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Newest E. coli Outbreak Linked to
Colorado Restaurant Date Published: Thursday, October
9th, 2008 Source of Article: http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/3979 Laboratory results have just confirmed a strain
of E.
coli in nine of 16 recently reported cases of severe stomach ailments
emerging out of The health department is investigating other
possible bacteria sources, said Heath Harmon, communicable-disease division
manager for the Jimmy John’s was temporarily shut down as a
precautionary measure; however, Chana Goussetis, spokeswoman for the health department, said
the county isn’t sure if the restaurant is the E. coli source. “Quite a
few people who were sick had eaten at Jimmy John’s, but we’re not sure that
is the source,” Goussetis said. “It was done to
make sure no one else got sick. All the food workers are getting
tested, and we’re making sure there is new food.” While Jimmy John’s posted a
statement indicating that the health department is working with other area
restaurants to determine the source of the outbreak, Goussetis
said her department is not working with any other restaurants regarding this
E. coli outbreak. Last week, the health department investigated a
cluster of eight E. coli cases at UC. Of the eight, seven were students and
one was a sorority adviser. Most students were members of the same
sorority, which UC officials declined to name. Goussetis
said those cases were linked back to Jimmy John’s. At least two of the
victims have secured legal representation. Goussetis
confirmed the county is now investigating 17 cases of E. coli, but not all
are linked to the restaurant. The strain of E. coli bacteria is one of the most
common, according to health officials; the key symptom is bloody
diarrhea. The strain can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome, resulting
in acute kidney failure and the bacteria can be transferred when people handle
food after using the bathroom and not washing their hands. According to
the health department, there has been a rise in E. coli cases in Some E. coli strains are necessary for digestion;
some are harmful, even deadly, such as the very rare and toxin-producing
strain E. coli O111 and the more common toxin producing O157:H7.
Typically, the virulent, sometimes deadly E. coli O157:H7 is found to be
responsible in E. coli-related food-borne illness outbreaks and is—along with
O111—in groups called Verocytotoxigenic E. coli
(VTEC) and Shiga Toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), linked to food poisoning,
that are very serious and can cause fatal blood poisoning, cystitis, deadly
septicemia, and death. |
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