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. 1989 Oct;103(2):249–254. doi: 10.1017/s0950268800030600

A christening party outbreak of haemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic uraemic syndrome associated with Escherichia coli O 157.H7.

R L Salmon 1, I D Farrell 1, J G Hutchison 1, D J Coleman 1, R J Gross 1, N K Fry 1, B Rowe 1, S R Palmer 1
PMCID: PMC2249521  PMID: 2680545

Abstract

A point source outbreak of haemorrhagic colitis due to Escherichia coli O 157.H7 producing verocytotoxin (VT), took place following a christening party in Birmingham in June 1987. Twenty-six people were affected, six were admitted to hospital and one developed haemolytic uraemic syndrome: there were no deaths. VT + E. coli O 157.H7 was isolated from 13 (57%) of 23 faecal specimens from affected people and from 3 (9%) of 33 specimens from asymptomatic people. Free VT was detected in the faeces of one further asymptomatic person. Illness was associated with eating turkey-roll sandwiches (P less than 0.001) suggesting that cold meats might be an important source of infection.

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Selected References

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