An E. coli outbreak that was declared at a central Alberta daycare late last month has been lifted.
On Aug. 26, Alberta Health Services declared a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) outbreak at the Aspen Lakes Discovery Centre licensed child-care facility in Blackfalds, Alta. The outbreak was at the centre’s east location.
At the time, three children and one staff member had tested positive for STEC.
Since then, AHS said 16 total cases of E. coli were confirmed.
In a news release Friday morning, AHS said an investigation determined that the outbreak was most likely caused by person-to-person transmissions, rather than from a food item served by the daycare.
“How the STEC was first introduced into the daycare could not be determined,” AHS said.
AHS said Friday that no new cases of E. coli have been confirmed since Sept. 7. The daycare was allowed to reopen on Sept. 10, “after meeting all requirements as outlines by AHS Public Health,” AHS said.
“AHS is confident that the risk of illness is low, as the facility continues to meet all reopening requirements and enhanced screening practices,” AHS said.
Staff and children at the facility are encouraged to continue to watch for E. coli symptoms. Anyone with gastrointestinal symptoms should not return to any child-care centre until their symptoms have been resolved for 48 hours, according to AHS.
STEC often causes diarrhea with stomach cramps, and blood may also be present in the stool. In some people, a more severe illness known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) may occur. HUS often results in hospitalization and can lead to long-term kidney problems.
STEC can be caused by eating or drinking potentially contaminated products such as undercooked meat or unpasteurized milk, but it can also be spread from person to person, particularly among small children. Infected children can shed the bacteria in their stool, and through contamination of their hands.