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Four cases of E. coli traced back to Western Fair's Agriplex
In a media release issued Tuesday (Oct. 13), health officials said three Middlesex-London residents who visited the Western Fair during the annual event in September have developed illness caused by E. coli O157:H7. "In addition, a nearby health unit also identified a person with E. coli O157:H7 who visited the Western Fair. To date, all four cases visited the Agriplex at the Western Fair although it is currently uncertain if exposure in that building is the source of their infection," MLHU officials said. "It is unusual to have four cases of E. coli O157:H7 reported so close together in time with a common exposure", said Cathie Walker, MLHU Manager of Infectious Disease Control. In addition, she noted, the laboratory has identified that three of the cases have exactly the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 providing additional information that these cases are connected; further testing is pending on the fourth case. Members of the public who developed severe or bloody diarrhea after visiting the Western Fair are advised to: • Contact the Health Unit (519-663-5317 ext 2330; after hours 519-675-7523); • Contact their health care provider. People with severe or bloody diarrhea are also advised: • Not to work as food handlers, childcare workers or healthcare providers or attend a childcare centre until they have consulted with their health care provider. If E. coli O157:H7 is confirmed, they will be required to provided two stool samples to their healthcare provider that indicate the bacteria is gone before they can return to these settings; • Not to prepare food for others in their family until their symptoms have resolved for at least 48 hours; • To wash their hands thoroughly using pump soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer after using the bathroom. Health officials are reminding the public that small children will require the help of an adult to ensure that proper hand hygiene and hand washing should also take place after changing diapers. E. coli O157:H7 is a bacterial infection that causes symptoms of abdominal pain and mild to severe diarrhea that can also be bloody. Sometimes infected people have no symptoms at all. The time from contact with an infected source to the appearance of symptoms ranges from two to 10 days and most often becomes apparent between three and four days. In a small number of individuals, a complication of E. coli O157:H7 infection called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome can develop, health officials said. This syndrome can lead to kidney, blood and neurological problems. Antibiotics should not be used to treat E. coli O157:H7 as they can increase the chances of developing Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. Infection with E. coli O157:H7 may be acquired by eating contaminated foods such as meat, particularly ground beef, or fresh produce or by drinking contaminated water or unpasteurized milk. E. coli O157:H7 may also be acquired by touching the feces of infected animals. It can be spread person to person when fecal matter gets on the hands after using the washroom or changing diapers. Hand washing with pump soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer after these activities is essential. |
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