Boy Scout Official Confirms Ground Beef
Positive for E. coli
Date
Published: Tuesday, August 5th, 2008
Source of Article: http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/3575
Alan Lambert, Scout Executive for the National Capital
Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America has reported that beef at the Goshen
Boy Scouts camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains of
Last year alone, over 22 million pounds of beef and
vegetables were recalled due to E. coli outbreaks and, currently, there is a
multi-state E coli outbreak that has been linked to Nebraska Beef supplied to
Kroger Grocery, among others. This outbreak is possibly linked to an
emerging outbreak that was just reported in
Meanwhile, the Virginia
Department of Health (VDH) reports that 67 people attending the camp
complained of illnesses, including 16 confirmed cases of E. coli. “We’re
going to take the lead from VDH for sure,” says Lambert. “They’ve been working
with us day in and day out to rule out the lake water, the water supply, and
the kitchen. You know, all those kinds of
things. We’ll follow their lead on what we have to do next.” Those
confirmed infected have been infected with E. coli 0157:H7, a seriously
virulent and sometimes deadly strain of E. coli.
Of the 16 who fell ill, 15 are Boy and Cub Scouts;
one adult is confirmed poisoned by E. coli. Of these, there have been 10
hospitalizations. Six of these patients were treated and released and, of
the four remaining, two had hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS occurs
when the toxin produced by the bacterium enters the bloodstream, according to
Health Department epidemiologist, Christopher Novak. HUS can lead to
kidney failure and can require dialysis
The Virginia Department of Health said it began
receiving reports last Sunday when boys from about 70 troops returned home
after spending a week at Goshen, with approximately 1,700 people passing
through Goshen last week, said Novak, who added, “This one is challenging in
that it has multiple states involved, and the individuals there are fairly
dispersed,” he said. “We are trying to … as quickly as possible, get a sense of
how widespread the outbreak may be, how many people are ill.” Reports
indicate that many as 60-70 people are now exhibiting symptoms of E. coli
infection.
E. coli strain 0157:H7 is a particularly virulent
strain that produces a powerful toxin that can cause severe illness—blood
poisoning, cystitis, septicemia—and even death and is the leading cause of food
and waterborne illness in the
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