Protozoa May Enable Food-Borne Pathogens On Leafy Vegetables.

From ScienceDaily.com:

Protozoa found on lettuce and spinach may sequester harmful food-borne pathogens ultimately contributing to their survival on produce surfaces say researchers from Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, and the Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit, Albany, California [an arm of the USDA Agricultural Research Service].

In case high school biology was a long time ago, the Science Daily article explains "protozoa":

Protozoa are single-celled organisms whose main function is bacterial consumption. They are commonly found in the natural microflora of plants and several species of amoebae have been associated with fresh salad vegetables. The recent occurrence of multiple outbreaks has encouraged researchers to further examine the interaction between food-borne pathogens and protozoa.

Above: video of amoeba gobbling algae cells

For a light education on protozoa (amoeba, paramecium, and Euglena), go to VirtEd Virtual Education for an easy to process introduction and a short quiz.

American Society for Microbiology (2008, April 27).