Fresno E. coli outbreak update #2
The Fresno Bee reported today that health officials have identified two additional people who tested positive for E. coli and may be part of the recent outbreak traced to private gatherings held in the Fresno area. According to the Bee:
Investigators are tracking down everyone who attended three private parties where tainted food might have been served.Officials need to know what the people ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the past week, said David Luchini, division manager of communicable diseases for the Fresno County Community Health Department. He did not have an estimate on how long the interviews would take.
"You can imagine it takes time to do a thorough job," Luchini said Wednesday.
KSEE TV also continued its coverage of the recent E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in Fresno County with a report on the condition of Clovis West students who were hospitalized with E. coli infections:
Saint Agnes Hospital confirms a Clovis West senior was released from the hospital [May 30th].Students say a sophomore also has been released, but a senior football player remains hospitalized.
Health officials say five people went to the emergency room May 21st with the strongest strain of E.coli, after all five attended the same private party May 19th.
E. coli O157:H7 can cause a complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS. HUS occurs in 5-10 percent of E. coli patients, and can cause damage to the kidneys, brain, pancreas, and central nervous system.
