E. coli Vaccine Coming to Cows Near You

If you're a fan of rare steaks, then you have reason to rejoice; a new e. coli vaccine is finding its way into testing this year. If the test goes well, it may be used on a large scale, and 65 to 75 percent fewer animals will carry the bacteria. That means your chances of getting sick --even dying-- from your delicious steak tartare will drop significantly.

While some ranchers worry about the impact on their wallets, others are more optimistic. "It probably won't be so good for my pocketbook directly, but it'll probably be good for the industry," said rancher Jason Timmerman.

Now if only they could make a vaccine to keep E. coli out of our spinach and tomatoes too, then we could all eat safer.

[Image courtesy of Jelle S's Flickr stream.]