E. coli O111 Colorado Prison Food Poisoning Outbreak
An E. coli outbreak at Four Mile Prison in Canon City, Colorado has been associated with E. coli O111, a lesser-known but no less dangerous strain of E. coli. So far three inmates are sick with E. coli O111 and eight more could potentially be part of the outbreak as well, according to local news sources.
Colorado health officials have inspected the facility's kitchens and found no unsanitary conditions, according to Colorado Department of Corrections spokeswoman Katherine Sanguinetti. The Colorado DOC and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment are working together to locate the source of the outbreak and keep it from growing.
About E. coli O111
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have identified six types of E.coli besides E. coli O157:H7 that are lesser known but still can be seriously harmful and even deadly. E. coli O111 is in this category.
These types of Ecoli are known as Shiga toxin-producing E coli, or STEC, because they produce a dangerous toxin that causes severe illness in normally healthy people. Symptoms can include:
- Bloody diarrhea
- Severe abdominal cramping
- Hemolytic uremic syndrome (E. coli HUS)
- Kidney failure
- Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP)
There have been 11 outbreaks since 1990 that the CDC has associated with E. coli O111. Although it is more rare than E. coli O157:H7, it can be just as deadly. STEC cause about 110,000 foodborne illnesses per year, and about 30 percent of those illnesses could be traced to non-O157 types of E. coli, such as O111, according to the CDC.
