E. COLI 0157:H7

E.Coli 0157:H7 It is one of the hundreds

of strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli

This strain produces a powerful toxin and can cause severe illness

First recognized as a cause of an illness in 1982

Most infections have come from the consumption of uncooked meat

E.Coli 0157:H7 The combination of letters and numbers

in the name of the bacterium represent the specific markers found on its surface.

An emerging cause of foodborne illness with an estimated 73,000 cases of infection and 61 deaths in the United States alone each year!

E.Coli 0157:H7 Mode of Transmission: Ingestion of

contaminated food

Infection control: No special isolation precautions required

Incubation period: 3-8 days

How Is It Spread? Found on a small number of cattle farms

in the intestines of healthy cattle

Meat CAN be contaminated during slaughter and can be mixed in particularly with ground beef.

Bacteria is present on the cow’s udders or on equipment and therefore could possibly get into raw milk as well.

How Is It Spread? Eating meat, particularly ground

beef,that has not been sufficiently cooked can cause infection.

Other sources of consumption: sprouts, lettuce, salami, unpateurized milk and juice, and swimming in or drinking sewage-contaminated water.

How Is It Spread? Bacteria in diarrheal stools of infected

persons can be passed from one person to another.

KEEP HYGIENE HABITS!

Pay particular attention to toddlers who aren’t yet toilet trained.

Young children can shed organism in their feces for a week after illness resolves.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC collects

information about foodborne illness outbreaks from state and local health departments.

Claims that 250 million Americans suffer from food poisoning and over 5000 victims die every year!

Most of the outbreaks are caused by food handling errors

Managers should implement the most effective food sanitation possible

70% outbreaks occur in foodservice operations

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

What illness does 0157:H7 Cause? Often causes severe bloody diarrhea and abdominal

cramps (Hemorrhagic colitis)

Usually little or not fever is present Illness resolves in five to ten days With children under 5 yrs. & elderly, it can cause a

complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome. 2%-7% have this complication. Principal cause of acute kidney failure in children.

Prevention Cook all beef

thoroughly, particularly ground beef

Beef can turn brown before disease-causing bacteria all killed

Use a digital instant-read thermometer

Prevention In the kitchen, keep raw meat separate

from ready-to-eat foods

Wash hands, counters, and utensils with soapy water after they touch raw meat.

Never place cooked hamburgers or ground beef on the unwashed plate that held raw patties.

Wash meat thermometers in between tests of patties that require further testing.

Prevention Drink only pasteurized milk or juice.

Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly Have municipal water treated with chlorine or

other disinfectants Avoid swallowing lake or pool water while

swimming Wash hands with soap after bowel movements

or after changing soiled diapers.

Thawing Meat Thaw foods in refrigerator units under

water of 70 F or lower

Or in the microwave oven

Thaw ready-to-eat foods above raw

Large items should not be cooked from frozen state

Outbreaks Scottish outbreak--

linked to butcher shop; 116 people reported with symptoms; 4 people died

Odwalla fruit juices-- had to recall on carrots and vegetable juices; victims were children; apples were contaminated through feces of cattle grazing in nearby pasture

Georgia Water Park--10 children were affected and 1 died; link to child defecating in children’s wading pool

Japan Outbreak-- 9 people died in 4 week time span; bacteria infected over 9000 people; 5000 of which were school children