E. coli outbreak in Upstate New York sickens 10
At least 10 people, mostly from the Finger Lakes region of New York State, have been sickened with E. coli since August from a still unknown source.
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Nine of the victims are from Livingston County and one from Onondaga County. Three of the patients required hospitalization for their illness.
The Food Poisoning Bulletin reports that based on pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), eight of the cases are the same strain of E.coli 0157:H7, while two tests are still pending.
Health authorities still have not identified the source of this outbreak.
Symptoms of the diseases caused by E.coli O157:H7 include abdominal cramps and diarrhea that may in some cases progress to bloody diarrhea. The infection may lead to a life-threatening disease, such as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS is characterized by acute renal failure, hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia. It is estimated that up to 10% of patients with E.coli infection may develop HUS, with a case-fatality rate ranging from 3% to 5%.
