We hear the term “E. coli virus” bandied about in periodic food safety warnings. Fortunately, the virus and its attendant diseases seldom hit home with overwhelming force. Recently, however, 7-year-old Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of the much-admired actor Johnny Depp, was lucky to survive a rumored battle with the deadly virus, according to reports at ITN news.
As Depp and his partner, Vanessa Paradis held vigil for weeks at their daughter’s hospital bedside during the month of March, fans prayed while the press wondered what had happened to Lily-Rose. All mainstream media handled the story with caution. A bit of (false) speculation popped up regarding possible blood poisoning from a rusty nail. Responsible fan sites and Depp’s spokesman, however, cautioned against speculation. All urged respect for the Depp family’s privacy during the period. Remarkably, it was granted.
Now it has been reported that a production crewman on Depp’s new movie SWEENEY TODD is saying the child may have been struck down by the E. coli virus. Regardless of the cause, Lily-Rose is now thankfully on the mend and out of the hospital.
While caution is still urged in speaking of the Lily-Rose’s exact condition until her family issues an official statement, caution is not urged in examining the dangers of E. coli.
E. coli is found in contaminated food, but where does the virus itself come from?
As the FDA can attest, the source of an E. coli virus can be impossible to detect. On March 20, 2007, Brandon Bailey of the San Jose Mercury News writes the following:
FDA hearing fails to discover cause of E. coli outbreak in spinach:
Despite an unprecedented investigation over the last six months, federal and state health officials said Tuesday that it is unlikely they will ever pinpoint the exact cause of bacterial contamination that caused a nationwide outbreak of illness from tainted spinach last year.
The disclosure, just weeks before a final report on the investigation is expected to be released, came at a hearing where representatives from consumer groups and a national trade association for the produce industry called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to set mandatory rules to assure that fruit and vegetables are safe to eat.
Growing and packing practices need to improve said Dr. David Acheson, the chief medical officer for the FDA’s food safety office. But he also warned that another outbreak of food-borne illness would likely occur.
We’re never going to get to the point of zero risk,” he told reporters during a break from the day-long hearing, convened by his agency to get public input on ways to improve food safety. “Is this likely to happen again? Yes.”
And not solving the mystery makes it harder for farmers, trying to prevent future outbreaks. Hank Giclas of the Western Growers Association said farmers would like to know how the contamination occurred so they can reduce the chance of it happening again.
The investigation by state and federal health officials led them to a single 50-acre field in San Benito County where spinach tainted with the deadly E. coli O157:H7 bacteria was grown last summer.
It is the same type of deadly E. coli O157:H7, which killed at least three Americans and sickened 200 more from tainted spinach last year alone, which may have affected Lily-Rose.
Especially problematic is hemolytic uremic syndrome, a most serious form of kidney failure that is sometimes a complication of E. coli infection. Although it is one of E. coli’s more rare complication, it is potentially deadly. The elderly and young children are particularly at risk.
One assumes officials in the UK, where Lily-Rose may have become ill with E. coli, are as concerned with food safety as US officials. While the recent outbreaks related to tainted produce have focused government and industry on improving food safety, Dr. Acheson further stressed the need for “100 percent compliance. As we’ve seen, you don’t need a large area of land to produce enough produce to make lots of people sick.”
Lily-Rose Depp was treated at Great Ormand Street hospital, funded in part with full royalties from J.M. Barrie’s children’s classic, PETER PAN. Johnny Depp was nominated for an Oscar for his role as Barrie in the 2004 film, FINDING NEVERLAND.
Much like Barrie, Depp, is involved with children’s charities. He was honored in 2006 for his quiet work with children’s charities, most notably with The Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition.
After a brief hiatus, filming for Depp’s current starring vehicle, SWEENEY TODD, to be directed by Tim Burton, will pick up again this week.
Revered for a series of iconic characters, Depp is best recognized for his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy.
