ATLANTA – Health authorities are scrambling to identify the source of an E. coli outbreak as the number of people sickened by the food-borne virus climbs in Tennessee, Georgia and neighboring states.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said nearly 100 cases have been reported, with the vast majority concentrated in the Southeast, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Outbreaks of E. coli 0103 – which can lead to stomach cramping, vomiting and diarrhea – are relatively uncommon, but this current one is the largest on record.
Since March 2, 46 people have fallen ill in Kentucky, 26 in Tennessee, 17 in Georgia, five in Ohio and two in Virginia, . So far, 11 people have been hospitalized in the outbreak, but no deaths have been reported.
A spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Health said 21 of the state’s 26 reported cases came from East Tennessee.
The current outbreak is linked to a strain known as E. coli 0103. While considered serious, it’s less likely to cause the severe illness, kidney failure and death that E. coli 0157 did last year. A June 2018 outbreak of that strain sickened about 210 people in 36 states and caused five deaths. Another outbreak led to an enormous recall of romaine lettuce last November, the Journal-Constitution reported.
Five E. coli cases have occurred in Hamilton County, according to the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department. Lab results confirmed one of those cases to be part of the outbreak, one case was caused by a different strain and results for the other three cases are pending, officials said.
Laura Gieraltowski, leader of the CDC’s Foodborne Outbreak Response Team, said the investigation into the current flareup is “moving quite rapidly” and that she was hopeful the agency soon will determine the source.
For now, the CDC isn’t advising the public to avoid any particular food.
Until the outbreak source is determined, Sharon Goforth, special project supervisor for the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department, said proper hand hygiene and food-handling – washing vegetables, keeping clean surfaces, cooking raw meat thoroughly, avoiding unpasteurized diary and fruit juice – can help prevent potential infection.
The patients in the five states range in age from 1 to 81 years old, with a median age of 17. In Georgia, health officials are not releasing the location of those who have gotten sick. Three of them have been hospitalized, and the median age of those infected in the state is 15, officials said.
Though E. coli naturally occurs in the guts of healthy people and animals, a few nasty strains – transmitted through contaminated water or food, and sometimes through contact with other people and animals – cause illness.
“This is one of the things that a lot of people don’t know,” Goforth said. “Everyone has E. coli in our gut. It works to keep our gut healthy.”
She said the health department regularly investigates E. coli reports that aren’t part of a major outbreak.
Symptoms of E. coli infection usually begin three or four days after consuming the bacteria. Most people recover within a week. The CDC recommends that those who develop symptoms of E. coli infection contact their doctors as soon as possible. Doctors and hospitals report suspected cases of E. coli illnesses to local health officials, which can help identify the source.
E. coli can affect anyone exposed to the bacteria. But young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop complications from the infection.
Bill Marler, a prominent food safety lawyer from Seattle, said it’s concerning the CDC has yet to identify the source, but added that it can sometimes be challenging, the Journal-Constitution reported.
Investigations are turning to DNA science, tapping into whole genome sequencing to pinpoint the sources of E. coli bacteria. But technology must be combined with interviews with sick people to determine everything they have eaten recently in an effort to identify clusters of illness.
“You might remember the hamburger you ate, but not the side or the sprouts on the hamburger,” said Marler.
He suspects those sickened in the latest cases don’t recall a side dish or food topping consumed, like parsley or peppers or lettuce – ingredients easily forgotten.
Staff writer Elizabeth Fite contributed to this story.