Five More Patients Suspected of EHEC Found

With the increasing number of patients suspected of having enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) infections, the first legally communicable disease, there is a possibility that at least hundreds of those newly suspected victims will be found by the end of this year. In addition, as affected areas of patients and those suspected are concentrated within a 20-30 km radius, it is presumed that food provided by a large company in the area is the main culprit.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) announced June 24 that three of the patients with hemolytic uremia, suspected of being infected with a lethal food-borne pathogen, called E. coli 0-157:H7, were found in Seoul with two more in Gyeonggi Province, increasing the number of suspected patients to 17.

As a result, there were two cases associated with the EHEC infection, with 17 suspected patients and 19 carriers.

“Although there were many infected patients in the past, it seems that they were not confirmed to have had it,” said Kwon Joon-ook, director of the quarantine department of the NIH. “Since the inspection system of hemolytic uremia is in place, we expect that hundreds of suspected patients will be found within this year,” he added.

Meanwhile, it was known that a rehabilitation center in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, where four cases were found and a middle school in Jamsil, Seoul, where three suspected patients were found were within a 20-30 km radius and were also supplied with beef from the same company.

“A close investigation by the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) is underway, but the food from this company seems to be a highly probable cause of the incidence at this point,” said Kwon.

Confirmed patients show symptoms of diarrhea with bleeding, severe abdominal cramping, vomiting, and hemolytic uremia while EHEC was separated. On the other hand, suspected patients show similar symptoms but EHEC was not separated. Carriers are those who were separated from a toxin of hemolytic uremia or EHEC but show no symptoms.

The EHEC is divided into two groups of O (Ohne hauch) and H (Hauch). The Group O has 173 varieties with numbers according to the order that they are identified while Group H has 60 varieties. According to the combination of O and H, there are 2,000 varieties.

From 10 confirmed patients in the country between 2000 and 2002, five cases were found to have had O-157 while four with O-111, four with O-26, two with O-171, and five with O-untypable were found. E-coli separated from the two confirmed patients this time is also classified as O-untypable. However, each E-coli strain shows similar symptoms and death rates.

Jin Lee leej@donga.com