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E. coli outbreak at
Welsh dance camp Source of
Article: http://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/ BBC has been following an E. coli O157:H7
outbreak among attendees of a dance camp held in Cresselly, Wales.
At least thirteen people who attended the dance camp have reported symptoms
consistent with E. coli infection since the camp's conclusion on August 9.
While the investigation is
ongoing and a source has not yet been identified,
the current outbreak resembles a 2002
E. coli outbreak among attendees at a dance camp held at Eastern
Washington University (EWU) in Cheney, Washington. That outbreak was
ultimately traced to contaminated romaine lettuce sold by Spokane Produce,
and included cases from a cafeteria dinner on a Spokane campus, lunch the
following day from the same cafeteria, a restaurant salad in Spokane County,
romaine lettuce purchased at several Spokane-area grocery stores, two
restaurant salads in Walla Walla County, and romaine served at a restaurant
in a Midwestern State. We trust that educational
institutions serve safe food, but the reality is that the E. coli outbreak
associated with lettuce served at EWU was not an anomaly. In 2003,
an E. coli outbreak associated with prepackaged lettuce included victims
from school districts in San Diego County. Last year, another
lettuce-associated E.
coli outbreak sickened students at Michigan State University and the
University of Michigan. The lettuce was supplied to the schools by
Aunt Mid's Produce Company of Detroit, Michigan. It will be interesting to
learn what Welsh public health authorities determine to be the source of the
current dance camp-related E. coli outbreak. Whether the source is
lettuce or some other food, it is a good reminder for educational
institutions to review their food safety policies and take a close look at
their suppliers. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound
of cure. |
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