Abstract and Introduction
A multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections occurred in the United States in June and July 1997. Two concurrent outbreaks were investigated through independent case-control studies in Michigan and Virginia and by subtyping isolates with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Isolates from 85 persons were indistinguishable by PFGE. Alfalfa sprouts were the only exposure associated with E. coli O157:H7 infection in both Michigan and Virginia. Seeds used for sprouting were traced back to one common lot harvested in Idaho. New subtyping tools such as PFGE used in this investigation are essential to link isolated infections to a single outbreak.
Escherichia coli O157:H7 was first recognized as a human pathogen in 1982 and has since emerged as a major cause of bloody and nonbloody diarrhea, causing thousands of infections with substantial illness and death each year in the United States[1]. In addition, E. coli O157:H7 infection is the most common cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome, the leading cause of kidney failure among children in the United States.
Most foodborne outbreaks associated with E. coli O157:H7 have been traced to foods derived from cattle, especially ground beef and milk[1]. In June and July 1997, the state health departments of Michigan and Virginia concurrently received an increased number of reports of E. coli O157:H7 infections compared with the numbers in similar periods the previous year. We describe the epidemiologic, environmental, and laboratory investigations that led to the identification of alfalfa sprouts grown from contaminated seeds as a new vehicle for E. coli O157:H7 infection in humans.
Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2001;7(6) © 2001 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Cite this: A Multistate Outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Infections Linked to Alfalfa Sprouts Grown From Contaminated Seeds - Medscape - Nov 01, 2001.
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