Coli species.
When we do genetic
Fingerprinting, we can go to the
Individuals in that family.
So instead of saying that, you
Know, someone with the last name
Of smith k*lled someone else, we
Can say that john smith with
Social security number of such
And such living in such and such
Place committed the crime.
Narrator: like human beings,
A pathogen like e. Coli has its
Own genetic fingerprint.
Using what is called
Microrestriction fingerprinting,
The e. Coli samples were placed
In a buffer of restriction
Enzymes which break the cells
Open.
Then the dna strands are cut
Into smaller pieces, making them
Easier to analyze.
The fragments are placed into a
Gel with a dye.
And after a process called
Electrophoresis, the genetic
Profile appears similar to a bar
Code.
The results indicated that all
Of the e. Coli strains were the
Same.
In other words, all of the sick
Individuals had been infected
From the same source.
We had nine patients that had
E. Coli o157s in them with the
Same genetic fingerprint.
Definitely that shows that you
Have a growing outbreak.
Narrator: e. Coli o157 has a
Long incubation period -- five
To seven days -- far longer than
Most foodborne illnesses.
Dr. Russ alexander's job was to
Figure out what was causing the
Outbreak.
The standard method is to employ
What's called a case-control
Study.
Investigators questioned all of
The patients' families to find
Out what the victims had
Consumed five to seven days
Before first developing
Symptoms.
They also compared those answers
To what others in the same
Family consumed who were not
Infected.
Our early thinking was that
This was probably a meat source,
Because that's mostly what it
Is.
So we're looking for everything
They've eaten and what kind of
Restaurants they've been to,
What kind of fast-food
Restaurants, in particular.
Narrator: but the initial
Interviews did not reveal any
One food item that all had
Consumed.
There was something in common
With these individuals that made
These individuals ill.
On the other hand, the
Preliminary interview did not
Produce any obvious sources of
Infection.
Narrator: but when
Investigators looked more
Carefully over their initial
Results, they found a clue --
One of the sick children was a
Vegetarian.
We had this one case that was
A clear-cut case that was a
Vegetarian family, and there was
No chance of any meat in this
Particular instance.
So we quickly realized we were
Into something else.
Narrator: this time, another
More-detailed questionnaire was
Designed with meat excluded as
The possible cause.
The new questionnaire centered
On fruits, vegetables, dairy
Products, and related food
Sources.
Not until we had gotten
Enough cases coming in with this
Extended questionnaire that we
Began to see something else that
Was in terms of the source.
By the end of the week, we were
Already pretty sure that there
Was one thing that was standing
Out.
Narrator: the second set of
Interviews revealed that the
Victims had all consumed apple
Juice.
But with hundreds of brands on
The market, investigators feared
It would be difficult to find
Out which one.
Narrator: when seattle health
Officials discovered that apple
Juice was consumed by the
E. Coli patients, they needed to
Find out which brand, and there
Were hundreds of brands on the
Market.
But their next clue came from an
Unexpected source.
In denver, colorado, doctors
Were treating a desperately ill
Anna gimmestad.
Anna also had an e. Coli o157
Infection, and her parents told
Doctors that they had been in
Seattle just one week earlier.
The gimmestads recalled feeding
Anna some apple juice, a brand
She preferred because of the
Bright rainbow colors on the
Label -- odwalla.
The beverly family also recalled
Feeding their son, michael, the
Same brand from a neighborhood
Coffee shop.
This one particular sunday, I
Went up and stood in line to
Order our drinks.
And I saw them prepare it.
And I asked them, "you use
Odwalla for the kids?"
And they go, "well, yeah."
So I'm like, "oh."
Narrator: further
Investigation revealed that the
Other victims also consumed
Odwalla apple juice five to
Seven days before developing
Symptoms.
The odwalla company manufactures
And distributes juice products
In seven states and
British columbia.
It's a brand known for its
Freshness.
Most fruit juices are
Pasteurized, which means they're
Heated to a temperature high
Enough to k*ll any bacteria.
But odwalla juice was not
Pasteurized.
The company believed that
Pasteurization hurt the taste of
Their juice.
The company's mission statement
Read, "if it's not
Fresh-squeezed, then it's not
Odwalla."
Just nine days after the
Outbreak, health officials asked
The odwalla company to
Voluntarily remove their product
From store shelves.
The company complied, even
Though there was no conclusive
Proof that odwalla was the
Source of the outbreak.
As you know, immediately upon
Hearing of the possibility of
Consumer health risks, we
Recalled our products containing
Apple juice.
Our primary concern is for the
Health and welfare of our
Consumers.
Narrator: the news that the
Source may have been apple juice
Was little relief to the
Gimmestad family in
Evans, colorado.
Turn for the worse.
Like some of the other victims,
Anna developed hemolytic uremic
Syndrome, a complication of the
E. Coli infection that produces
Toxins that shut down the
Kidneys.
Less than two weeks after
Anna gimmestad consumed the
Odwalla apple juice, she died.
For the beverlys, news of
Anna gimmestad's death was
Terrifying.
Just knowing that there was a
I thought he was gonna die, to
Be frank.
I said, "this is it.
He's gonna die."
Narrator: and although
Investigators discovered that
All of the affected individuals
Has consumed odwalla juice,
There was no proof that the
Juice was the source of the
Outbreak.
The proof, if there was any,
Would be in the juice itself.
Thousands of bottles of odwalla
Juice were tested for
E. Coli o157, but the deadly
Pathogen could not be found.
Medical investigators were
Starting to wonder whether they
Were ever going to find
Scientific proof that the apple
Juice was the source of the
Outbreak.
