Published Date: 2011-08-19 11:51:54
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> E. coli O157 - USA (06): (OR) strawberry, deer dropping source
Archive Number: 20110819.2520

E. COLI O157 - USA (06): (OREGON) STRAWBERRY, DEER DROPPING SOURCE
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Wed 17 Aug 2011
Source: The Oregonian [edited]
http://www.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/index.ssf/2011/08/oregon_confirms_deer_droppings.html


Oregon scientists confirmed today, 17 Aug 2011, that deer droppings
from Jaquith Strawberry Farm contained the same strain of _E. coli_
[O157:H7] that sickened people in Multnomah, Washington Clackamas,
Yamhill, and Clatsop counties. Lab testing confirmed deer as the
source of the outbreak," said William Keene, senior epidemiologist at
Oregon Public Health.

Scientists picked up environmental samples from fields at Jaquith
Strawberry Farm in rural Washington County and 10 tested positive for
_E. coli_ O157:H7. Of those, 6 matched the strain that sickened 15
people in Oregon, including a woman who died. The other 4 were
separate strains of _E. coli_ O157:H7.

Keene said the outbreak strain turned up in samples from fields in 3
separate locations. "It could be a single deer that conceivably
traveled from one field to another," Keene said. But he said the
positive tests probably indicate that several or perhaps many of the
deer around Jaquith's property carry O157:H7. But they don't know for
sure because they've not done much testing.

A total of 7 people were hospitalized in the outbreak and 3 suffered
kidney failure, Keene said.

[Byline: Lynne Terry]

--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[It is now clear that deer, feeding amongst the strawberry crops,
contaminated some berries with droppings. Although Shiga toxin
producing _E. coli_ are classically associated with cattle, other
animals can also be colonized in their gastrointestinal tract with
this pathogen including pigs, sheep, deer, and elk. As examples of the
association of non-cattle ruminants and this pathogen, _E. coli_ O157
has been isolated in wild deer (1), linked to deer meat jerky (2), and
deer and elk droppings have been suggested to be the source of
waterborne _E. coli_ O157 (3).

References
----------
1. Rice DH, Hancock DD: Verocytotoxigenic _E. coli_ O157 colonisation
of wild deer and range cattle. Vet Res 1995; 137(20): 524.
2. Keene WE, Sazie E, Kok J, et al: An outbreak of _Escherichia coli_
O157:H7 infections traced to jerky made from deer meat. JAMA 1997;
277(15): 1229-31; abstract available at
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9103348.
3. Olsen SJ, Miller G, Breuer B, et al: A waterborne outbreak of
_Escherichia coli_ O157:H7 infections and hemolytic uremic syndrome:
implications for rural water systems. Emerg Infect Dis 2002; 8(4):
370-5; available at
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol8no4/00-0218.htm. - Mod.LL]

[The state of Oregon can be located on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail
interactive map at http://healthmap.org/r/17bm. The counties
mentioned are in northwestern Oregon and can be seen on the map at
http://www.digital-topo-maps.com/county-map/oregon.shtml. -
Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]

See Also

E. coli O157 - USA (05): (PA) lake swimming 20110817.2493
E. coli O157 - USA (04): (PA) lake swimming 20110810.2428
E. coli O157 - USA (03): (OR) strawberry 20110809.2413
E. coli O157 - USA (02): (AL) water park 20110629.1981
E. coli O157 - USA: Lebanon bologna, alert, recall 20110325.0946
E. coli O157 - North America: hazelnut, alert, recall 20110310.0777
2010
----
E. coli O157 - USA (07): cheese 20101105.4007
E. coli VTEC non-O157 - USA (07): O26, ground beef, alert, recall
20100831.3097
E. coli O157 - USA (06): ground beef, alert, recall 20100809.2715
E. coli O157 - USA (05): (CO, NY), bison meat, alert, recall
20100709.2286
E. coli O157 - USA (04): (MN) unpasteurized milk 20100607.1900
E. coli O157 - USA (03): (MN) unpasteurized milk 20100528.1776
E. coli O157 - USA (02): (WA), day care 20100413.1200
E. coli VTEC non-O157 - USA (02): (OH, MI, NY) O145 20100505.1460
E. coli VTEC non-O157 - USA: (MI, OH) 20100427.1358
E. coli O157 - USA: 2009, tenderized non-intact steak 20100108.0092
2005
----
E. coli O157, lake swimming - USA (MN) 20050712.1983
E. coli O157, religious camp - USA (OR)(02) 20050602.1540
E. coli O157, religious camp - USA (OR) 20050531.1504
2004
----
E. coli O157, swimming pool - UK (England)(02) 20040927.2666
E. coli O157, swimming pool - UK (England) 20040920.2602
E. coli O157, water - UK (England) 20040908.2503
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