E. coli outbreak at nursery linked to 28 cases

An outbreak of E. coli at a Scots nursery has been linked to 28 cases, health authorities said yesterday.

Most of those affected are not seriously ill but a number of victims, thought to include children, were in hospital yesterday and said to be in a stable condition.

Church Road Pear Tree Nursery in Haddington, East Lothian, has been closed as health authorities carry out an investigation.

Another nursery in the town, Meadowpark Pear Tree, has also been closed as a precaution after people connected with it reported symptoms. Cases have been confined to the nursery, households of the children and close contacts.

Dr Richard Othieno, chairman of the incident management team, said: “We know that this will be an anxious time for many of those who are directly affected by the infection. We have written to parents and carers of the children affected and to staff at the nursery to provide the most up to date information and ongoing health advice.

“NHS Lothian has a robust surveillance system in place to identify E. coli cases which helped us to identify these cases early and put in place essential control measures to prevent further spread.

This outbreak reinforces the importance of washing hands regularly, particularly before eating or preparing food, and after going to the toilet.”

E. coli symptoms range from mild loose stools to severe bloody diarrhoea. The most serious complications can lead to blood poisoning and kidney failure.