ATLANTA (AP) - A mysterious and scattered outbreak of the E. coli
bacteria is linked to 14 illnesses and one death, health officials say.
No form of contaminated food or other cause has been identified in
the illnesses, which occurred in April and May, according to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention.
Three people were hospitalized. One - a child in the New Orleans area - died last week.
The reported illnesses were spread across six states. Federal
officials have not identified all six states, but officials in Alabama,
Georgia, Florida and Louisiana have confirmed outbreak-associated
illnesses.
E. coli is a large family of bacteria and most strains are harmless.
The most deadly strain is considered E. coli O157:H7, which became
well-known in the early 1990s through a deadly outbreak associated with
hamburger meat.
Six similar strains are also considered dangerous and one of them is
E. coli O145, the strain identified in this new outbreak. Health
officials haven't been tracking O145 intensively for very long; it was
only in 2009 that the CDC began recommending labs test for it.
The first U.S. foodborne outbreak linked to O145 occurred in 2010,
when more than two dozen people in at least five states were sickened by
bacteria transmitted through romaine lettuce.
Until the source of the new outbreak is identified, health officials
can offer the public only general advice for avoiding the infection:
Cook meat thoroughly. Avoid unpasteurized milk and ciders. And - if you
have a diarrhea-like illness - wash your hands thoroughly and do not
prepare meals for others.
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