Health officials in southeastern Wisconsin said a cluster of gastrointestinal illnesses, including three cases of E. coli O157:H7 in children from the Villiage of Belgium, could have been caused by eating snow or ice.
A press release from the Ozaukee County Health Department says the following:
“Interviews conducted with family members for all 3 cases were unable to identify a common food item or other definite source of infection. The source has not been absolutely determined but a possible explanation includes close contact or a common environmental source, such as contaminated snow or ice. In addition the children had close personal contact with each other which could lead to transmission between the children.”
But County Health Officer Glenda Madlom said the investigation is continuing with help from the Wisconsin state health department.
The investigation has identified two laboratory-confirmed cases of E coli O157:H7 infection in siblings. One had onset in December and one had onset in January. A third case was identified in a neighbor who had onset in December and tested negative for E. coli infection, but is considered a probable case based on clinical symptoms.
Two of the 3 patients were hospitalized, and one remains hospitalized. At least one of the children developed life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of kidney failure in children and the leading cause of E. coli deaths.
The Ozaukee Health Department is also investigating a case of laboratory-confirmed cryptosporidiosis in a child from the same neighborhood. Madlom’s office said there is no evidence at this time that this infection is related to the three E. coli cases, however the investigation is ongoing. Both cryptosporidium and E. coli are found on farms and in animal manure and the Village of Belgium is in an agricultural area.
In its press release, the county stressed careful attention to hand-washing and hygiene as a means of preventing infection. “Hand-hygiene is particularly important after exposure to farms, farm animals, animal manure, geese and deer droppings which often contain pathogenic organisms including E. coli O157:H7 and cryptosporidium.”
The town’s water supply has been tested and health officials are satisfied it is not contaminated.
