Clinical experiences in Sakai City Hospital during the massive outbreak ofenterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 infections in Sakai City, 1996

In the middle of July 1996, a massive outbreak of hemorrhagic colitis (HC) occurred among elementary schoolchildren in Sakai city. This is the most wi despread outbreak of O157 infection ever experienced to our knowledge. Lunc h foods supplied in the elementary schools in Sakai were contaminated by Es cherichia coli (E. coli) O157. One hundred and twenty-one cases developed h emolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) from 12 680 symptomatic patients, including putative secondary infections, and three girls died during this outbreak. S akai City Hospital is one of the core medical facilities in this community; hence, 425 children with HC were treated at the hospital. Antibiotics were used extensively on all patients. Among them, 12 children developed HUS. A ll 425 children, including the patients with HUS, recovered without signifi cant sequelae. In the present paper, the clinical experiences during this m assive outbreak of E. coli O157 infection in Sakai City Hospital are descri bed.