Chapter 20, Problem 4CCS

In a single day, two 19-year-old women and one 20-year-old man sought treatment at a university health clinic, complaining of acute diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. No blood was found in their stools. One of the women was found to have a urinary tract infection. All three had eaten lunch at a nearby health food store the previous day. The man had a sandwich with tomato, avocado, sprouts, pickles, and sunflower seeds. One woman had a pocket sandwich with turkey, sprouts, and mandarin oranges; the other woman had the lunch special, described in the menu as a “delightful garden salad of fresh organic lettuces, sprouts, tomatoes, and cucumbers with zesty raspberry vinaigrette dressing.”All had bottled water to drink.

1. 1. Which of the foods is the most likely source of the infections?
2. 2. What media would you use to culture and isolate enteric contaminants in the food?
3. 3. Which enteric bacteria could cause these symptoms?
4. 4. How did the woman likely acquire the urinary tract infection?
5. 5. What is the likely treatment?
6. 6. What steps can the food store’s manager and the students take to reduce the chance of subsequent infections?