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Flood events linked to higher STEC prevalence in produce'field soil, researchers say
Summary
At one Salinas River'adjacent produce field, researchers found STEC in 2.2% of 670 soil samples overall, with prevalence rising to 13% during flood events compared with 1% when unflooded, suggesting flood-driven contamination risk to fields near riparian habitats.
Dr. Susan Leonard focused on soil results from a single produce farm near the Salinas River where the team collected 670 soil samples over nearly 3.5 years. She reported that 15 of those samples (2.2%) tested positive for STEC overall, and that flooding corresponded with higher positivity: "during those flooding events the prevalence of STEC was much higher at 13 percent than when it was unflooded at 1 percent," she said.
Leonard explained that the field flooded three times during sampling and that flooding likely mobilized material from nearby riparian areas and rangelands into the field. In related ditch sampling, researchers detected occasional positives in tailwater only after flooding or a month post'flood, supporting the role of hydrology in moving STEC between landscapes.
The presenters cautioned that soil positives were relatively infrequent overall but that proximity to riparian habitat or rangeland correlated with higher detections, a factor growers and advisors may consider in risk assessment and mitigation planning.
