title: Risk factors for sporadic Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli infections in children, Argentina.
abstract: We evaluated risk factors for sporadic Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection among children in Argentina. We conducted a prospective case-control study in 2 sites and enrolled 150 case-patients and 299 controls. The median age of case-patients was 1.8 years; 58% were girls. Serotype O157:H7 was the most commonly isolated STEC. Exposures associated with infection included eating undercooked beef, living in or visiting a place with farm animals, and contact with a child <5 years of age with diarrhea. Protective factors included the respondent reporting that he or she always washed hands after handling raw beef and the child eating more than the median number of fruits and vegetables. Many STEC infections in children could be prevented by avoiding consumption of undercooked beef, limiting exposure to farm animals and their environment, not being exposed to children with diarrhea, and washing hands after handling raw beef.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rivas
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sosa-Estani
authors.forename: Josefa
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rangel
authors.forename: Maria G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Caletti
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vallés
authors.forename: Carlos D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Roldán
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Balbi
authors.forename: Maria C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Marsano de Mollar
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Amoedo
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miliwebsky
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chinen
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hoekstra
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mead
authors.forename: Patricia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Griffin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006463:Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D022621:Shiga Toxin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D054323:Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D022621:Shiga Toxin