# Alert - New E-Coli More Deadly



## moore2me (Jun 5, 2011)

_(M2M's note - The following is a partial quote from the CDC.)_
http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2011/ecoliO104/

 *As of June 2, 2011, case counts confirmed by Germanys Robert Koch Institute* include 520 patients with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)  a type of kidney failure that is associated with E. coli or STEC infections  and 11 deaths*.

 In the *United States, four suspected cases* of STEC O104:H4 infections have been identified in persons who recently traveled to Hamburg, Germany, where they were likely exposed. 

 At this time, a specific food has not been confirmed as the source of the infections. *Travelers to Germany should be aware that the German public health authorities have recommended against eating raw lettuce, tomatoes or cucumbers*, particularly in the northern states of Germany (Hamburg, Bremen, Lower Saxony, and Schleswig Holstein). United States public health authorities currently have no information that any of these foods have been shipped from Europe to the United States. 

The U.S. Department of Defense has been notified of this outbreak because of the presence of U.S. military bases in Germany; there are no known confirmed cases among U.S. military personnel or their dependents at this time. *However, reports indicate two U.S. service members in Germany with diarrheal illness are considered suspect cases.* For travel information related to this outbreak, please view the article on CDC Travelers Health Website. 

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_(M2M's note - there are no conclusions at this time that the following food handling steps will stop or minimize this new E-coli. However, these steps will help prevent the older strain we are more familiar with. The CDC has linked this website to their alert published above.)_

Below from http://www.foodsafety.gov/

*Raw Fruit and Vegetable Preparation Tips*

 Begin with clean hands. Wash your hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap before and after preparing fresh produce.

 Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruits and vegetables. Produce that looks rotten should be discarded.

 All produce should be thoroughly washed before eating. Wash fruits and vegetables under running water just before eating, cutting or cooking.

 Many precut, bagged produce items like lettuce are pre-washed. If the package indicates that the contents have been pre-washed, you can use the produce without further washing. _(M2M's note - In those of us who already have weakened immune systems, I recommend washing these salad mixes again before you use them. I use a salad spinner and tap water and it does the job quickly and neatly. Discard and pieces that look spoiled.)

_ Even if you plan to peel the produce before eating, it is still important to wash it first.

 Washing fruits and vegetables with soap or detergent or using commercial produce washes is not recommended.

 Scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush (_M2M's note - And dry it, before you slice it_.)

 Drying produce with a clean cloth towel or paper towel may further reduce bacteria that may be present.

_(M2M's note - If gathering your own fruit & veggies - Do not use any items that have dropped from the vine or tree to the ground. This includes apples, plums, tomatoes, oranges, peaches, etc. When fruit is on the ground there is a good chance is becomes contaminated with animal feces and urine, is more accessible to pests, and contaminated ground water. Plus, once fruit has left the tree or vine, and hit the ground, most bruise and start to degrade or decay and build up bacteria [such as E-coli].)_


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## smithnwesson (Jun 5, 2011)

Thank you for that, M2M. 

We've being playing leap-frog with the bugs for several decades now. We come up with an antibiotic, they come up with counter measures. We come up with a new antibiotic, they come up with new counter measures to it . . .

We are now risking infections from bugs like E. coli, MRSA, etc., that can defeat ALL of our antibiotics. We could be seriously fucked.

Check out this CDC statement:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...67XXCQ&usg=AFQjCNHVG5rtVxyEmnHNIe9Dley1xlls_A

 -Jim


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## moore2me (Jun 6, 2011)

Yesterday, the German health authorities announced they had narrowed down a possible suspect - an organic farm in Germany that sold mixed bean sprouts. The news was reported on the AP and in the Wall Street Journal. Some exerpts are below.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/article_b937c65c-fde6-5145-95ae-0375822df5dc.html

HAMBURG, Germany  *The terrifying E. coli outbreak in Europe appears to have been caused by vegetable sprouts grown on an organic farm in Germany, an agriculture official said Sunday as the toll climbed to at least 22 dead and more than 2,200 sickened*.

Preliminary tests found that bean sprouts and other sprout varieties from the farm in the Uelzen area, between the northern cities of Hamburg and Hannover, could be linked to infections in five German states, Lower Saxony Agriculture Minister Gert Lindemann said.
"There were more and more indications in the last few hours that put the focus on this farm," Lindemann said.

Many restaurants involved in what is now the deadliest known E. coli outbreak in modern history had received deliveries of the sprouts, Lindemann spokesman Gert Hahne said. He said 18 different sprout mixtures from the farm were under suspicion, including sprouts of mung beans, broccoli, peas, chickpeas, garlic lentils and radishes.

