An outbreak of foodborne illness caused by Escherichia coli O39:NM, an agent not fitting into the existing scheme for classifying diarrheogenic E. coli.
An outbreak of gastrointestinal illness with clinical and epidemiologic features of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) occurred among patrons of a restaurant during April 1991. Illnesses among several groups of patrons were characterized by diarrhea (100%) and cramps (79%-88%) lasting a median of 3-5 days. Median incubation periods ranged from 50 to 56 h. A nonmotile strain of E. coli (E. coli O39), which was negative for heat-labile (LT) and heat-stable (STa, STb) ETEC toxins, was isolated only from ill patrons. This organism produced enteroaggregative E. coli heat-stable enterotoxin 1 and contained the enteropathogenic E. coli gene locus for enterocyte effacement; it did not display mannose-resistant adherence, but produced attaching and effacing lesions in the absence of mannose on cultured HEp-2 cells. E. coli that are not part of highly characterized but narrowly defined groups may be important causes of foodborne illness.
Hedberg
C W
CW
Public Health Laboratory, Minnesota Department of Health, Minneapolis 55440-9441, USA.
Savarino
S J
SJ
Besser
J M
JM
Paulus
C J
CJ
Thelen
V M
VM
Myers
L J
LJ
Cameron
D N
DN
Barrett
T J
TJ
Kaper
J B
JB
Osterholm
M T
MT
D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002460:Cell Line; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008358:Mannose / Q000378:metabolism; D019081:O Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D019081:O Antigens; C034151:heat stable toxin (E coli); C027538:heat-labile enterotoxin, E coli; D008358:Mannose