In an article published June 17, Globe staff writer Wally Kennedy reported that city and county health officials believe an E. coli outbreak late last month and early this month that caused serious illnesses in at least six children, most of whom attended a Joplin day-care center, has ended.
From the article:
The outbreak may have affected a dozen or so children in the day-care center, but only five developed life-threatening symptoms, such as hemolytic uremic syndrome or kidney failure, that required hospitalization. An additional child, also seriously affected, did not attend the day-care center.
Federal privacy laws shield the identities of the children, where they were hospitalized and their medical conditions upon release from the hospital.
But, local officials say all of the children have recovered from their bouts with the bacteria, identified as E. coli 0157H7. E. coli bacteria are found in the intestines of some animals, such as cattle. The presence of the bacteria in water can indicate fecal pollution.