Image by danny moore from Pixabay
Are salmon at risk in Idaho?
What do government layoffs and salmon have in common? Potentially a lot, when it comes to a certain River in Idaho.
Following the termination of an ecologist working as a natural resource specialist at the Bureau of Land Management in Challis, Idaho, the former employee made a public announcement.
You don’t want E. coli in your salmon, they said.
A statement that has some people wondering if salmon really are at risk.
The ecologist referenced work in hydrology and riparian lands. Essentially measuring the health of the water and land. This was, according to the former employee, a court-ordered role to ensure the water and land on the Salmon River remain safe.
This former employee and their co-workers managed and cared for nearly 800,000 acres of range land in Challis, Idaho. Some of which include grazing land leased by the government to ranchers and drilling areas for oil and gas.
One of those roles included determining how much cow poop the Salmon River can handle before being contaminated. A serious concern for those fishing in the area and fisheries both up and down stream.
As the name of the river suggests, salmon is a major species found in this water. A species that travels upstream to spawn. Some of which are endangered species.
Does removal of these positions put endangered salmon at risk in Idaho?
One of the major concerns for the area is the threatened species, Chinook salmon.
This area is home to one of the last natural habitats of Chinook salmon that have not been genetically altered by hatchery fish. These fish, like most salmon, travel great distances to reproduce. Many traveling more than 800 miles upstream to spawn.
The Salmon Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management website discusses recreational activities and fishing as attractions on Salmon River. And a brief Google search produces a list of fisheries in the area. We know from previous outbreaks that livestock runoff can contaminate water sources with fecal-borne bacteria like E. coli.
What happens if water is contaminated by too much allotment of grazing land and manure runoff?
According to a 2022 paper published in the journal Epidemiology & Infection, “the prevalence of E. coli contamination of salmon at the retail level has been reported between 1.5% and 4.8% in the USA, Europe, and South America.”
In areas where the water becomes grossly contaminated, the risk of this likely increases. So this is a legitimate risk.
An even bigger concern is recreational use of the water.
Those swimming, kayaking, or canoeing on the river may be unnecessarily exposed to these harmful pathogens due to overallotment activities. Accidental ingestion or contaminated water coming in contact with the mouth may result in illness. Especially in those more susceptible to infection. For example, small children, older adults, and those with a weakened immune system.
While several other bacterial and parasitic infections can be transmitted from cattle manure, E. coli is the most commonly thought of pathogen.
Symptoms of E. coli infections usually begin within a week of contact with the bacteria, though complications may take a little longer to surface.
Common symptoms include:
Initial symptoms generally resolve within five to seven days. However, some people may experience more severe illness or serious, life-threatening complications. The consequences of E. coli contaminated water may become much more serious.
One of those complications being hemolytic uremic syndrome or HUS.
HUS is a condition affecting the kidney’s ability to filter properly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that around five to 10% of people diagnosed with STEC infections go on to develop this life-threatening condition. Typically, HUS symptoms begin about the time diarrheal symptoms start to improve (usually around seven days after initial diarrheal illness).
HUS results from an E. coli infection where the bacterial toxins cross the intestinal lining and enter the bloodstream. These toxins damage the tiny blood vessels and break up certain blood cells, leading to clogs in kidney tubes.
HUS Symptoms often include:
Those diagnosed with HUS must be hospitalized for treatment and to be monitored for kidney failure. Blood transfusions and IV fluids are typical treatments for this illness.
About half of those hospitalized for this complication undergo dialysis (a short-term kidney replacement treatment that filters the blood to give the kidneys a break).
Most patients (about 85%) will have full recovery, though certain long-term complications such as high blood pressure, other kidney problems, and potential damage to the brain, pancreas, liver, and heart.
This employee was just one of many probationary employees working for the federal government who have recently been terminated by the Department of Government Efficiency. A move to reduce the federal workforce.
But what are the lasting effects of such moves?
If you’d like to know more about food safety topics in the news, like “Are Commercial Salmon at Risk in Idaho?,” check out the Make Food Safe Blog. We regularly update trending topics, foodborne infections in the news, recalls, and more! Stay tuned for quality information to help keep your family safe, while The Lange Law Firm, PLLC strives to Make Food Safe!
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)
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