November 2004

Diane Turbyfill of Lincoln County’s Home Newspaper reports that when the Lincoln County Board of Education policy committee met Monday night, food safety was among many topics discussed.
Kathy Buelin, child nutrition director, provided a memo from the N.C. Department of Health & Human Services, N.C. Department of Environment & Natural Resources and N.C. Department

One confirmed and one suspected case of the strain E. coli with serious complications are not enough to say there’s an outbreak of the illness in Gothenburg, local physicians say.
Spokespersons at all three clinics–Gothenburg Family Practice, Costa Family Practice and Gothenburg Medical Arts–said there have been no confirmed cases of the illness.
The

Another 4-year-old has been struck with E. coli 0157:H7. Drew’s mother thought he had the stomach flu when he started vomiting on Oct. 23. When bloody diarrhea followed, samples tested were negative for E. coli 0157:H7.
When he vomited several times in a 24-hour period with continued diarrhea that contained bloody mucus, Lisa took her

The News-Observer’s recent story on Matthew Baldwin said he was popular among the baby goats and sheep in the petting zoo at the N.C. State Fair.
As the critters nudged and licked his hands, the 3-year-old Lee County boy squealed for more pellets. He’d have been happy to spend the whole day feeding the

Due to the fact that there have been almost no new cases of E. coli related to the State Fair outbreak since Nov. 12, state health officials have ceased response-level operation of the Public Health Command Center.
There were at least 41 confirmed cases, including a 13-year-old Moore County girl, who attended the fair. There

Institute of Food Science & Technology 19.11.2004
Summary
Foodborne illness caused by verocytotoxin-producing E.coli (VTEC) – sometimes referred to as enterohaemorrhagic E.coli (EHEC) – was first recognised in the early 1980s. Although the illness does not appear to be very common, VTEC is now regarded as an important pathogen because serious complications may follow infection. The O157:H7 serotype is the predominant cause in the UK and USA of human infections but other serotypes have also been implicated. In comparison with, for example, Salmonella, numbers of cases appear to be low but they seem to be increasing. Infection may produce a mild diarrhoea, or a severe or fatal illness. The infective dose may be very low.
The main reservoir for VTEC is the bovine intestine. More than half of all the cases in the UK follow environmental transmission, which is particularly important in respect of sporadic cases. Food vectors linked to outbreaks include milk and milk products and ground beef. In recent years apple juice and sprouting seeds have become more frequently implicated particularly in the USA. Water has been responsible for many of the largest outbreaks.Continue Reading Verocytotoxin-producing E.coli food poisoning and its prevention

The Nevada Daily Mail reported today that Nevada R-5 Assistant Superintendent Christie Peterson said the district is working with the Vernon County Health Department to make sure that a case of e-coli in a kindergarten student and a younger sibling doesn’t spread.
The case of e-coli was confirmed Tuesday and the district went into high

Agricultural fairs and petting zoos pose an inherent public health hazard by bringing the general public into direct contact with various animals, which can carry a host of human pathogens, including E. coli O157:H7.
There’s nothing more American than the state fair. Countless millions visit them each year for some up close and personal–sometimes even hands on–time with farm animals. What fair-goers are finding out though, is that petting zoos and livestock exhibitions often harbor the lethal bacteria E. coli O157:H7.
Most people associate E. coli O157:H7 with undercooked hamburgers from fast food restaurants. The problem is not so confined. Infection can occur in a variety of ways, including attendance at a petting zoo, and those most prone to serious illness are our children.
Any place where people come into contact with farm animals must be considered high risk for exposure to E. coli and other pathogens. The track record speaks for itself. Since 1995, fifteen outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 have been reported at fairs and petting zoos in the United States (see http://www.fair-safety.com).
Hundreds have been sickened. Some, mostly kids, suffer permanent kidney damage due to a complication of E. coli infection called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. Some have even died.Continue Reading E. coli and the Fair