04x10 - Core Evidence

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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 d*ed,

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 d*ed 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 d*ed.

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 m*llitary

Personnel.

But after an inspection of the

Odwalla processing plant,

m*llitary investigators stated

That odwalla's plant sanitation

Program "does not adequately

Assure product wholesomeness for

m*llitary 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.