Crèche re-opens following E.coli investigation

A Co Cork crèche forced to close after a baby tested positive for E.coli infection re-opened yesterday.

First Steps in Midleton was given the green lightby health officials to allow children and staff to return to the facility, following the completion of tests on all 85 children and 15 staff, and a deep clean of the facility on Mill Rd.

As of last night, no further cases of Verotoxigenci E.coli (VTEC) infection had been identified. VTEC is a strain of E.coli that can lead to a severe gut infection with bloody diarrhoea. In extreme cases, it can cause kidney failure.

Crèche owner Rosaleen Cotter said there were still a few children whose results were outstanding, but of those who had received results, none were positive.

“We’re just getting back to normal now, it was an anxious time for parents, but it’s getting easier as the results come back,” she said.

The baby who had tested positive for infection was also doing well, she said.

The crèche, which caters for children from three months and also provides an after-school service, had remained closed for almost two weeks while the HSE carried out an investigation.

The HSE has not yet revealed if the source of infection has been identified. It is understood testing was carried out on a private well.

VTEC comprises bacteria found in the intestines of farm animals. It produces a toxin that can result in a serious form of gastroenteritis in humans. For a human to be infected, the bug has to be swallowed.