The Tacos are TroubleMike and Yianni

Debriefing • 67 people (from NJ, NY, PA, DE, and SC)

became ill from November to December in 2006

• Symptoms were bloody diarrhea and severe abdominal cramps

• 51 (76%) people needed to be hospitalized

• 8 (12%) developed kidney failure called hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS)

• All individuals consumed raw Taco Bell food

The Digestive System

• We believe that the patients have Gastroenteritis (Stomach Flu)

• The stomach, large intestine, and rectum are affected

Possible Culprits

• Escherichia coli

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa

• Salmonella enterica

• Staphylococcus aureus

• Streptococcus pyogenes

• Haemophilus influenzae

Gram Test• Gram positive

• Cell wall is made of a thick layer of peptidoglycan

• Gram negative

• Thin layer of peptidoglycan

Gram positive bacteria are easier to treat than gram negative

Results of Gram Test• Escherichia coli

• Gram negative

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa

• Gram negative

• Salmonella enterica

• Gram negative

• Staphylococcus aureus

• Gram positive

• Streptococcus pyogenes

• Gram positive

• Haemophilus influenzae

• Gram negative

LET'S GO TO THE VIDEO TAPE

Antibiotic  Diameter MM Resistance

Chloramphenol 23 Effective (Sensitive)

Penicillian 0 Not effective (Resistant)

Vancomycin 0 Not effective (Resistant)

Tetracycline 19 Effective (Sensitive)

Gentamycin 18 Effective (Sensitive)

Strepomyocin 10 Not effective (Resistant)

Possible Cures

Our Culprit?

Escherichia coli(E. coli)

Stuff

• Gram-negative

• Bacillus

• Rod shaped

• Not arranged in a chain

• Facultative anaerobe

• Mixed-acid fermentation

Other Stuff

• Found in lower intestine of mammals

• Live in areas with low levels of hydrogen

• When infecting the body, it produces enterotoxins

• These toxins increase the levels of cAMP in a cell

• The cell reacts by secreting water and chlorine ions

Faecal-oral transmission

• Faecal particles are consumed

• Farm contamination due to manure fertilization

• Irrigation with contaminated water

• Consumption of:

• Contaminated water

• Raw ground beef

• Raw seed sprouts

The Cure

• Chloramphenol is the most effective drug at curing E. coli.