Summary of the Outbreak of Escherichia coli O103 associated with minced celery

A publication entitled Escherichia coli O103 outbreak associated with minced celery among hospitalized individuals in Victoria, British Columbia, 2021 (CCDR Volume 48-1, January 2022: COVID-19 Mortality and Social Inequalities, Courtney Smith, Allison Griffiths, Sandra Allison, Dee Hoyano, Linda Hoang) summarized the April 2021 outbreak associated with E. coli O103 (STEC).  Six confirmed cases of E. coli O103 were identified by WGS. All confirmed cases were inpatients or outpatients at two hospitals and were exposed to raw minced celery within prepared sandwiches provided by hospital food services. Raw vegetables, such as celery, can be a source of STEC and present a risk to vulnerable populations. Mincing during the processing of raw vegetables and temperature abuse before consumption may provide additional layers of risk. This outbreak resulted in several recommendations to reduce the risk of minced celery served in hospitals, including more frequent testing at the processor, a review of the chlorination and mincing process, and hospital food services practices to mitigate temperature abuse. @ https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/reports-publications/canada-communicable-disease-report-ccdr/monthly-issue/2022-48/issue-1-january-2022/outbreak-escherichia-coli-0103-hospitalized-people-british-columbia.html