On Feb. 1, 1995, the first report of a food poisoning outbreak in Australia involving the death of a child from hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) after eating contaminated mettwurst, an uncooked, semi-dry fermented sausage, reached the national press. The next day, the causative organism was identified in news stories as E. coli O111, a verotoxigenic E. coli (VTEC) which was previously thought to be destroyed by the acidity in fermented sausage products like mettwurst. By Feb. 3, 1995, the child was identified as a four-year-old girl and the number sickened in the outbreak was estimated at 21.

By Feb. 6, 1995, the manufacturers, Garibaldi Smallgoods, declared bankruptcy. Sales of smallgoods like mettwurst plummetted anywhere from 50 to 100 per cent according to the National Smallgoods Council.

The outbreak of E. coli O111 and the reverberations fundamentally changed the public discussion of foodborne illness in Australia, much as similar outbreaks of VTEC in Japan, the U.K. and the U.S. subsequently altered public perception, regulatory efforts and industry pronouncements in those countries.

In all, 173 people were stricken by foodborne illness linked to consumption of mettwurst manufactured by Garibaldi smallgoods. Twenty-three people, mainly children, developed HUS, and one died. Although sporadic cases of HUS had been previously reported, this was the first outbreak of this condition recognized in Australia.

The citizens of Locust Grove, Oklahoma, a community of 1,500 about 50 miles east of Tulsa, now know about E. coli O111. What no one knows is how it got into food associated with the Country Cottage restaurant

Health officials, who first reported the outbreak Aug. 25, said Tuesday that 206 people have become sick, including 53 children. Those sickened range in age from 2 months to 88 years.

The outbreak has been blamed for the death of 26-year-old Chad Ingle of Pryor, who died Aug. 24, a week after eating at the restaurant.