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7-year-old Donnellson girl still hospitalized with E. coli infection
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| TiAhnna Bryant is one of the victims of the several recent cases of E. coli infection in the area. Above, she goes for a walk with her father, Bob Bryant, and mother, SuzAnne Griffis. TiAhnna had to be put on dialysis after the bacteria caused her to develop Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. |
By Joe Benedict/MVM News Network
FORT MADISON - The number of confirmed E. coli cases in the area continues to grow.
The Lee County Health Department and the Des Moines County Health Department recently confirmed another case of the bacterial infection, which brings the number of confirmed cases in the area to six. There are three cases in Lee County, two in Des Moines County and one in Hancock County, Ill.
On Thursday, the Hancock County Health Department said that the Iowa E. coli cases and the one Hancock County case were found to be unrelated as of Friday. No further information is being released at this time, the health department said.
The health departments still have not named a source for the E. coli outbreak, but are getting closer to saying it would appear that all the cases stem from the same incident.
Lee County Health Department Director Julie Schilling said she could not say how close the investigation is to naming a source for the disease. She said her department continues to work with the state and the other health departments involved. Lee County does not have, at the moment, any more pending cases of E. coli.
There are no more pending cases in Des Moines County. Abby West, public health nurse at the Des Moines County Health Department, said with the incubation period of E. coli, there shouldn't be anymore cases, unless there is an ongoing source or the bacteria is spread person to person.
“With good hygiene and hand washing, there shouldn't be any more,” she said.
With that, however, she said a conclusion on the source has not been reached, but they too continue to work with the state.
One of the first children to be hospitalized with the E. coli 0157:H7 strain of the bacteria was 7-year-old TiAhnna Bryant. She is a second grade student at Central Lee Elementary School.
According to an e-mail from TiAhnna's mother, SuzAnne Griffis, her daughter and her ex-husband and his wife, Bob and Sandy Bryant, sampled cider at a local business on Saturday, Oct. 4. TiAhnna became sick by Wednesday Oct. 8, and was in the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics by the weekend.
Her kidneys shut down and she was put on dialysis because of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, which causes sudden short-term kidney failure in children. This is a side effect of the E. coli infection.
Griffis has been keeping a blog about her daughter's condition on the hospital's Web site, www.uihealthcare.com, under the Iowa Children's Hospital section and then the CarePages section. Visitors to her page can leave encouraging messages for her.
A post on Wednesday said TiAhnna still has stomach pains, but she is able to get out of bed to use the bathroom and her doctor said he didn't think she would need dialysis Wednesday. She did not have it Tuesday either. The update also says she had an ultrasound with shows her kidneys did not shrink so there may be no long lasting effects from the E. coli.
Apple cider is a possible source of the infection. The Iowa Department of Public Health put out a press release Tuesday warning people to take caution when drinking unpastuerized apple cider.
Unpastuerized products usually can be purchased as freshly pressed from local orchards, roadside stands or farmers markets. They also can be found on ice or in refrigerated displays in produce sections at grocery stores.
Iowa Department of Public Health Medical Director Patricia Quinlisk said the risk of contracting illness from fresh cider is low. She said children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems should take special precautions to protect themselves. She said raw apple cider should not be served to these individuals or to children younger than 8 years old.
Additional tips in the press release included:
n Apple cider should be made from whole, fresh apples that have not been dropped or found on the ground.
n Cider presses and all equipment used to make cider should be washed with a non-corrosive cleanser and thoroughly dried.
n All cider storage containers should be sanitized with a solution of one teaspoon of chlorine bleach per one gallon of clean water.
n Cider should be kept refrigerated at 40 F or cooler.
Cider which is contaminated with bacteria does not look, smell or taste different from normal apple cider. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that concerned consumers can reduce their risk of illness by heating their unpastuerized apple cider to at least 170 F before drinking. If at any time you question whether a cider has been treated to destroy harmful bacteria, avoid drinking it. For more information about food-borne illnesses, visit www.idph.state.ia.us/adper/illness.asp.
The Lee County Health Department and the Des Moines County Health Department recently confirmed another case of the bacterial infection, which brings the number of confirmed cases in the area to six. There are three cases in Lee County, two in Des Moines County and one in Hancock County, Ill.
On Thursday, the Hancock County Health Department said that the Iowa E. coli cases and the one Hancock County case were found to be unrelated as of Friday. No further information is being released at this time, the health department said.
The health departments still have not named a source for the E. coli outbreak, but are getting closer to saying it would appear that all the cases stem from the same incident.
Lee County Health Department Director Julie Schilling said she could not say how close the investigation is to naming a source for the disease. She said her department continues to work with the state and the other health departments involved. Lee County does not have, at the moment, any more pending cases of E. coli.
There are no more pending cases in Des Moines County. Abby West, public health nurse at the Des Moines County Health Department, said with the incubation period of E. coli, there shouldn't be anymore cases, unless there is an ongoing source or the bacteria is spread person to person.
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With that, however, she said a conclusion on the source has not been reached, but they too continue to work with the state.
One of the first children to be hospitalized with the E. coli 0157:H7 strain of the bacteria was 7-year-old TiAhnna Bryant. She is a second grade student at Central Lee Elementary School.
According to an e-mail from TiAhnna's mother, SuzAnne Griffis, her daughter and her ex-husband and his wife, Bob and Sandy Bryant, sampled cider at a local business on Saturday, Oct. 4. TiAhnna became sick by Wednesday Oct. 8, and was in the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics by the weekend.
Her kidneys shut down and she was put on dialysis because of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, which causes sudden short-term kidney failure in children. This is a side effect of the E. coli infection.
Griffis has been keeping a blog about her daughter's condition on the hospital's Web site, www.uihealthcare.com, under the Iowa Children's Hospital section and then the CarePages section. Visitors to her page can leave encouraging messages for her.
A post on Wednesday said TiAhnna still has stomach pains, but she is able to get out of bed to use the bathroom and her doctor said he didn't think she would need dialysis Wednesday. She did not have it Tuesday either. The update also says she had an ultrasound with shows her kidneys did not shrink so there may be no long lasting effects from the E. coli.
Apple cider is a possible source of the infection. The Iowa Department of Public Health put out a press release Tuesday warning people to take caution when drinking unpastuerized apple cider.
Unpastuerized products usually can be purchased as freshly pressed from local orchards, roadside stands or farmers markets. They also can be found on ice or in refrigerated displays in produce sections at grocery stores.
Iowa Department of Public Health Medical Director Patricia Quinlisk said the risk of contracting illness from fresh cider is low. She said children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems should take special precautions to protect themselves. She said raw apple cider should not be served to these individuals or to children younger than 8 years old.
Additional tips in the press release included:
n Apple cider should be made from whole, fresh apples that have not been dropped or found on the ground.
n Cider presses and all equipment used to make cider should be washed with a non-corrosive cleanser and thoroughly dried.
n All cider storage containers should be sanitized with a solution of one teaspoon of chlorine bleach per one gallon of clean water.
n Cider should be kept refrigerated at 40 F or cooler.
Cider which is contaminated with bacteria does not look, smell or taste different from normal apple cider. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that concerned consumers can reduce their risk of illness by heating their unpastuerized apple cider to at least 170 F before drinking. If at any time you question whether a cider has been treated to destroy harmful bacteria, avoid drinking it. For more information about food-borne illnesses, visit www.idph.state.ia.us/adper/illness.asp.
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matthew and tyler vermazen wrote on Nov 1, 2008 10:25 PM: