title: A christening party outbreak of haemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic uraemic syndrome associated with Escherichia coli O 157.H7.
abstract: A point source outbreak of haemorrhagic colitis due to Escherichia coli O 157.H7 producing verocytotoxin (VT), took place following a christening party in Birmingham in June 1987. Twenty-six people were affected, six were admitted to hospital and one developed haemolytic uraemic syndrome: there were no deaths. VT + E. coli O 157.H7 was isolated from 13 (57%) of 23 faecal specimens from affected people and from 3 (9%) of 33 specimens from asymptomatic people. Free VT was detected in the faeces of one further asymptomatic person. Illness was associated with eating turkey-roll sandwiches (P less than 0.001) suggesting that cold meats might be an important source of infection.
authors.affiliation: West Midlands Regional Health Authority, Birmingham.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Salmon
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Farrell
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Hutchison
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Fry
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rowe
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Palmer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003092:Colitis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005506:Food Contamination; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006463:Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008460:Meat; D008461:Meat Products; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014422:Turkeys; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology