Each year hundreds of people are sickened by E. coli and about 60 die. Until fairly recently, it was difficult tracking an E. coli outbreak. The Centers for Disease control (CDC) now has a system of genetic fingerprinting for E. coli bacteria (and other foodborne bacteria) called PulseNET. Here is the CDC explaination of PulseNET:
PulseNet is a national network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The network consists of: state health departments, local health departments, and federal agencies (CDC, USDA/FSIS, FDA).
PulseNet participants perform standardized molecular subtyping (or “fingerprinting”) of foodborne disease-causing bacteria by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). PFGE can be used to distinguish strains of organisms such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7), Salmonella, Shigella, Listeria, or Campylobacter at the DNA level. DNA “fingerprints,” or patterns, are submitted electronically to a dynamic database at the CDC. These databases are available on-demand to participants—this allows for rapid comparison of the patterns.
If someone goes to the doctor with symptoms of E. coli, a sample of the stool may be tested for E. coli bacteria. If E. coli bacteria is found, further testing may be needed to determine if the E. coli bacteria is E. coli O157:H7. If the stool samples test positive for E. coli O157:H7 or another virulent strain of E. coli bacteria, a culture of the E. coli bacteria may be sent to the CDC for genetic fingerprinting as part of the PulseNET system. Not every case of E. coli O157:H7 has this testing done. This is one reason why it is imperative that anyone diagnosed with E. coli contacts a lawyer immediately. At Pritzker | Ruohonen, we have a process for getting the needed testing done.
Each E. coli outbreak involves a genetically-unique E. coli bacteria. This means that the genetic fingerprint of the E. coli O157:H7 bacteria for one outbreak is genetically unique from the E. coli O157:H7 bacteria of a different outbreak. For example, in the fall of 2006, there were two E. coli outbreaks involving Mexican fast food restaurants, Taco Bell and Taco Johns. The CDC knew that these outbreaks were two, unrelated outbreaks because the genetic fingerprint of the E. coli O157:H7 involved in the Taco Bell outbreak was different from the E. coli O157:H7 in the Taco Johns outbreak.
Once the PulseNET system identifies an outbreak (generally two or more cases of E. coli with identical genetic fingerprints), epidemiologists interview the people who contracted the E. coli infections to try determine the source of the outbreak. Obviously, if the cases are children, people who are too sick to be interviewed, or people have died, family members and others are interviewed.
Pritzker | Ruohonen has a national practice and represents E. coli victims throughout the United States. To contact the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the online contact form.
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