*As for how the sprouts became contaminated, Lindemann noted that they are grown with steam in barrels at 100 degrees Fahrenheit  an ideal environment for bacteria to multiply.*

He said it was possible that the water was contaminated with E. coli or that the sprout seeds  purchased in Germany and other countries  contained the germ. He said the *farmers had not used any manure*, which is commonly spread on organic farms and has been known to cause E. coli outbreaks.

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(*M2M's note - the association with E-Coli and bean sprouts has been well know for the past twelve years. The US and Canada have both issued alerts on this hazard back in the late 90's.* The CDC has been tracking and reporting on mass sickenings by this route thru their government funded work - see some examples below. *The big difference now is that this new E-Coli version is much more toxic to humans than the one we have been living with for years. The new "mutation" has a higher hospitalization rate, severe kidney damage and fatality rate its victims.)* :eat1:

From CDC 1999 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2627711/pdf/10511518.pdf (Quote)

Until effective measures to prevent sprout-associated illness are identified, persons who wish to reduce their risk of foodborne illness from raw sprouts are advised not to eat them; in particular, persons at high risk for severe complications of infections with Salmonella or E. coli O157:H7, such as the elderly, children, and those with compromised immune systems, should not eat raw sprouts.

FDA Reported on dangers of sprouts in (1998?)
http://www.stopgettingsick.com/template.cfm-1690 

From Health Canada 2007 *The Risks of Eating Raw Sprouts*
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/food-aliment/sprouts-germes-eng.php

(Quote)
Anyone who eats raw sprouts or lightly cooked mung bean sprouts, is at risk for exposure to E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella bacteria. However, the risk of serious health effects is greater for young children, seniors and people with weak immune systems.

The symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 infection can include stomach cramps, vomiting, fever and bloody diarrhea. Symptoms can occur within two to 10 days of eating contaminated food. A small percentage of people can develop a serious condition called haemolytic uremic syndrome, and may need blood transfusions and kidney dialysis. Severe cases could cause permanent kidney damage or even death . . . . .


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## moore2me (Jun 8, 2011)

From www.bfr.bund.de 
Below contains my summaries of quotes from the Opinion No. 018/2011 of BfR of 6 June 2011. (BfR stands for Federal Institute for Risk Assessment which is affiliated with the RKI stands for Robert Koch Institute.)

The several German government institutes announced 6/6/2011 that sprouts are indeed under suspicion of having spread E-Coli. The goverment recommended not to eat sprouts for the time being. 

They also announced the BfR and the RKI will examine the sprouts in question and check for the mutant E-Coli with a new, validated laboratory analytical method. This E-Coli (altho the likely suspect) has not been positively identified as the culprit and located on the said sprouts using a scientific method.

The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) advise and support the authorities in charge of food monitoring in the Laender in their current out-break investigations. The National Reference Laboratory for Escherichia coli of BfR, which cooperates closely with the authorities in Lower Saxony, will examine the samples of the sprouts with a new validated method. A definitive detection of the EHEC O104:H4 pathogen on the sprouts, which is the cause for the current outbreak, is not yet available. 


Against the backdrop of the severe outbreak in May 2011, BfR and RKI continue to recom-mend, by way of precaution, not to consume non-heated types of vegetables which are sus-pected of being the cause of the infection (tomatoes, cucumbers and salads) and have been purchased in Northern Germany, until the identification of the precise cause of the outbreak. *Already low germ counts are sufficient for an infection, so that a transmission is very easily possible.*

The E-Coli strains are only safely killed if the vegetables are sufficiently heated. Vegetable types, which are not suspected of being a cause of the infection (M2M's note - such as radish, carrots, peppers, squash, etc.) must be washed thoroughly prior to consumption (at least 30 seconds with strong rubbing, as far as possible with hot water) and, if necessary, be peeled. Washing and peeling of vegetables results in a reduction of the germ count and hence reduces the risk of infection. 

The consumption of sufficiently heated vegetables is safe. E-Coli organisms are killed by heating processes such as cooking, frying and stewing. *This pre-supposes that a temperature of 70 °C is reached in the core of the food for at least two minutes. These bacteria are, however, comparatively insensitive to other environmental influences such as an acid environment, cold and desiccation. Deep freezing of foods does not permit a reliable killing of E-Coli bacteria either.**

*M2M's note - The above mentioned methods of food preservation and/or preparation are staples of putting away American home garden produce. Altho we have no deaths yet from this mutant E-coli, we need to revisit and rethink our tomato preservation methods to assure safety and a good kill count of future E-coli bacteria .*


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## moore2me (Jun 13, 2011)

The following info is based on the following press release on 6/10/2100 from German state health authorities.
http://www.rki.de/cln_109/nn_217400/EN/Home/PM082011.html

The outbreak of bloody diarrhea and kidney damage due to a new strain of Ecoli has slowed on the rate of victims that have been presenting to emergency rooms and local doctors. This author suspects that most of the credit is due to the swift and thorough work of epidemiological investigators to ID the germ and the route people were sickened. Here is this panel's conclusions so far:

1. The current general recommendation to abstain from eating cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce in northern parts of Germany does not need to be upheld. Eat! Eat! These are okay!

