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Norway: Outbreak of E.coli-infection (EHEC-infection) Source of
Article: http://insciences.org/article.php?article_id=3783 Published on 27 March
2009, 03:54 Last Update: 7 hour(s) ago by Insciences The
Norwegian Institute of Public Health has confirmed the same DNA strain of the
bacterium E.coli O157 (EHEC) among the three children with hemolytic uremic
syndrome (HUS) that have been reported this year. The first child became ill
in January, the second in February and the third in March. In addition, a
sibling of one of the children has also developed HUS, but it has not yet
been confirmed whether this is the same bacterial strain. As the patients are
from three different counties in Norway, the Norwegian Institute of Public
Health is now handling these cases as a national disease outbreak. The
four children involved are under ten years of age and live in Eid in Sogn og
Fjordane, Tromsø in Troms and Malvik in Sør-Trøndelag. One of the children has
died from the disease. E. coli
are
intestinal bacteria that are normally found in large amounts in animals and
humans. These bacteria are usually harmless but certain strains can cause
serious disease. One of these strains is the EHEC bacterium. HUS is a serious
kidney disease that among children can be blamed on toxin-producing
EHEC-bacteria. These bacteria usually infect from food or other sources
(water, contact with animals). It is too early to comment on the cause of
this outbreak. A broad investigation has begun where all possibilities are
kept open but such investigations take time and the source of infection
cannot always be identified. In
co-operation with local health officials, the local Food Safety Authorities
in the respective counties have taken samples from the patients’ leftover
food and interviewed their parents. Samples of food have been sent to the
Veterinary Institute for analysis. If E.coli-bacteria are identified in the samples, they are sent to the
Norwegian Institute of Public Health for DNA-analysis of the bacterial
strain. The interview forms are also sent to the Norwegian Institute of
Public Health for comparison to find possible links about the infection
source. The
National Committee for Food-borne Diseases will be summoned to advise the
Norwegian Institute of Public Health and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority
on the next stages of investigation. International networks will also be
called upon as required. People,
particularly children, with bloody diarrhoea should seek medical advice as
soon as possible. Health
professionals and hospitals should test patients with bloody diarrhoea for
possible EHEC and report suspected cases of EHEC and/or HUS to local health
officials and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health’s Infectious Disease
Control. The
Norwegian Food Safety Authority is leading and co-ordinating the
investigation in the food chain, in co-operation with the Veterinary
Institute. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health is leading and
co-ordinating the investigation in the population. |
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