Prison E. coli Cases Probed in Idaho
Food safety inspectors for the state of Idaho were inspecting a prison south of Boise for evidence of E. coli bacteria in the wake of an outbreak of serious food poisoning, the Associated Press is reporting.
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The story said five individuals at the privately run Idaho Correctional Center became sick around December 1. Tests from at least two of the victims identified a toxin associated with E. coli bacteria that can cause serious illness. Sarah Correll, staff epidemiologist at Idaho's Central District Health Department, said in the AP story that no new cases have been discovered and the inmates who were sickened are recovering.
The state inspectors were at the prison doing both food and water inspections, the story said.
Many types of E. coli release a powerful toxin--called a "verotoxin" or a "Shiga toxin"--that attacks the lining of the intestine. The most prominent Shiga toxin E. coli type is 0157:H7. In most cases of E. coli O157:H7, severe abdominal cramps are followed by watery, then bloody, diarrhea that subsides within a week or so. In 5 to 15 percent of reported E. coli O157:H7 infections, the Shiga toxins enter the bloodstream, causing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which often leads to kidney failure and also can lead to anemia, internal bleeding, central nervous system disruption and stroke. HUS is the leading cause of E. coli deaths.
