[ad_1]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that it has infected people in the United States. the illness.
The recent spate of sickness, which began March 2, is directly linked to a strain of E. coli known as "O103," according to the CDC. Patients aged from 1 to 74 years old with a median age of 17.
Symptoms of E. coli infection often include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting, usually occurring in the body. Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia.
Bill Marler, a food safety lawyer from Seattle with more than 25 years of experience, told The Post there's no question in this case. It's "concerning," he said, that the CDC has yet to pinpoint the source to a specific food item, grocery store or restaurant chain.
"Given the size and the number of states that are involved, what you're seeing is very unusual," Marler said. If there are 72 people and they're being interviewed by epidemiologists, it's pretty unusual you do not have a heart. "
He added: "The real question is, what do people have in common?"
That something, Marler said, is likely to be a food or water product that people can not remember they ate. And they are likely to interview patients and determine what they are doing in their symptoms, but recalling one's dietary choices is oftentimes easier than done, he said.
Condiments, garnish, toppings, and spices can all contain traces of E. coli. But it's unlikely the patients in this case were keeping track of all the additives in their recent diets, he added.
"That's probably why it's taking longer to figure out – because people can not remember what was in their meal," Marler said.
Citing at CDC data set dates back to 1998, Marler noted outbreaks of E. coli O103 are relatively uncommon. Eighteen such cases have been reported in the United States since 2000, with the highest number of reported cases being reported during the outbreak in Minnesota.
That makes this outbreak, he said.
It's likely that number will grow. Marler said the CDC estimates that for every person reported, there are 5 to 10 ill people who have not been accounted for. "I would expect this to be the case this weekend," he said.
Thirty-six of the reported illnesses in this case stem from Kentucky. Last week, local health officials issued an alert for a "sudden increase in O103 cases" in the state, according to the Mercer County Health Department, which wrote in a Facebook post the illnesses were found in "children and adolescents with extensive exposure to fast food. "
If that's true, Marler said, it fits the dietary habits of many 17-year-olds: the reported median patient age.
"It definitely does not help it, it's probably some convenience," he said. One silver lining, he added, is typically healthy and not prone to further complications from E. coli.
To avoid disease, the CDC advises that people cook foods thoroughly, wash fruits and vegetables and limit consumption of raw or unpasteurized juice and dairy products. Hand washing can also help prevent contamination.
But Marler says people fearing the disease should go one step further: avoid uncooked food items entirely, at least until the CDC draws its conclusion.
"It will not kill a salad or smoothie made with fresh fruits and vegetables," Marler said. "You can live without that for a couple days as this shapes out."
The Washington Post's Lena H. Sun contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Source link