title: Meat grinders and molecular epidemiology: two supermarket outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection.
abstract: Between 23 June and 15 July 1994, 21 cases (19 primary and 2 secondary) of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection were identified in the Bethel, Connecticut, area. Three pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns from 15 isolates (I, n = 13; II, n = 2; and III, n = 1) were observed. A case-control study that excluded secondary cases and patients with PFGE II and III patterns (n = 16) demonstrated that consumption of food from one supermarket was associated with illness (15/16 cases vs. 31/47 geographically matched controls, odds ratio [OR] undefined, lower 95% confidence interval OR = 1.45, P = .018). No one food was associated with illness. Inspection of the supermarket revealed deficiencies in hygiene and meat handling practices. The 2 cases with PFGE II ate raw beef and raw lamb from a second supermarket. These outbreaks demonstrate the value of PFGE in supporting epidemiologic investigations and the potential for outbreaks arising from retail outlets.
authors.affiliation: Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Banatvala
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Magnano
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cartter
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Bibb
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Vasile
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mshar
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lambert-Fair
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Bean
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Tauxe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D003237:Connecticut / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005511:Food Handling / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology