Eight toddlers who attend Elite Kids Academy, Inc., Preschool and Childcare in Van Buren, Arkansas, have been diagnosed with E. coli O157:H7 infections. One case, a 4-year-old boy, developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening illness that destroys red blood cells and can cause kidney failure. In the United States, HUS is the principal cause of kidney failure in children, and most cases of HUS are caused by E. coli O157:H7. Several other children who attend Elite Kids Academy have symptoms of E. coli poisoning but have not tested positive.
E. coli bacteria are usually associated with contaminated foods such as ground beef, spinach and lettuce, but E. coli at a daycare is commonly spread from child to child or caretaker and child when hands are not adequately washed after diaper changing. Nationally recognized E. coli lawyer Fred Pritzker comments, “Daycare facilities can quickly become hot zones for E. coli. Daycares should know this and take affirmative steps to prevent the spread of E. coli.”
