E. Coli cases confirmed in
Source of Article: http://www.wataugademocrat.com/2009/0119/0123e_coli.php Appalachian District
Health Department reported on Friday six recent cases of food-borne illness
in Currently, an investigation is underway to
determine the source of the illness to guide the work of the Appalachian
District Epidemiology Team in determining the exact cause of this food borne
illness. "These are recent cases that are still
under investigation," said Debbie Garrett, nursing supervisor at the
Watauga County Health Department. "We try to track to a common place,
get a seven-day food history, where they buy groceries, whether they had
exposure to large bodies of water, if there are pets in home and health of
pets, or whether they are on a farm. There are a lot of different means of
exposure. "We typically see two or three cases a
year," "It's a little bit unusual to have several cases at once
like this." Common symptoms of E. coli illness include
abdominal cramps and diarrhea that is often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover
without any long- term health problems, some people can develop a form of
kidney failure. This is most likely to occur in young children and older
adults. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death. "It can be severe," Garrett said.
"All of these people are well." People are strongly advised to report to
their healthcare provider if they are sick. This is especially important for
those working in food-service positions and those that have close contact
with children, older adults, or those with a compromised immune system. Garrett said it can be difficult to
differentiate between some influenza symptoms and E. coli contamination,
which is why testing is important. For more information, contact the health department at (828)
264-4995. |
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