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10/17/2003 Public Health Update: E. Coli Outbreak in a Portola Valley Retirement Center

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October 17, 2003 PFGE (pulsed field gel electrophoresis) test results on one sample from this outbreak of E. Coli 0157 are expected from the state on Monday, October 20. With the data derived from the test, public health officials will be armed with the genetic fingerprint of the bacteria that they can use to trace the spread of the disease. To date, twenty-six residents of the retirement community have reported symptoms, nine have been hospitalized and eight have been confirmed as having E. coli 0157. Initial testing of the confirmed cases, which takes three to four days, was performed at a local lab. Addtionally, seven foodhandlers and eight other staff have reported having symptoms of the illness. Public health staff will work through the weekend, interviewing residents and reviewing charts, to try to determine the source of the illness. The facility has already implemented a wide variety of infection control measures, as recommended by public health, to contain the spread of the disease. Symptoms of E. coli 0157 include watery or bloody diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting. Illness may be asymptomatic, mild or severe. Young children and the elderly are more likely to have severe symptoms, including kidney failure, and, in rare instances, may die. While most people get E. coli 0157 from contaminated food (such as undercooked ground beef), it also can be passed in the manure (feces) of young calves and other cattle. Animals do not have to be ill to transmit E. coli 0157 to humans. Consumers can prevent E. coli 0157 infection by thoroughly cooking ground beef, by rinsing vegetables thoroughly, by avoiding unpasteurized dairy products and by washing hands before, during and after food preparation.