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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli in Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia.
The multi-state outbreak that began on March 2 has made 72 people sick and has hospitalized eight, according to the CDC.
Kentucky has the highest number of cases, 36 cases. Tennessee is the second largest country with 21 infections reported.
Escherichia coli are bacteria found in the environment, food and intestines of humans and animals. The types of E. Coli likely to cause illness can be transmitted through contaminated water or food or through contact with animals or people.
The CDC, Inspection and Food Safety Department of the United States Department of Agriculture and the US Food and Drug Administration's investigation is underway and no food product, grocery store or restaurant chain has been identified as a source of infections, according to the CDC. notice of investigation.
The CDC does not recommend consumers to avoid any particular food at the moment. Restaurants and retailers are not encouraged to avoid serving or selling a particular food.
States would be investigating other diseases that could be part of this epidemic.
Infected persons are 1 to 74 years old and have a median age of 17 years.
If most strains of E. Coli are reputed to be harmless, some types of E. Coli can cause diarrhea, respiratory diseases, pneumonia and other diseases.
Coli or STEC producing a Shiga toxin begin to feel sick until four days after eating or drinking something that contains the bacteria. However, diseases can begin between one and ten days after exposure.
People are welcome to contact their health care provider if the diarrhea lasts for more than three days or is accompanied by a high fever, bloody stool or vomiting so severe that they can not contain of liquids and urinating very little.
A type of kidney failure can develop in individuals in whom a diagnosis of STEC has been diagnosed.
According to the CDC, no deaths and no cases of haemolytic uremic syndrome have been reported so far with this outbreak.
In July 2018, the CDC declared a multi-state outbreak of E. coli infection linked to romaine lettuce, which resulted in the death of five people and made 96 hospitalizations, including 27 people having developed kidney failure .
Approximately 210 people from 36 states, including four from Massachusetts, were infected with STEC during this outbreak from March 13 to June 6, 2018.
