Why did Kayla Boner, an athletic 14-year-old girl, die after contracting an E. coli infection in October? It is generally very young children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems that develop E. coli-related hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is what led to Kayla’s death. Healthy teenagers generally don’t develop HUS. An equally puzzling case is that of Stephanie Smith, a 20-year-old dancer. She has been hospitalized since Sept. 28 and is still in a coma. Although the source of Stephanie’s E. coli infection is known (frozen hamburger patties made by Cargill and sold at Sam’s Club), it is not clear why Stephanie developed HUS and became critically ill.
Most people who get HUS don’t die or end up in a coma, yet these two healthy, athletic young women did. One possible explanation for this is that the strains of E. coli O157:H7 that sickened these two young women are the result of mutations that made the E. coli super-virulent. This possibility leads to other questions:
- What is the beef industry (from the rancher to the processor) doing that may be promoting the mutation of E. coli O157:H7 into super-virulent strains?
- What is the beef industry doing differently that has led to over 28 million pounds of recalled ground beef products? Has this contributed to the mutation of E. coli O157:H7 into super-virulent strains?
