Parsley E. coli Outbreak
Outbreak News
In September and October of 2005, public health officials in Washington and Oregon investigated an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that was ultimately traced to parsley served as an ingredient in or garnish on dishes served at several restaurants in both states. Washington Department of Health (WDOH) and the Oregon Department of Health Services (ODHS) environmental health staff conducted a trace-back investigation, and learned that all restaurants where exposure to E. coli had occurred in the outbreak had received parsley from a single grower in Oregon.
Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis of the bacterium isolated from patients’ stool samples was conducted by the WDOH and ODHS. Results showed that Washington and Oregon residents were infected with a genetically indistinguishable strain of E. coli O157:H7.