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10/29/2003 Public Health Update: E. Coli Outbreak in a Portola Valley Retirement Community

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October 29, 2003 As of 4 p.m. today, one employee reporting gastrointestinal symptoms has been added to the list of potential cases. One resident remains hospitalized. E. coli 0157 Symptomatic Individuals 13 Confirmed residents 4 Probable residents 15 Potential residents 0 Confirmed employees 15 Potential employees 47 Total residents and employees being monitored by County Health Department Individuals who are confirmed cases are those with laboratory confirmation of E. coli in the stool, regardless of symptoms. Probable cases refer to individuals who experienced more severe symptoms, but whose lab tests were negative. Potential cases refer to any individual that had two episodes of diarrhea in a 24-hour period, regardless of  laboratory confirmation. A negative stool culture for E. coli indicates that, at the time the specimen was collected, no E. coli was present in the person's system. This, however, does not mean that the individual's symptoms were not a result of the E. coli bacteria. All residents and employees that were previously listed as negative or pending are now being classified as potential, even though they have cultured negative for E. coli. 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. Scrupulous hand washing with soap and water remains our most powerful defense in preventing the transmission of disease. For more information about E. coli, visit this Centers for Disease Control Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/diseases/ecoli.htm