Investigation of an Escherichia coli O145 outbreak in a child day-care centre--extensive sampling and characterization of eae- and stx1-positive E. coli yields epidemiological and socioeconomic insight.

ABSTRACT:

Background

On October 29th 2009 the health authorities in the city of Trondheim, Norway were alerted about a case of Shiga toxin-positive E. coli (STEC) O145 in a child with bloody diarrhoea attending a day-care centre. Symptomatic children in this day-care centre were sampled, thereby identifying three more cases. This initiated an outbreak investigation.

Methods

A case was defined as a child attending the day-care centre, in whom eae- and stx1- but not stx2-positive E. coli O145:H28 was diagnosed from a faecal sample, with multilocus variable number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) profile identical to the index isolate. All 61 children, a staff of 14 in the day-care centre, and 74 close contacts submitted faecal samples. Staff and parents were interviewed about cases' exp

SUBMITTER: Wahl E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3188501 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature