title: Ongoing multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7 infections associated with consumption of fresh spinach--United States, September 2006.
abstract: On September 13, 2006, CDC officials were alerted by epidemiologists in Wisconsin and Oregon that fresh spinach was the suspected source of small clusters of Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7 infections in those states. On the same day, New Mexico epidemiologists contacted Wisconsin and Oregon epidemiologists about a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 infections in New Mexico associated with fresh spinach consumption. Wisconsin public health officials had first reported a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 infections to CDC on September 8. On September 12, CDC PulseNet had confirmed that the E. coli O157:H7 strains from infected patients in Wisconsin had matching pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns and identified the same pattern in patient isolates from other states. This report describes the joint investigation and outbreak-control measures undertaken by state public health officials, CDC, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This investigation and additional case finding are ongoing.
mesh_terms: D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D018724:Spinacia oleracea / Q000382:microbiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology