E coli in tank nearly killed toddler
When 2-year-old Livia Peters fell asleep while climbing off the sofa, her parents knew she was ill but they did not know how close to death she was.
The Taranaki toddler had been sick in bed for a week or so, along with mum Amelia.
Although they did not know it, the water in their tank had E coli levels 23 times the safe level for drinking.
It was three weeks after they had moved to a lifestyle block near Inglewood.
‘‘In hindsight, we realised Livia had been showing signs of being unwell for a few days beforehand but when it hit me, it hit me hard,’’ Amelia said.
Amelia was the ‘‘most crook’’ her husband had ever seen her, with terrible stomach cramps and diarrhoea containing blood.
It got so bad, her doctor sent her to Taranaki Base Hospital to be given fluids.
Four days later, test results came back positive for E coli 0157, also known as VTEC.
By then, she was beginning to feel a little bit better and they thought Livia was also getting better too. ‘‘All the vomiting and diarrhoea had stopped, so we thought she was just tired from being so ill,’’ Roy said.
The couple booked a doctor’s appointment for the next day but that night Livia became so unresponsive, they decided not to wait.
‘‘She fell asleep halfway through getting off the sofa.
‘‘She’d walk two steps then fall asleep, she just wasn’t right,’’ Roy said.
He googled the infection and read about a complication called Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS), which occurred in up to 10 per cent of patients and could be dangerous for infants.
‘‘We looked at each other and we made the decision.
‘‘At 7pm we took her straight to A and E,’’ he said.
‘‘They told us her body was shutting down, she was in renal failure,’’ Amelia said.
‘‘One of the nurses said that we quite probably saved her life by taking her to hospital.’’
Taranaki has one of the highest rates of the notifiable VTEC infection, which was recently linked to children’s contact with farm animals, but in the Peters’ case, contaminated drinking water was the source.
Before moving into the house, Amelia had a water filter fitted to the kitchen tap as she was suspicious of tank water, but they found out later that only ultraviolet light can kill E coli.
The night Livia was admitted to hospital, Roy returned home with their two older girls, Grace, 6, and Ava, 4.
He was woken at 2.30am by a phone call from Amelia with terrible news. Their dangerously ill toddler was to be flown to Starship Hospital in Auckland for dialysis and a blood transfusion.
On arrival at Starship the next day, the little girl went straight into surgery and on to dialysis for two weeks, during which time she gradually recovered.
While Livia was still at Starship, Roy left his family in Auckland with Amelia’s parents and drove back home.
He had the tank cleaned and refilled with treated water, and cleaned and disinfected the roof, he said.
They also had a UV water filter fitted.
Six months later, Livia has recovered well from her ordeal, but still tires easily and has regular checkups.
There are a few signs she’s not 100 per cent but is making good progress, her parents say.
They were not sure yet what effect the illness might have on her in later life, but she will have to have a kidney function test every year for the rest of her life, Amelia said.
The tank was cleaned and refilled with treated water and the roof was cleaned and disinfected. A UV water filter was also fitted.