Experts await water well test results in E.coli probe
The results, which are not expected until next week, could help them identify the source of the infection, which has forced the closure of the First Steps crèche in Midleton.
The HSE confirmed last night that, despite other reports of diarrhoea in other attendees of the crèche, there have been no further confirmed cases of the diarrhoeal illnesses.
The HSE received official confirmation of the Verotoxigenic E.coli (VTEC) case on Wednesday and arranged for testing of all 85 children who attend the crèche, as well as its 15 staff, who have been told to avoid working with children.
The HSE has distributed stool collection kits to parents, who have been asked to collect two samples — 48 hours apart — over the weekend. Those samples will be microbiologically tested at a laboratory in Dublin, with results not expected until next week.
Parents have been told to keep their children away from any childcare facility until both samples test clear of infection.
First Steps is likely to remain closed until late next week.
“Management and staff at the facility and parents are co-operating fully with the investigation,” a HSE spokesman said yesterday.
While the majority of cases get better with no treatment, VTEC can, in extreme cases, cause kidney failure.
The main symptom is diarrhoea, which can be bloody in about half of cases.
For a human to be infected with VTEC, the bug has to be swallowed, which can happen by consuming contaminated food or drink. The bug can then be passed from human to human.
