An outbreak of diarrheal illness 3 years ago in Japan appears to have been the first reported infection in humans with the O118:H2 strain of Escherichia coli.
The outbreak, which occurred at a junior high school in Komatsu, was believed to have been caused by salad served with a contaminated utensil. Of 561 people (526 students and 35 adult staff) who were identified as at risk for infection, 43% were symptomatic and 22.5% developed diarrheal illness. Nine were hospitalized, including three who underwent surgery for acute appendicitis, according to a report in January's electronic edition of Pediatrics (available at http://www.pediatrics.org).
Researchers from Kanazawa National Hospital in Kanazawa, Japan, and several other institutions reported that the O118:H2 E coli strain in the Komatsu outbreak is the only one known to produce Shiga toxin 1 alone. The potentially fatal E coli O157:H7 and several other serotypes produce either . . . [Full Text of this Article]
