Is There An E. Coli 0157:H7 in Your Practice?

Abstract

There have been documented outbreaks of human illness due to E.coli 0157:117 since 1982. The clinical symptoms include severe abdominal pain and cramps; watery diarrhea followed by grossly bloody diarrhea; fever in about 1/3 and vomiting in ½ of the cases, and some deaths associated with renal failure may occur. The implicated vehicles of the outbreaks have been ground beef, raw milk, cold sandwiches, roast beef, and person-to-person contact. E. coli 0157:H7 is the most commonly detected strain of E. coli among at least 50 serotypes of this organism that have been found to produce vero toxins which can cause the previously mentioned clinical signs. The main reservoir of these organisms is the intestinal tract of animals. These bacteria have been isolated in every region of the United States and have been found in fecal samples in dairy cattle, cow/calf operations, and feedlot animals. Is there an E. coli 0157:H7 in your practice? We will discuss this probability along with diagnostic approaches and policies being developed in regulatory agencies to address this issue.