Laboratory testing has identified similarities in the specific strains of E. coli O157:H7 infections found in several of eight children who contracted the bacteria in the Evergreen mountain area of Colorado.
Jefferson County Department of Health and Environment (JCDHE) in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is investigating the cluster of cases to see if the infections may be linked to a common source or exposure. The eight children are 4-12 years of age and they contracted E. coli from July through October.
Gayle Miller, an epidemiologist with JCDHE told the Denver Post that the investigation is comprehensive. "We don't have a smoking gun. We don't know yet what the cause is.''
The newspaper said possible sources of exposure being looked at by health officials include deer and elk droppings, as well as common behaviors, activiites, foods and drinks.
All of the earliest affected children have fully recovered without complications. Two children who became ill in mid- to late-October required hospitalization in a Denver area hospital after developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can lead to kidney failure. The grandmother of an 11-year-old girl hospitalized with HUS said the complication has affected the child's kidneys, but that she's improving, the Post reported.
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