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Japan scrambles to stem E. coli outbreak
Seven dead; U.S. help accepted
July 24, 1996
Web posted at: 10:15 a.m. EDT (1415 GMT)TOKYO (CNN) -- Alarmed by the mounting death toll from a food poisoning epidemic, Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto called an emergency meeting of his cabinet Wednesday and announced a food inspection program to check the spread of the illness.
Seven people have died and 8,400 have been sickened this year from food poisoning linked to an E. coli bacteria known as 0-157 colon bacillus bacteria. The latest victims, who died Tuesday, were a 10-year-old girl and an 85-year-old woman.
Calling the outbreak a "national issue," Hashimoto said the government would step up inspection efforts and accept assistance from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Preventions.
Hashimoto, whose government has been accused of lagging in its response to the epidemic, also urged people to seek medical attention immediately if they think they may have the bacteria.
Earlier, Hashimoto told reporters, "I feel helpless, that this might be the limit of modern medicine."
Nearly 6,400 people have come down with the illness in Sakai, a city near Osaka. Health authorities say the bacteria has stricken another 2,000 people elsewhere in Japan since May.
Almost 100 children hospitalized in Sakai are believed to have acquired the bacteria from tainted school lunches prepared by city kitchens. Most were listed in serious condition, with 28 in critical condition and another three in comas.
Researchers have tested some 1,000 samples of food prepared for Sakai's 92 primary schools but have not been able to pinpoint the exact source of the bacteria.
Eugene Aksenoff, the medical director of the International Clinic in Tokyo, said the widespread use of antibiotics, which can produce disease if not taken as instructed by doctors, might have produced a new strain of E. coli. (258K AIFF or WAV sound)
The speed and size of the outbreak has triggered widespread panic in Japan. Health officials warned people not to eat raw meat, which is a delicacy in the country.
Officials say as long as the source of the bacteria is unknown, the epidemic will continue.
Correspondent May Lee and Reuters contributed to this report.
Related story:
- Japanese government warns against eating raw meat - July 21, 1996
Related sites:
- USDA: Answering your questions on E. coli
- Osaka home page
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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