MONROE - It's been more than a week since the last case of E. coli was reported in Green County, where an outbreak has sickened eight people, most of them children, and killed a young child.
As of Thursday, the Green County Health Department and the Wisconsin Division of Public Health had not identified a common source of exposure and are continuing their investigation.
The Wisconsin State Laboratories of Hygiene has confirmed nine cases of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in Green County. The state laboratory test results confirmed the bacteria in all nine cases had the same DNA fingerprint.
E. coli O157:H7 can cause severe abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting. The dates of the illness onset ranged from mid-August through early September. No new cases have been confirmed since Sept. 7, Green County Health Department Director RoAnn Warden said.
The majority of the cases have occurred in children under 7 years old, and symptoms were seen occurring over a three and one-half week period. A 20-month-old child from Green County died Sunday at UW Hospital in Madison after being admitted a week earlier.
Two of the nine cases have been diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication of the O157:H7 infection that causes kidney disease.
Warden released limited information about the cases Thursday.
"The majority (of confirmed cases) are localized in the Monroe area, with others in outlying areas," Warden said.
Some affected households have had more than one case.
"We can identify where transmission has occurred within households, based on the symptoms and the timing of their onset," Warden said.
Half of the cases have occurred through household transmissions.
Warden would not identify the number of households that have been affected. She said the number is "not a good representation of what's going on in the county" because of cases in which a person connected with the household, such as a relative, became infected but doesn't live in the household.
Warden issued a written statement confirming the E. coli outbreak Thursday morning, a day after state officials released information to the media.
When asked later Thursday for more information about how information about the outbreak was released, Warden said some health care providers, daycare providers and schools were contacted over two weeks ago with education on controlling the risks of infection.
"Education was given to particular daycare centers and schools that were potentially in contact with an infected person," she said.
"Based on the time period of occurrences, and when health care providers were able to attribute transmissions as being within households, the initial cases did not appear to impact the general public," Warden said.
"We have been conducting thorough interviews in all cases and are recontacting them with more detailed interviews," Warden said.
County officials and city of Monroe officials contacted Wednesday were unaware of the E. coli outbreak until news reports appeared that afternoon and evening.
Minutes for the meeting of the Green County Health Committee Sept. 7 does not show any discussion of the E. coli cases in the county. But committee member Dr. John Frantz said Wednesday that he heard about the cases when he attended the meeting. At that time, he understood three cases were pending confirmation.
Warden advised anyone with a sudden onset of diarrhea, particularly watery or bloody diarrhea, to contact a health care provider immediately.
"Please stay home, out of the schools and daycares, especially with diarrhea," she said.
Handwashing is of utmost importance, and stay away from unpasturized milk, she added.
Symptoms appear about three to five days after infection.
As of Thursday, the Green County Health Department and the Wisconsin Division of Public Health had not identified a common source of exposure and are continuing their investigation.
The Wisconsin State Laboratories of Hygiene has confirmed nine cases of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in Green County. The state laboratory test results confirmed the bacteria in all nine cases had the same DNA fingerprint.
E. coli O157:H7 can cause severe abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting. The dates of the illness onset ranged from mid-August through early September. No new cases have been confirmed since Sept. 7, Green County Health Department Director RoAnn Warden said.
The majority of the cases have occurred in children under 7 years old, and symptoms were seen occurring over a three and one-half week period. A 20-month-old child from Green County died Sunday at UW Hospital in Madison after being admitted a week earlier.
Two of the nine cases have been diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication of the O157:H7 infection that causes kidney disease.
Warden released limited information about the cases Thursday.
"The majority (of confirmed cases) are localized in the Monroe area, with others in outlying areas," Warden said.
Some affected households have had more than one case.
"We can identify where transmission has occurred within households, based on the symptoms and the timing of their onset," Warden said.
Half of the cases have occurred through household transmissions.
Warden would not identify the number of households that have been affected. She said the number is "not a good representation of what's going on in the county" because of cases in which a person connected with the household, such as a relative, became infected but doesn't live in the household.
Warden issued a written statement confirming the E. coli outbreak Thursday morning, a day after state officials released information to the media.
When asked later Thursday for more information about how information about the outbreak was released, Warden said some health care providers, daycare providers and schools were contacted over two weeks ago with education on controlling the risks of infection.
"Education was given to particular daycare centers and schools that were potentially in contact with an infected person," she said.
"Based on the time period of occurrences, and when health care providers were able to attribute transmissions as being within households, the initial cases did not appear to impact the general public," Warden said.
"We have been conducting thorough interviews in all cases and are recontacting them with more detailed interviews," Warden said.
County officials and city of Monroe officials contacted Wednesday were unaware of the E. coli outbreak until news reports appeared that afternoon and evening.
Minutes for the meeting of the Green County Health Committee Sept. 7 does not show any discussion of the E. coli cases in the county. But committee member Dr. John Frantz said Wednesday that he heard about the cases when he attended the meeting. At that time, he understood three cases were pending confirmation.
Warden advised anyone with a sudden onset of diarrhea, particularly watery or bloody diarrhea, to contact a health care provider immediately.
"Please stay home, out of the schools and daycares, especially with diarrhea," she said.
Handwashing is of utmost importance, and stay away from unpasturized milk, she added.
Symptoms appear about three to five days after infection.