E. coli Blog - Surveillance & analysis on e. coli news & outbreaks

The Health District hopes to soon know more about how a young Yakima county child got sick from E. coli, according to KAPP TV.

There have been two reported cases in recent weeks; both involve children under the age of 5. Both are in stable condition. Experts say at least one came in contact with farm animals but are still not sure what caused the other.

Health officials say E. coli typically causes diarrhea and upset stomach. It usually passes within a couple of days. Other cases can be more severe, especially in young children or seniors, who tend to have weaker immune systems, where it can develop into hemolytic uremic syndrome, a potentially fatal kidney complication.

The key is to catch it early. Prevention can be as simple as washing your hands regularly to help reduce the risk of exposure.
 

A representative for the Tennessee Department of Health has reported that an outbreak of E. coli at a local day care was probably started with one infected child who then transmitted the bacteria to other children.

The infected child probably attended the day care facility for three to four days while he was experiencing symptoms of E. coli infection. Nine children have become ill as a result, with two children developing hemolytic uremic syndrome, a potentially fatal disease that causes kidneys to shut down.

"Any day care operator should have measures in place to prevent the spread of diarrheal illness at their facility, even if it means sending a kid home until they're feeling better and able to pass solid stool," said William Marler, an attorney who has represented hundreds of victims of E. coli outbreaks. "I understand that having an outbreak is a day care operator's worst nightmare, but this nightmare was largely preventable."

E. coli O157:H7 causes a diarrheal illness that results in painful abdominal cramping, nausea, and bloody diarrhea. Five to ten percent of children who become ill with E. coli O157:H7 infections develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a complication that can cause kidney failure as well as damage to the pancreas, liver, brain, and heart. Children with HUS can develop medical conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes, and often require medical monitoring and treatment throughout the rest of their lives.
 

There has been an E. coli bacteria outbreak at a day care center in Macon County, where two toddlers have been admitted to an area hospital as a result. Eight other children are recovering.

The Health Department has begun investigating the outbreak, according to Nashville’s News Channel 5.

Investigators have said that they believe one child somehow contracted E. coli, then went to the day care center in Lafayette. Nine other kids got sick days later from secondary infections from the one sick child.

Two of those kids are in the hospital after their kidneys shut down, as a result of hemolytic uremic syndrome.
 

The May issue of the Journal of Food Science discussed the adequate cooking of meat in order to inactivate microbial pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella, particularly in ground meat products.

Consumers are being advised on appropriate temperatures to which meat products should be cooked, and to use a meat thermometer to ensure these temperatures are reached.

However, consumers are more likely to assess cooking status by the color of the meat or juice. This can be a dangerous method to gauge internal tempurature of meats, since several factors can artificially prolong the pink “uncooked” color in meat:

• high pH
• modified atmosphere packaging
• rapid thawing
• low fat content
• nitrite
• irradiation

Alternatively, meat can prematurely brown, where the interior of the product looks cooked but a microbiologically safe temperature has not been reached, such as:

• pale, soft exudative meats
• meats packaged under oxygenated conditions
• meats frozen in bulk
• meats thawed over long periods
• meats that have had salts or lean finely textured beef added

The article concludes that the color of cooked meat is not a good indicator of adequate cooking, and the use of a food thermometer is recommended.

Sales of unpasteurized milk are illegal in Ohio; producers caught distributing to the public face criminal charges and can lose their licenses as well as their livelihood.

But there's a bigger reason why regulators and researchers urge raw milk drinkers to reconsider: Consuming unpasteurized milk can be dangerous to your health.

Even milk going to processing plants for milk, butter, cheese, or other dairy products is subject to monthly bacteria counts so that production stays within licensed limits.

But raw milk advocates, many backed by guidance from the national Weston A. Price Foundation, are pushing for changes to state laws that prohibit raw milk sales, saying that citizens should be allowed to buy unpasteurized milk from farmers.

They believe non-Holstein breeds (Jerseys, etc.) raised on pasture during the growing season and forage and root vegetables when confined, produce a milk packed with disease- and ailment-curing bacteria that can relieve asthma and straighten teeth. They also feel that pasteurization changes the raw milk into something that is dangerous for humans.

However, regulators know that bacteria such as E. coli can be plentiful in raw milk, causing illnesses ranging from upset stomachs to hemolytic uremic syndrome, a potentially fatal kidney disease.

In Ohio, the only legal means of obtaining and consuming raw milk is to own the cow of origin. In Wayne and Holmes counties, many dairy farmers choose to drink milk straight from their bulk tanks, where it's pumped directly from their cows.

