Spinach-associated Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreak, Utah and New Mexico, 2006

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 14; no. 10; pp. 1633 - 1636
• Main Authors: Grant, Juliana, Wendelboe, Aaron M, Wendel, Arthur, Jepson, Barbara, Torres, Paul, Smelser, Chad, Rolfs, Robert T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01.10.2008; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Case-Control Studies; Child; Child, Preschool; Cluster Analysis; Confidence Intervals; Disease Outbreaks; Dispatch; electrophoresis; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli Infections - epidemiology; Escherichia coli Infections - microbiology; Escherichia coli Infections - transmission; Escherichia coli O157; Escherichia coli O157 - classification; Escherichia coli O157 - genetics; Escherichia coli O157 - isolation & purification; Expedited; Female; Food Microbiology; Health aspects; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome - epidemiology; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome - microbiology; Humans; Infection; Male; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Middle Aged; New Mexico - epidemiology; Odds Ratio; Spinach oleracea; Spinacia oleracea; Spinacia oleracea - microbiology; Utah - epidemiology; New Mexico; Utah
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid1410.071341

In 2006, Utah and New Mexico health departments investigated a multistate cluster of Escherichia coli O157:H7. A case-control study of 22 case-patients found that consuming bagged spinach was significantly associated with illness (p<0.01). The outbreak strain was isolated from 3 bags of 1 brand of spinach. Nationally, 205 persons were ill with the outbreak strain.