Laurier staff, students recover from E. coli

January 27, 2010 
By Luisa D'Amato
Record staff, The Kitchner/Waterloo Record

WATERLOO - Two students and a staff member at Wilfrid Laurier University
are recovering from E. coli poisoning after being treated in hospital,
the region's public health department has confirmed. 

A fourth person, also a student at Laurier, was a "probable case" with
symptoms, but no laboratory confirmation, said Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang,
associate medical officer of health for Waterloo Region.

Two of the students knew each other. But otherwise, the only common link
for the four patients was that they all worked or studied at Laurier,
Wang said.

The patients, all of them female, became sick and went to hospital 10
days ago, she said. Symptoms of E. coli poisoning include bloody
diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting.

Health officials inspected all food preparation areas thoroughly on
campus, Wang said.

"We found no evidence of any potentially unsafe food handling
practices," she said. 

It could be "purely a coincidence" that all the victims were from
Laurier.

There have been no further cases found by campus health officials since
the weekend of Jan. 16 and 17, said Laurier media relations official
Kevin Crowley. Health staff has been on alert for anyone reporting
symptoms, and a few lab tests were done, but all have come back negative

E.coli is a type of bacteria found in human and animal intestines, and
carried in feces. Most people recover in seven to 10 days, but in a
minority of people it can lead to complications that can cause kidney
failure.

There are about 20 cases of E.coli poisoning each year in Waterloo
Region, Wang said.

The disease is spread by eating undercooked hamburger, drinking
unpasteurized milk or cider, or consuming produce that hasn't been
washed. People who don't wash their hands after going to the bathroom
and then prepare or eat food are also at risk.

ldamato@therecord.com