Producers who were aware of the risks of food-borne pathogens were less likely to drink unpasteurized milk. But others continue to drink raw milk even after understanding the dangers involved, saying that it was easier to walk 15 feet into their milking parlors and pull a jug rather than driving miles down the road and paying for it.

For farmers and consumers accepting those risks, experts recommend that they refrigerate their raw milk supplies as quickly as possible. And they should think twice about giving it to the elderly or young infants or others with compromised health or to visitors who aren't used to drinking it.
 

Anita and Michael Puckett, owners of Dee Creek Farm, the dairy that caused an E. coli outbreak last winter are appealing an $8,000 state fine, still asserting they didn't need a license for their raw milk program.

The state investigated the dairy after E. coli -infected milk sickened 18 people in December. Five children were hospitalized, including two who were on life-support before recovering.

Raw, or unpasteurized, milk can be sold legally in Washington, but only with a state license and regular inspections. According to state officials, the Pucketts' farm had numerous health and hygiene violations and could not have come close to passing an inspection. In additon, the Pucketts never had the required license and also did not test their cows for tuberculosis or brucellosis. Also, they brought a cow from Oregon without required veterinary tests.

The Pucketts, though, claim their practice of selling "shares" of their cows and then giving the "co-owners" milk isn't technically selling. The state didn't agree, notifying the Pucketts in August that they were breaking the law because any exchange of money for milk constitutes a sale.

The state expects the hearing will be sometime this summer. The farm remains under a cease-and-desist order from the Cowlitz County Health Officer and also faces the threat of civil lawsuits by former customers.
 

In September and early October, at least 17 people became sick in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area after eating three kinds of Dole bagged lettuce that were contaminated with E. coli, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

Five lawsuits filed in response to the outbreak have been settled, according to The Monterey Herald.

All of the people were infected with E. coli 0157:H7, the most dangerous strain of the bacteria, which can cause stomach cramps and bloody diarrhea. In the most serious cases, the bacteria can lead to a serious complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can cause kidney failure and death.

Although they have settled the lawsuits, president of Dole Fresh Vegetables Eric Schwartz says that the company is not admitting any guilt. They claim to not have a definitive source of the contamination of the lettuce.

Because the bagged salads were distributed nationwide, the Food and Drug Administration issued an alert to consumers against eating the specific Dole products.

A new comprehensive best-practices guide was released in March for growers, processors, retailers and everyone in between who handles fresh-cut produce to the development of a research agenda to provide functional, actionable information.
 

Murray Bishop of The Monnett Times reports that the investigation into the foodborne bacterial outbreak in Monnett has come to an end without yielding any definitive results.

In all, 77 students were reported to have gotten sick, 49 household members, and 12 school staff members. Tests on stool samples confirmed two cases of infection with the E. coli bacteria, and six with the campylobacter bacteria.

Initially tests concentrated on common shared sources, such as the city's water supply and the school cafeteria. Tests were run on possible sources of the dangerous bacteria, and none turned up.

“The investigation is still ongoing," says Robert Niezgoda, the regional epidemiology specialist for the Missouri Department of Health. "Unless we get more evidence, there's no way to determine what the source is."

The outbreak started at the last week of school, and has dropped off since then.
 

An editorial on The Herald Online in South Carolina discussed those of us that prefer to eat their hamburgers on the rare side, and a new bill being introduced.

Since the mid-1990s, the state has required restaurants to cook hamburgers one way: Well done. But a bill recently passed by the General Assembly would allow patrons to order burgers cooked to less than 155 degrees.

The new rule, which still must be signed into law by the governor, comes weighted down with special provisions. For example, only those 18 or older could order a medium-rare burger. Restaurants would be permitted to choose whether they want to offer burgers cooked to lower temperatures, and those that do must provide written or verbal notice to let diners know the restaurant cannot be held responsible if someone gets sick.

The editorial reminds us that cooking hamburger meat to 155 degrees or higher eliminates the risk of foodborne illnesses caused by bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella. They ask, "when restaurants are involved, the question of liability becomes more complicated. What if an underage patron is served a medium rare hamburger, gets sick and dies? Who should be held legally responsible?"

A year ago, South Carolina faced the largest case of food-borne illness in recent history. Nearly 300 people were sickened from a salmonella outbreak at a restaurant. One patron died. More than 40,000 people are poisoned by salmonella each year, about 600 of them dying from the illness. The editorial asks why legislators would consider passing a bill that allows for the possibility of a repeat.