Alabama (2), California(1), Florida (1), Georgia (5), Louisiana (4), Tennessee (1)

As of June 8, 2012 Outbreak information

As of June 8, 2012, there are 14 cases of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O145 infection with indistinguishable DNA patterns that have been identified in lab samples from persons in 6 states: Alabama (2), California(1), Florida (1), Georgia (5), Louisiana (4), Tennessee (1). The dates when those person’s became ill range from April 15 to May 12, 2012.

Three ill persons have been hospitalized. One death has been reported in Louisiana.

The most recent report of illness was on June 4, 2012. The time from the beginning of a patient’s illness to the confirmation that he or she was part of an outbreak is typically about 2-3 weeks. Case counts during an outbreak investigation are therefore preliminary and must be interpreted within this context.

This ongoing multi-state investigation has not yet identified a source of these infections. The investigation is looking at both food-and non-food exposures are part of the ongoing investigation..

State public health officials are interviewing ill persons to obtain information regarding foods they might have eaten and other exposures in the week before illness.

There is no evidence to suggest the recent death of a child in Louisiana and a child in Massachusetts are related. The patients had different kinds of STEC infection (a different O145 in Louisiana, and O157 in Massachusetts).