Factory outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection in Japan

To determine the cause of a July 1996 outbreak of Escherichia coliO157:H7 among factory workers in Kyoto, Japan, we conducted cohort and case-control studies. Eating radish sprout salad during lunch at the factory cafeteria had been linked to illness. The sprouts were traced to four growers in Japan; one had been associated with an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 among 6,000 schoolchildren in Sakai earlier in July.