Narrator: all of the e. Coli
Victims remembered drinking
Odwalla apple juice shortly
Before getting sick.
But investigators couldn't find
The e. Coli bacteria in any of
The odwalla juice bottles they
Tested.
But on november 4, 1996, at the
Odwalla distribution center,
Investigators found one bottle
Of apple juice that tested
Positive for e. Coli o157.
The question now was whether the
Bottle contained the same strain
That caused the death of
Anna gimmestad and infected
Michael beverly and the other
Children.
To find out, investigators
Turned once again to dna
Testing.
The dna profile on the left is
The e. Coli strain from
Michael beverly.
On the right, the dna profile of
The e. Coli found in the bottle
Of odwalla apple juice.
The profiles were identical --
Scientific proof that the
Odwalla juice was the source.
Being able to identify the
Same genetic strain of e. Coli
In a bottle of unopened odwalla
Juice, given that an estimated
Not finding a needle in a
Haystack.
It's finding a needle out of
About 100 haystacks spread
Across most of the western
United states.
Narrator: the label revealed
The juice had been bottled on
October 7, 1996 -- three weeks
Before the outbreak.
Company records identified the
Orchard whose apples were used
To make the juice that day.
Dr. Sara cody, an epidemic
Intelligence officer with the
California department of health,
Went to the orchard to
Investigate.
We were wandering in the
Orchard, and what we noticed
Was, along the edge of the
Orchard, there were a number of
Deer prints in the sand.
Narrator: and near the deer
Prints were deer droppings, a
Potential source of
E. Coli o157.
Dr. Cody wondered whether some
Of the apples had fallen to the
Ground, had come into contact
With the deer droppings, and
Then were picked up and sent to
The juice processing plant.
Dr. Cody collected samples,
Which were sent to the lab for
Testing.
The e. Coli from the deer
Droppings was then sent for dna
Testing, but it did not match
The e. Coli strain that infected
The 13 children.
It's possible that there
Could have been one deer or a
Number of deer that were
Shedding one strain or more than
One strain.
So perhaps we've just isolated
The wrong strain or perhaps
We've got the wrong deer.
Perhaps we've got the wrong
Orchard.
Narrator: the odwalla company
Says that it's against their
Policy to purchase apples that
Were picked up from the ground.
Even though odwalla claimed
To have documents, signed
Documents from their suppliers
That they did not use ground
Apples, or apples from the
Ground, we found that it's
Virtually impossible to verify
That or to enforce it,
Especially when workers are paid
By the bin.
Narrator: and in 1996, the
U.s. Army considered serving
Odwalla juice to military
Personnel.
But after an inspection of the
Odwalla processing plant,
Military investigators stated
That odwalla's plant sanitation
Program "does not adequately
Assure product wholesomeness for
Military consumers."
The army rated the bacteria
Levels in the juice as too high.
A copy of the u.s. Army report
Found its way into the hands of
The attorney representing the
Victims of the e. Coli
Outbreak -- william marler.
Odwalla was trying to sell
Odwalla juice to the u.s. Army,
No, not as a bacteriological
w*apon.
But the amount of bacteria that
Was in the finished-product
Samples were in the millions,
Where any possible responsible
Company would have had it in the
Tens.
Narrator: the united states
Attorney general's office took
The unprecedented step of
Indicting odwalla in a criminal
Prosecution.
The charge -- delivering
Adulterated food products for
Interstate commerce.
And when we find a company
That has knowingly placed
Contaminated food into the
Stream of commerce, we are going
To prosecute that company, and
We are going to put the
Individuals in jail.
And that's a very strong lesson,
And it's one that people that
Manufacture food in this country
Ought to take to heart.
Narrator: in july of 1998,
Odwalla pleaded guilty and was
Fined $1.5 million, the largest
Penalty ever imposed in a
Food-poisoning case.
Odwalla products are now
Pasteurized and carry warning
Labels.
But for the family of
That was too little too late.
There's no amount of monetary
Penalty or jail time that is
Ever going to bring back little
Anna or make the other dozen or
So children that were severely
Injured whole again.
So from that standpoint, I don't
Think that there was a possible
Settlement that would have been
Satisfactory.
E. Coli o157 can cause
Serious diseases.
There's other foodborne
Pathogens out there that can
Cause serious diseases.
We have the technology to
Prevent many of these problems.
The consumption of unpasteurized
Apple juice in the 1996 outbreak
Was a dramatic example of how a
Safe, effective technology was
Not employed, to the detriment
Of children in the northwest.
Narrator: the families of the
Victims filed suit against
Odwalla and settled with the
Company before going to trial.
The terms of that settlement
Were not disclosed.
Michael beverly now appears to
Be in good health.
But he and the other children
Still face the possibility of
Future medical complications
From their e. Coli o157
Infection.
What was it that almost
k*lled michael?
It was e. Coli.
It was the effects of e. Coli
Toxin in his body eating up his
System.
That's what almost k*lled him.
Unfortunately I see it a
Little different.
I see it as what almost k*lled
Him was a company's negligence
And irresponsibility, and this
Shouldn't have happened.
The smoking g*n in this case
Was the science.
It was what the forensics gave
Us.
Odwalla had no wiggle room.
It was conclusive.
It was a matter of scientific
Principle that odwalla's product
Had e. Coli o157:h7 in it and
That that was the same exact
Bacteria which was in the
Victims.
04x10 - Core Evidence
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Documentary that reveals how forensic science is used to solve violent crimes, mysterious accidents, and outbreaks of illness.
Documentary that reveals how forensic science is used to solve violent crimes, mysterious accidents, and outbreaks of illness.