An outbreak of Escherichia coli O157 infection on the Gold Coast

Abstract

An outbreak of bloody diarrhoea associated with Escherichia coli O157 infection in young children on the Gold Coast in Queensland was investigated. This outbreak was the first involving the O157 serotype in Australia. Fifty-seven people were screened and E. coli O157 was isolated from six people, all of whom had consumed different food items from a delicatessen. No single food item was identified as the source of the infection. One of the food handlers who was positive for E. coli O157 had minor symptoms of gastroenteritis preceding the onset of disease in the identified cases. This person had prior contact with an animal that showed clinical signs of infection, suggesting a possible method of entry for the organism into the delicatessen. However, it is also possible that a contaminated food product entered the delicatessen and contaminated other food products during handling. Therefore, cross contamination within the delicatessen was a likely associated factor in the transmission of this disease.