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

 We must be pass the time when all the stories seemed to be about how organics would make you able to jump tall buildings in a single bound.

At Kansas State University, researchers have found that "cattle production systems" do not affect E. coli prevalence in beef.  The study looked at organic and "natural production systems" and apparently found that antibiotic susceptibility of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 was unchanged.

We think a better way to communicate what KSU researchers are talking about would be to think of "natural" as standard operating procedure.   The standard method cattle ranchers use to employ some antibiotics and hormones, and use non-organic feeds that are regulated only by the owner of the brand name.

The organic method uses only organic feeds as regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture and do not use antibiotics, hormones or other veterinary products.

"The prevalences of E. coli 0157:H7 that we observed in organically and naturally (SOP) raised cattle were similar in the previously reported prevalence in conventionally raised cattle," the researchers said. "No major differences in antibiotic susceptibility patterns among the isolates were observed."

There more on the KSU study in Foodstuffs, the weekly newspaper of agribusiness.

We’ve known since the 1993 Jack-in-the-Box outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 that the big hamburger chains are concerned about cooking temperatures. Jack-in-the Box did not like Washington State’s rule for cooking ground beef to 158 degrees Fahrenheit because customers complained about the hamburgers being too tough to eat.

Sixteen years have passed, but the big hamburger chains are still getting those kind of complaints. In the UK, McDonald’s submitted information to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) about possible reduction in cooking times.

The government’s Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food requires that hamburgers be cooked for two minutes at 158 degrees Fahrenheit. However, other times and temperatures can be used when procedures are proven to be safe.

That’s what McDonald’s was up to in the UK when the victim’s rights group known as HUSH requested a copy of the information that the world’s biggest hamburger chain had submitted to weaken the rule.   FSA refused to give up the information to HUSH.

On appeal, however, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) upheld the HUSH complaint. HUSH argued it could not contribute to the consultation without all the facts.

McDonald’s said its “top priority” is customer safety and that it “fully complies” with FSA guidelines.

Three Family Members Sickened in Wisconsin, One Gravely.

A Wisconsin family sickened in the JBS Swift Beef Company outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 will file suit against the company Wednesday. The lawsuit will be brought by the Seattle-based foodborne illness law firm Marler Clark in the Federal Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin. This is the third lawsuit filed by Marler Clark in the aftermath of the JBS Swift outbreak, which sickened at least 23 people in nine states, 12 of whom had to be hospitalized.

“This has been a very difficult summer for contaminated meat,” said the family’s attorney, Drew Falkenstein. “Not only have there been several E. coli recalls, but now there is also a large recall of beef contaminated with Salmonella by Beef Packers Inc. With the huge uptick of tainted meat in the last several years, it’s vital that we dedicate resources on every level to prevent more families from going through what the Rosplochs had to endure.”

Nicole and Gerard Rosploch purchased ground beef from a Pick N Save near their home in Brookfield; the meat was later determined to be part of the recall of 420,000 pounds of beef by the JBS Swift Company of Greeley, Colorado. The family (except for Nicole, a vegetarian) made and consumed hamburgers on Sunday, July 19. By Thursday, Gerard and their two sons began to have abdominal cramps and nausea. On Friday, the 7-year-old began to experience frequent episodes of vomiting and frequent diarrhea, some of it bloody. His parents took him to the ER, where he was checked and released, having submitted a stool sample. Meanwhile his older brother, 11, began to show increased signs of illness including vomiting and diarrhea. Gerard’s illness also continued, although not as severe as his sons’.

When the youngest child continued to worsen, he was returned to the ER, where it was learned that the stool sample he previously submitted was positive for E. coli O157:H7. He was admitted to the hospital, where he continued to be very ill. By July 28, tests revealed that he had developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS—a complication of E. coli infection. The child had to have dialysis for the next 10 days, as well as blood transfusions.

Meanwhile, Gerard began to improve, but his 11-year-old son was still sick at home. For several weeks, the parents split hospital and home care responsibilities.

Their younger son is now also at home, and continues to recover from his illness. He is still on medication to regulate his blood pressure. The genetic fingerprint of the E. coli in his stool sample was a match to that of the JBS Swift outbreak.

Infection from E. coli 0157:H7 has now been confirmed in four people from three families in Wrexham, England who made the mistake of dining at the Llay Fish Bar.

E. coli 0157:H7 put 32-year old Karen Morrisroe-Clutton on life support and meant renal failure for three-year old Abigail Hennessey.

The two others who became ill did not require hospitalization. Both Karen, in hospital,  and Abigail, just released, are said to be recovering.

Professor Hugh Pennington, who authored reports following outbreaks of E.coli, in Scotland, in 1996, and in South Wales in 2005, told the Western Mail newspaper: “It’s almost ‘Here we go again’.”

Professor Pennington said he hoped his last report on the outbreak in South Wales that killed five-year-old Mason Jones would reduce the incidence of E.coli.

The Llay Fish Bar was closed after the latest outbreak.  In August 2008, it got the lowest score possible in a health inspection, but did just enough to remain in business. 

The entire Western Mail interview with Professor Pennington is in Wales Online.