031024 Michigan E. Coli Source Still Unknown

Ottawa County , MI - A source has yet to be identified for an outbreak of E. coli bacteria that has hospitalized four people and sickened at least five others in Ottawa, Allegan, Berrien, Kent and Muskegon counties.

Officials at the Ottawa County Health Department said Friday that they are in the process of interviewing those stricken by the bacterial strain to detect a pattern behind the illness. Health workers also are analyzing stool samples from the infected individuals to see if the outbreak was caused by one or more substrains of the bacteria, an indication that there could be more than one contamination source.

The first case of the illness was reported by a hospital laboratory last week and nine cases have been confirmed, with the latest in Muskegon County on Sunday. Two children and two adults are in the hospital because of the illness. None of those hospitalized are from Ottawa County. Five of the cases came from one extended family that lives throughout the five county area.

Vito Palazzolo, director of the Ottawa County Health Department, said there continues to be a risk of contracting the illness and advised area residents to use caution when preparing food.

"This investigation will be ongoing until we are satisfied no further cases have been identified," Palazzolo said.

Undercooked beef is the most common source of the E. coli illness. Most cases result in stomach pain and acute diarrhea that can last up to one week. The bacteria is easily transferred through person to person contact and Palazzolo recommends people wash their hands after preparing a meal.

Health workers have taken samples of ground beef from the home of at least one person who became ill, but Palazzolo said test results are pending.

"We have acquired some food sources and we are in the process now of having that tested," he said.

Health department Epidemiologist Uzo Chukwama could not say how long the investigation may take. Health workers will follow up on contamination leads as they are identified, she said.

"We have to ... go out and do some inspections," Chukwama said.

Aside from the nine confirmed cases, health officials suspect five more people may have become sick because of E. coli, but are awaiting confirmation from test results.

According to the health department, about 73,000 people in the country become ill because of E. coli every year, and about 61 deaths are attributed to the bacteria annually.

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