8 sick with E. coli O157 in Ontario, source unknown

Officials seek E. coli link
By Denis Langlois
Aug. 23, 2011
The Sun Times


Grey-Bruce public health officials are trying to find a link in a cluster of genetically similar cases of E. coli 0157 which has sickened eight people over the past several weeks.

"We're looking at their food history, where they've been travelling, some of their activities in order to determine if there's any linkage between the cases. At this point, we have not been able to identify any particular link," Angela Newman, program manager at the Grey Bruce Health Unit, said Monday.

The people who have contracted the bacteria — the same strain that caused the 2000 tainted water tragedy in Walkerton — range in age from six to 85. Some of the victims are still in hospital, but are "on the mend," Newman said. Some were "pretty ill."

No new cases have been reported to public health since the Aug. 13-14 weekend.

Newman said the eight cases are considered a "cluster" because the bacteria is genetically the same in each case.

The cases have all been reported to public health by physicians in the area, with the first report made in early July.

The victims do not live near each other.

"It's not as if we have everybody in the same household, or a daycare, or everybody attended a wedding or something like that. It's people that live in different areas, some actually live outside of the Grey-Bruce area. We're just looking at those other things they may have in common," Newman said.

The health unit has been looking for links for about a week, she said.

"It's more cases than we normally see," she said. "When you have more cases, you need to look into it and see if there's some kind of event happening that's causing it or is it just sporadic cases that are happening at the same time."

Newman is urging people to see a doctor if they are ill with E. coli-like symptoms.


Symptoms include severe stomach cramps and then diarrhea, which is watery at first but may become bloody. A mild fever may or may not be present. The illness usually lasts 7-10 days. Most people recover without problems but the disease can be more severe in the very young and very old, the health unit says on its website. An unusual form of kidney failure called Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome can occur. Anyone exhibiting bloody diarrhea should call his or her doctor.

E. coli 0157 bacteria is the most serious strain of E. coli. The toxin damages the lining of the intestine.