Four Mile Prison E. coli Outbreak
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is investigating the Four Mile Prison E. coli outbreak, a situation where at least 13 of 500 incarcerated offenders are believed to be infected with E. coli O157:H7.
The Colorado Department of Corrections issued a statement saying the prison’s kitchens have been checked off as sanitary. So far, no one has been able to identify what food source is causing the outbreak, but the investigation is continuing.
Extra precautions are being exercised to prevent the spread of bacteria, the DOC said.
Three offenders have tested positive for E. coli and eight more in the prison population are suspected of having infections. Four Mile Correctional Facility is located in Canon City, Colorado.
Estimates are imprecise, but microbiologists guess that more than 70,000 Americans fall ill every year from E. coli bacterial infections, the largest source of which is contaminated ground beef. Of those infected, 5 to 15 percent develop life-threatening HUS E. coli orthrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).
Both of those illnesses commonly shut down a person’s kidneys, but also attack other parts of the body, including the brain and central nervous system.
Tags: E. coli Lawsuit, E. coli Outbreak
