Outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 linked with consumption of a fast-food product containing imported cucumbers, United Kingdom, August 2020.
Journal
International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
ISSN: 1878-3511
Titre abrégé: Int J Infect Dis
Pays: Canada
ID NLM: 9610933
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Oct 2021
Oct 2021
Historique:
received:
01
03
2021
revised:
01
04
2021
accepted:
03
04
2021
pubmed:
26
4
2021
medline:
10
11
2021
entrez:
25
4
2021
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
In August 2020, an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 occurred in the United Kingdom. Whole genome sequencing revealed that these cases formed a genetically distinct cluster. Hypotheses generated from case interviews were tested in analytical studies, and results informed environmental sampling and food chain analysis. A case-case study used non-outbreak 'comparison' STEC cases; a case-control study used a market research panel to recruit controls. A total of 36 cases were identified; all cases reported symptom onset between August 3 and August 16, 2020. The majority of cases (83%) resided in the Midlands region of England and in Wales. A high proportion of cases reported eating out, with one fast-food restaurant chain mentioned by 64% (n = 23) of cases. Both the case-case study (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 31.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6-624.9) and the case-control study (aOR 9.19, 95% CI 1.0-82.8) revealed statistically significant results, showing that the consumption of a specific fast-food product was independently associated with infection. Consumption of a specific fast-food product was a likely cause of this outbreak. The only ingredient specific to the product was cucumbers. The supply of cucumbers was immediately halted, and no further cases have been identified.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
In August 2020, an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 occurred in the United Kingdom. Whole genome sequencing revealed that these cases formed a genetically distinct cluster.
METHODS
METHODS
Hypotheses generated from case interviews were tested in analytical studies, and results informed environmental sampling and food chain analysis. A case-case study used non-outbreak 'comparison' STEC cases; a case-control study used a market research panel to recruit controls.
RESULTS
RESULTS
A total of 36 cases were identified; all cases reported symptom onset between August 3 and August 16, 2020. The majority of cases (83%) resided in the Midlands region of England and in Wales. A high proportion of cases reported eating out, with one fast-food restaurant chain mentioned by 64% (n = 23) of cases. Both the case-case study (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 31.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6-624.9) and the case-control study (aOR 9.19, 95% CI 1.0-82.8) revealed statistically significant results, showing that the consumption of a specific fast-food product was independently associated with infection.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
Consumption of a specific fast-food product was a likely cause of this outbreak. The only ingredient specific to the product was cucumbers. The supply of cucumbers was immediately halted, and no further cases have been identified.
Identifiants
pubmed: 33895409
pii: S1201-9712(21)00312-X
doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.04.001
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
S62-S68Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.