Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
An outbreak of E. coli that was declared at a central day care in Alberta late last month has been lifted.
On August 26, Alberta Health Services announced an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) at the Aspen Lakes Discovery Center licensed child care facility in Blackfalds, Alta. The case was in the eastern location of the centre.
At the time, three children and one member of staff had tested positive for STEC.
Since then, AHS said a total of 16 cases of E. coli have been confirmed.
In a news release Friday morning, AHS said an investigation determined the outbreak was most likely caused by person-to-person transmission, rather than from a food item served by the day care.
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“How STEC was first introduced into day care could not be determined,” AHS said.
AHS said Friday that no new cases of E. coli have been confirmed since Sept. 7. The day care was allowed to reopen on Sept. 10, “after meeting all requirements outlined by AHS Public Health,” AHS said. .
“AHS is confident that the risk of illness is low, as the facility continues to meet all reopening requirements and improved screening practices,” AHS said.
Staff and children at the facility are encouraged to continue to watch for symptoms of E. coli. Anyone with gastrointestinal symptoms should not return to any childcare center until their symptoms have resolved for 48 hours, according to AHS.
STEC often causes diarrhea with stomach cramps, and blood may also be present in the stool. In some people, a more serious illness called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) can occur. HUS often leads to hospitalization and can lead to long-term kidney problems.
STEC can be caused by eating or drinking potentially contaminated products such as undercooked meat or unpasteurized milk, but it can also be spread from person to person, especially among small children. Infected children can shed the bacteria in their stool, and by contaminating their hands.
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(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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