Possible case of E. coli case | Public Health – Seattle & King County
Published 12:29 pm Sunday, October 5, 2014
Public Health – Seattle & King County has received a report of a Mercer Island child with presumptive E. coli O157 infection. The result will be confirmed by the Washington State Public Health Laboratory next week. At this point it is not possible to say whether there is any link between this case and the Mercer Island water system. E. coli O157 infection is not uncommon in King County, averaging between 20-30 cases each year. The source of most of these E. coli cases is typically never identified.
“We don’t know whether the infection in this child was caused by the water on Mercer Island,” said Dr. Meagan Kay, Medical Epidemiologist for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “E. coli comes from a variety of sources including ground beef, unpasteurized milk and cheese, and produce. We may never be able to definitively link this case to a particular source.”
The child is not hospitalized. It is not possible to definitively link this possible case of E. coli infection to water on Mercer Island because the child had multiple possible exposures, including water from the Mercer Island system and foods that can be contaminated with the bacteria. If additional cases due to the same exposure occur, the likelihood of identifying the source increases.
Public Health will continue to monitor for gastrointestinal illness in the community and reminds health providers to promptly report cases or clusters of suspected E. coli infection as well as other notifiable enteric infections. At this time, we do not have evidence of an increase in gastrointestinal illnesses among Mercer Island residents.
This case is a good reminder to be alert for symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 infection, which include diarrhea, which is often bloody, and severe abdominal cramps. Fever and vomiting may occur but are less common. Healthy adults usually recover within a few days from this infection, but children, the elderly, and people with underlying health conditions do have an increased risk of developing a life-threatening condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome.
The boil water advisory is still in effect on Mercer Island. For more information about the boil water advisory, visit www.mercergov.org
