Hemolytic-uremic syndrome during an outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections in institutions for mentally retarded persons: clinical and epidemiologic observations

Abstract

Purpose: To describe an outbreak of Escherichia coli O175:H7 infection resulting in a high rate of progression to hemolytic-uremic syndrome, and to attempt to identify predictors of and risk factors for progression.

Design: Case-control study among employees and comparison of daily clinical features in two groups: infected residents with subsequent development of HUS and those who had no complications.

Setting: Two institutions for retarded persons in Utah.

Patients: Twenty residents with E. coli O157:H7 infection (13 culture confirmed, 2 probable, and 5 possible); HUS developed in 8, and 4 died. Thirty-one infected employees (3 with culture-confirmed, 6 with probable, and 22 with possible infection).

Measurements and main results: In a case-control study among employees, infection was independently associated with eating ground beef from a single lot prepared at several barbecues and with close contact with a resident who had diarrhea. Five of eight residents in whom HUS developed had received trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, compared with none of seven who had no subsequent complications (p = 0.026); this finding may reflect antimicrobial treatment of patients with more severe illness. Compared with infected residents without complications, persons with HUS were younger (median age 13 vs 27 years, p = 0.043) and, by the third day of illness, had higher leukocyte counts (median 23.7 X 10(9)/L vs 9.1 X 10(9)/L, p = 0.018) and temperature (median 38.5 degrees C vs 37.0 degrees C, p = 0.016). Leukocytosis peaked on day 4, more than 24 hours before signs of HUS appeared.

Conclusions: Food-borne outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 in institutions may have devastating effects. Leukocytosis and fever may precede and predict HUS in patients with E. coli O157:H7 infection.