Survival of 'Escherichia coli' O157: H7 in Drinking Water Associated with aWaterborne Disease Outbreak of Hemorrhagic Colitis

摘要

The enteric pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7 has emerged as an importantcausative agent of diarrheal disease. The organism has been associated with both hemorrhagic colitis and nonbloody diarrhea. The organism may be transmitted by a variety of routes. Most recently water has also been shown to be a source for the spread of the pathogen. A large waterborne disease outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 occurred in Cabool, MO, USA, during the winter of 1991. The small rural community (population 2090) receives its drinking water from a nondisinfected ground water source. The investigation was designed to study the survival of the epidemic strain and another strain of E. coli O157:H7 in the implicated drinking water and to compare the survival with a typical strain of E. coli.