Parents PACK Newsletter

January 2007

Parents Pack Newsletter

Possessing, Accessing and Communicating Knowledge About Vaccines

In this issue:

• Feature Article: E. Coli Outbreaks and Food Contamination
• Spotlight: Pertussis
• Did You Know?. . .Death from Influenza
• Ask the VEC - Flu Vaccine

Feature Article: E. Coli outbreaks and food contamination

In December 2006, 71 people in 5 states were sickened by lettuce contaminated with E. coli after eating at Taco Bell restaurants in the northeastern region of the U.S. The type of E. coli that caused this outbreak is one of the leading causes of food contamination. Each year approximately 110,000 illnesses and up to 80 deaths in the U.S. result from E. coli infection.

The bacterium typically lives in the intestine of cattle, so a primary source of contamination is undercooked beef. Another common source is leafy vegetables that are not washed well enough or were exposed to raw beef products. Exposure to very small quantities of this bacteria are sufficient to cause illness. Similarly, the illness can be passed on to others without good hand hygiene after using the restroom or changing diapers.

The Taco Bell lettuce outbreak was in the media daily during the outbreak period. During this time, there were probably an additional 5 to 10 times as many cases of E. coli infection throughout the U.S.

Although we only hear about sporadic outbreaks, there are, in fact, E. coli infections that occur every day in the U.S. They are primarily caused by contaminated food or water, but because they affect individuals or a small group, they often go unreported, giving us a false sense that we are safe from these infections.

People sickened by E. coli typically have bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramping with no fever or a low-grade fever. About 8 of every 100 people will also develop a complication that damages the kidneys and could cause blindness or paralysis. Children under 5 years of age and the elderly are particularly susceptible to these complications. About 3 to 5 of every 100 people who suffer complications from E. coli infection will die from them.

Researchers are working to develop a vaccine that will effectively protect against this infection; however, there is still much to be done before a vaccine would become available.

Things that you can do to protect yourself in the absence of a vaccine include: eat only ground beef that has been completely cooked; keep raw meat away from other foods, particularly those that will be eaten raw; drink only pasteurized milk and juices; wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly even those that are labeled as pre-washed; drink tap or bottled water or water that you know has been chemically treated; and avoid swallowing water while swimming.

Finally, wash your hands with soap and water often, particularly after handling uncooked meats, fruits, or vegetables, and after using the restroom.

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Spotlight: Pertussis

The following is a letter we received from a Mom whose son suffered a bout with pertussis when he was 7 years old. It is reprinted here with permission:

Just a quick note to keep in touch with you in the New Year. Two years after Daniel's bout with pertussis, he is an active boy who recently hit a grand slam home run for his baseball team. He's practicing with his basketball team and ready for the season to start this weekend.

He also gets sick much more often than before, and his alarming, bronchial cough reminds us regularly of the illness that may be gone, but its effects still linger. He sees an asthma specialist for his "reactive airway disease," usually controlled by the two doses of an Advair inhaler daily, as well as a nightly dose of Singulair to keep the inflammation and "twitchiness" away from his airwaves. When he labors, we test his breathing, and sometimes must resort to even more medication and curtailed activities.

His reading still isn't what it could be, but with the assistance of a twice-weekly tutor through the past school year, he has made up for much of the concepts missed while he missed so much school when he down with the cough. When asked to complete a reading prompt recently, Daniel's best friend wrote, "The world would be a better place...if there wasn't any whooping cough."

All of this in a child who never had more than a cold before his bout with whooping cough. All this in a child who was immunized, but attended a school where up to forty percent of the children were not - a fact we did not know beforehand. I cannot stress strongly enough how parents must do everything they can to avoid this disease in every possible way. Its effects are devastating to the family, indeed the village, for longer than anyone can predict.

Happy New Year, and all best wishes,

Cheri Rae

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Did You Know?. . . Death from influenza

About one in 10,000 Americans will die from influenza and related complications during this flu season. Each year in the U.S., influenza claims as many lives as breast cancer and three times more lives than HIV/AIDS. Did you get your flu vaccine this year?

Ask the VEC — Flu vaccine

Q. I did not get my flu vaccine in October or November. Is it too late?

A. No. As long as there are still cases of flu, you can still be protected by the vaccine. However, it is important to realize that the vaccine takes about two weeks to work.

Send us your comments

If you have any comments about this newsletter or suggestions about how we can make our Web site more helpful, please send your comments to contactPACK@email.chop.edu.

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