3 Pending E. coli Cases Not From Spinach; Death Still in Question

HAGERSTOWN, Md. - The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said Monday it has ruled out three of the state's four pending E. coli cases as being part of a national outbreak linked to tainted spinach.

The fourth case, involving the death of an elderly Hagerstown woman, remains under investigation, spokesman John Hammond said.

Public health officials said on Friday that there have been three confirmed cases in Maryland of people sickened by bacteria from prepackaged spinach, all children. Two were hospitalized and all have recovered, officials said.

At the same news conference, the agency said four other cases were pending, including the elderly woman's death. Hammond said the agency hopes to complete that investigation by the end of this week, but Dr. Michelle Gourdine, deputy secretary of public health services, said Friday that the condition of tissue and spinach samples from the case may make confirmation impossible.

Ninety-two people across the nation have been hospitalized with illness caused by the tainted spinach, including a Wisconsin woman who died. All were infected with a strain of E. coli bacteria called 0157:H7.

The state agency hasn't identified the Maryland woman whose death is under investigation but relatives say she was June E. Dunning, 86. Dunning died of E. coli illness Sept. 13, 11 days after eating prepackaged fresh spinach she bought at a grocery store, according to family members.

Hers is among two suspected spinach-related deaths. The other involves a child in Idaho.

Twenty-five state have reported cases of illness linked to the spinach since last month.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)