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Volume 7, Number 5—October 2001
Research

Factors Contributing to the Emergence of Escherichia coli O157 in Africa

Paul Effler*Comments to Author , Margaretha Isaäcson†, Lorraine Arntzen†, Rosemary Heenan‡, Paul Canter§, Timothy Barrett*, Lisa Lee*, Clifford Mambo§, William Levine*, Akbar Zaidi*, and Patricia M. Griffin*
Author affiliations: *Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; †South African Institute for Medical Research, Johannesburg, South Africa; ‡GOAL, Dublin, Ireland; §Ubombo Sugar Limited, Big Bend, Swaziland

Main Article

Table

Risk factors for diarrheal illness among sugar cane plantation residents during an outbreak of Eschericha coli O157 infections in Swaziland, 1992


Respondents with risk or exposure
Respondents without risk or exposure


Risk or exposure Total No. with diarrhea*
(%) No. with bloody diarrhea
(%) Total No. with diarrhea*
(%) No. with bloodydiarrhea
(%) RR for diarrhea
(95% CI) RR for bloody diarrhea
(95% CI)
Untreated water consumption
From a standpipe 270 152 (56) 49 (18) 467 157 (34) 36 (8) 1.7 (1.4-2.0) 2.4 (1.5-3.7)
Stream or river 391 204 (52) 65 (17) 354 113 (32) 22 (6) 1.6 (1.3-2.0) 2.7 (1.7-4.3)
Irrigation trench 250 139 (56) 50 (20) 507 178 (35) 38 (7) 1.6 (1.3-1.9) 2.7 (1.8-4.1)
On fruits and vegetables 182 102 (56) 36 (20) 533 199 (37) 49 (9) 1.5 (1.2-1.8) 2.2 (1.3-3.4)
Beef consumption
In the weekly ration 707 311 (44) 87 (12) 63 14 (22) 3 (5) 2.0 (1.2-3.3) 2.6 (0.8-8.2)
From a cow found dead 180 106 (59) 31 (17) 476 172 (36) 47 (10) 1.6 (1.3-2.0) 1.7 (1.2-2.7)
Not purchased from a butchery 488 226 (46) 67 (14) 255 89 (35) 20 (8) 1.3 (1.1-1.7) 1.8 (1.1-2.9)
Female gender 352 173 (49) 48 (14) 400 143 (36) 41 (10) 1.4 (1.2-1.7) 1.3 (0.9-2.0)

a Total responses for any given risk factor or exposure may vary slightly and may not equal the total number of survey participants because indeterminate responses to any exposure question (e.g. "Don't remember" or missing value) were not included in the analyses. RR = relative risk; 95% CI = 95% confidence interval.

Main Article

Page created: April 26, 2012
Page updated: April 26, 2012
Page reviewed: April 26, 2012
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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