2. In addition to adherence to good hygiene practices we recommend abstaining from eating raw sprouts. Households and gastronomic businesses should dispose of any sprouts currently in stock as well as any food items that might have come in contact with these. Clean out frig - throw out the unused stock.

3. We recommend in addition that all food products originating from Producer "X" in Lower Saxony be taken from the market. No sell - No buy - No use.

4. We recommend strict adherence to good hygienic practices when handling food or caring for patients. 

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The scientists are still working on how the E-coli bacteria were introduced into the sprout batches. The possibilities are human transmission, seed transmission, supply chain transmission, sprout processing contamination, or some unknown method.

1. The current general recommendation to abstain from eating cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce in northern parts of Germany does not need to be upheld. Eat! Eat! These are okay!

2. In addition to adherence to good hygiene practices we recommend abstaining from eating raw sprouts. Households and gastronomic businesses should dispose of any sprouts currently in stock as well as any food items that might have come in contact with these. Clean out frig - throw out the unused stock.


The scientists are still working on how the E-coli bacteria were introduced into the sprout batches. The possibilities are human transmission, seed transmission, supply chain transmission, sprout processing contamination, or some unknown method.

So, here is where we stand this week in Germanys war on E-Coli . . . . . . . 6/13/2011 

Victims of mutant E-coli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Decreasing 

Bean sprouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Culprits of outbreak  stop eating sprouts for now

Tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers . . . . . . . . . . . . Reputations cleared, go back to eating these

Where did mutant E-coli come from? . . . . . . . We dont know yet

Has mutant E-coli entered other countries? . . . No (except a few cases in Sweden)


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## EMH1701 (Jun 13, 2011)

This outbreak has me worried because it's primarily veggies. Not everyone cooks their veggies all of the time, and most of the people who eat veggies, usually are doing so for their health. I hope that people do not get the wrong message from this outbreak.


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## moore2me (Jun 14, 2011)

EMH1701 said:


> This outbreak has me worried because it's primarily veggies. Not everyone cooks their veggies all of the time, and most of the people who eat veggies, usually are doing so for their health. I hope that people do not get the wrong message from this outbreak.



Dear EMH1701, 

I agree with you in that all of us should eat veggies everyday if possible (diet restrictions permitting). In the southern states of the US we don't eat veggies for our health necessarily. First, we LOVE our veggies because they are delicious and they are a way of life for us. Second, since the veggies and produce we grow ourselves cost less than meats, etc. they are "poor folk's food" that would satisfy the palette of the wealthy.
 
Nothing is better tasting than our southern, home grown tomatoes. If someone told me to stop eating my tomatoes - well, there might be trouble. (We dream about and talk about our summer tomatoes all winter long. And they are just now starting to get ripe.)

We have folklore, festivals, and a sort of religion built around other crops like sweet corn, watermelons, strawberries, butterbeans, purple hull peas, blueberries, muscadines, peaches, bell peppers and peanuts. And lastly, my favorite crops that I cannot do without are new potatoes, sweet potatoes, okra, and the "king" of my garden - the greens - turnip greens, mustard greens and collard greens.

At my house, we can produce, freeze it, give it to neighbors, and share it with anyone we know who wants some. Michelle Obama and others talking about raising veggies for our health may be needed for city folks, we have been doing this a long, long time.

And when a new disease threat to our produce raises its ugly head, we understand that is usually due to mankind screwing up again. Or due to sewage treated improperly. Or due to unsafe food handling or processing. It's not Mr Tomato's fault - it's man's fault. The tomatoes may not have been washed in clean water, or the server may have used spoiled tomatoes in the salad. We learn from our mistakes and move on. I learned some needed food safety modifications from this German E-coli outbreak. I also think the outbreak was well handled and that Germany should be given kudos for its response. It could have been a lot worse.

*There is also the possibility that the new strain of E-coli died out (sort of like War of the Worlds stuff) or the new strain mutated again to a less toxic or less deadly form of E-Coli. A smart germ would mutate to a less deadly form that does not kill its host. A stoopid germ would remain really virulent and try to kill the host it is living inside.*


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