Editor's note: In his letter, Mr. Dokis refers to the BayToday stories It was the onions and Officials now have confirmed 159 cases of E. coli.
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To the editor:
I recall the outbreak of E.coli in North Bay around this time of year October/November) 2008.
Recently on the news, there have been reports of an outbreak with a fast-food chain in some U.S States. Authorities there are pointing towards slivered onions as the source and saying that the probability of undercooked beef at several restaurants at the same time is unlikely, thus not likely the cause.
However, why is it associated with a certain burger menu choice?
The source of E.coli from the 2008 North Bay outbreak that made more than 200 people very ill was difficult to pinpoint. I think the results showed that it was the onions but not 100 percent conclusive (read the 2009 news reports).
I heard that you could place a cut onion in your house, and it will absorb “stuff” out of the air, keeping your home healthy from airborne diseases. Perhaps this is how pre-diced and packaged onions become contaminated in the first place. Maybe the moral of the story is onions can only be served “sliced fresh” at your favourite restaurant because I do believe this will be a history repeats itself story going into the future.
Norm Dokis
North Bay
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