TY - JOUR
T1 - Risk factors for sporadic infection with Escherichia coli O157:H7
AU - Mead, Paul S.
AU - Finclli, Lyn
AU - Lambert-Fair, Mary A.
AU - Champ, Deborah
AU - Townes, John
AU - Hutwagner, Lori
AU - Barrett, Timothy
AU - Spitalny, Kenneth
AU - Mintz, Eric
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - Background: Little is known about risk factors for sporadic infection with Escherichia coli O157:H7. In response to a sharp increase in reported cases in New Jersey during July 1994, we conducted a case-control study to identify principal sources of infection and contributing practices. Methods: Standardized questionnaires were used to evaluate (1) potential exposures of case patients and matched controls and (2) knowledge, attitudes, and practices of food preparers in case and control households. Patient isolates were subtyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Results: Patients with E coli O157:H7 infection (N=23; median age 9 years: 55% female) were more likely than healthy controls to have eaten a hamburger in the week preceding illness (matched odds ratio, undefined; P<.001); 80% of the hamburgers eaten by ill persons were prepared at home. Food preparers in case households were less likely than those in control households to report washing their hands (odds ratio, 85; P<005) and work surfaces (odds ratio, 10.5; P<.05) after handling raw ground beef. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis yielded 17 unique subtypes among the 23 patient isolates, indicating multiple sources of injection. Conclusions: Hamburgers prepared at home are an important source of sporadic E coli O157:H7 infections. We estimate that adequate hand washing by food preparers could have prevented 34% of E coli O157:H7 infections in the study population.
AB - Background: Little is known about risk factors for sporadic infection with Escherichia coli O157:H7. In response to a sharp increase in reported cases in New Jersey during July 1994, we conducted a case-control study to identify principal sources of infection and contributing practices. Methods: Standardized questionnaires were used to evaluate (1) potential exposures of case patients and matched controls and (2) knowledge, attitudes, and practices of food preparers in case and control households. Patient isolates were subtyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Results: Patients with E coli O157:H7 infection (N=23; median age 9 years: 55% female) were more likely than healthy controls to have eaten a hamburger in the week preceding illness (matched odds ratio, undefined; P<.001); 80% of the hamburgers eaten by ill persons were prepared at home. Food preparers in case households were less likely than those in control households to report washing their hands (odds ratio, 85; P<005) and work surfaces (odds ratio, 10.5; P<.05) after handling raw ground beef. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis yielded 17 unique subtypes among the 23 patient isolates, indicating multiple sources of injection. Conclusions: Hamburgers prepared at home are an important source of sporadic E coli O157:H7 infections. We estimate that adequate hand washing by food preparers could have prevented 34% of E coli O157:H7 infections in the study population.
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U2 - 10.1001/archinte.157.2.204
DO - 10.1001/archinte.157.2.204
M3 - Article
C2 - 9009977
AN - SCOPUS:0031027489
SN - 0003-9926
VL - 157
SP - 204
EP - 208
JO - Archives of internal medicine
JF - Archives of internal medicine
IS - 2
ER -