E. coli Outbreak Update

By Janna Clark

Source of Article: http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=69a5fab6-0577-47c3-8918-85d14c789fc5

It's been 10 days since the last reported case of E. coli sickness in Green Country.

So the state health department feels confident the outbreak is over.

The health department confirms 314 people got sick, 72 of them bad enough to be hospitalized.

Some are still in the hospital.

The health department links the E. coli contamination to the Country Cottage restaurant in Locust Grove.

FOX23's Janna Clark talks to the family of a little girl who just got out of the hospital.

The Country Cottage has voluntarily closed its doors because of the E. coli outbreak. A spokesperson tells FOX23 the owners haven't decided whether to reopen the restaurant. They know a lot of people are still dealing with what happened.

It's something so simple, something 19-month-old Braylee's done a hundred times, eat a snack.

But now her parents, Jake and Sheila Beaver, are so grateful to see it, so grateful for every normal moment.

A few weeks ago, the Beaver family ate at Country Cottage Restaurant in Locust Grove. A few days later, Braylee got sick.

"She started throwing up and having bloody diarrhea," Sheila said.

At the hospital, the Beavers found out Braylee got sick from E. coli. Soon after, her kidneys started shutting down.

Doctors put little Braylee on dialysis.

"When you're in that moment you can think of it like that. You just have to do what you have to do for your baby," Sheila said.

Braylee was in the hospital two weeks.

"She's just a baby and it's a rough deal... it tests your faith a lot," Jake said.

Now Braylee's home. But she has to go back to the doctor every week.

"They have to watch their kidneys make sure they're all right," Jake said.

"She's still real traumatized, scared of nurses and doctors," Sheila said.

The Beaver family knows Braylee could have long-term problems with her kidneys, but they hope Braylee's going to be okay.

The Health Department isn't finished with its investigation of the Country Cottage.

State workers are trying to figure out what specific food items made people sick.

That could take several weeks.

Here's more information from doctors about possible long-term effects for E.coli victims.

There are questions surrounding this particular strain of E. coli.

But they do say patients may continue to have some problems with their kidneys and in some case, neurological effects.

People in Locust Grove are also trying to help the victims' families.

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