Abstract
We investigated a multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections. Isolates from 13 case patients from California, Nevada, and Arizona were matched by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis subtyping. Five case patients (38%) were hospitalized, and 3 (23%) developed hemolytic uremic syndrome; none died. The median age was 12 years (range, 2-75 years), and 10 (77%) were female. Case-control studies found an association between illness and eating beef tacos at a national Mexican-style fast-food restaurant chain (88% of cases versus 38% of controls; matched OR, undefined; 95% confidence interval, 1.49 to infinity; P = .009). A traceback investigation implicated an upstream supplier of beef, but a farm investigation was not possible. This outbreak illustrates the value of employing hospital laboratory-based surveillance to detect local clusters of infections and the effectiveness of using molecular subtyping to identify geographically dispersed outbreaks. The outbreak investigation also highlights the need for a more efficient tracking system for food products.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-7 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Clinical Infectious Diseases |
| Volume | 39 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 1 2004 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology
Cite this
A multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli O157 : H7 infection linked to consumption of beef tacos at a fast-food restaurant chain. / Jay-Russell, Michele T; Garrett, Valerie; Mohle-Boetani, Janet C.; Barros, Myra; Farrar, Jeff A.; Rios, Richard; Abbott, Sharon; Sowadsky, Rick; Komatsu, Ken; Mandrell, Robert; Sobel, Jeremy; Werner, S. Benson.
In: Clinical Infectious Diseases, Vol. 39, No. 1, 01.07.2004, p. 1-7.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - A multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli O157
T2 - H7 infection linked to consumption of beef tacos at a fast-food restaurant chain
AU - Jay-Russell, Michele T
AU - Garrett, Valerie
AU - Mohle-Boetani, Janet C.
AU - Barros, Myra
AU - Farrar, Jeff A.
AU - Rios, Richard
AU - Abbott, Sharon
AU - Sowadsky, Rick
AU - Komatsu, Ken
AU - Mandrell, Robert
AU - Sobel, Jeremy
AU - Werner, S. Benson
PY - 2004/7/1
Y1 - 2004/7/1
N2 - We investigated a multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections. Isolates from 13 case patients from California, Nevada, and Arizona were matched by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis subtyping. Five case patients (38%) were hospitalized, and 3 (23%) developed hemolytic uremic syndrome; none died. The median age was 12 years (range, 2-75 years), and 10 (77%) were female. Case-control studies found an association between illness and eating beef tacos at a national Mexican-style fast-food restaurant chain (88% of cases versus 38% of controls; matched OR, undefined; 95% confidence interval, 1.49 to infinity; P = .009). A traceback investigation implicated an upstream supplier of beef, but a farm investigation was not possible. This outbreak illustrates the value of employing hospital laboratory-based surveillance to detect local clusters of infections and the effectiveness of using molecular subtyping to identify geographically dispersed outbreaks. The outbreak investigation also highlights the need for a more efficient tracking system for food products.
AB - We investigated a multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections. Isolates from 13 case patients from California, Nevada, and Arizona were matched by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis subtyping. Five case patients (38%) were hospitalized, and 3 (23%) developed hemolytic uremic syndrome; none died. The median age was 12 years (range, 2-75 years), and 10 (77%) were female. Case-control studies found an association between illness and eating beef tacos at a national Mexican-style fast-food restaurant chain (88% of cases versus 38% of controls; matched OR, undefined; 95% confidence interval, 1.49 to infinity; P = .009). A traceback investigation implicated an upstream supplier of beef, but a farm investigation was not possible. This outbreak illustrates the value of employing hospital laboratory-based surveillance to detect local clusters of infections and the effectiveness of using molecular subtyping to identify geographically dispersed outbreaks. The outbreak investigation also highlights the need for a more efficient tracking system for food products.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=3042711374&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=3042711374&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1086/421088
DO - 10.1086/421088
M3 - Article
C2 - 15206044
AN - SCOPUS:3042711374
VL - 39
SP - 1
EP - 7
JO - Clinical Infectious Diseases
JF - Clinical Infectious Diseases
SN - 1058-4838
IS - 1
ER -