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California Child Dies of E. coli Infection

By Pritzker | Ruohonen

Public health officials in Solano County, California, are investigating what caused an E. coli infection that killed a young child from Dixon, a town that was under a boil water advisory in early December.

The officials aren't releasing any identifying information about the child for privacy reasons. KCRA-TV reported the E. coli death late Friday. The station said health officials haven't said what strain of E. coli infected the youth, or when the illness began.

Solano County, which features a large agricultural community, sits midway between San Francisco and Sacramento.

County Health Education Manager  Robin Cox told KCRA-TV that the source is unknown and they have no other cases. A second child recently was treated in a hospital emergency room in Dixon for severe diarrhea, a symptom of E. Coli, but the child returned home and reportedly is doing well. Stool samples are pending.

 Cox said area hospitals have been asked to be extra vigilant for signs of E. coli infections in other patients. The county also is working with the local water utility to pull water samples for screening.

A large batch of water samples taken from the child's house and from areas close to it came back negative, KCRA reported. More water samples taken Thursday are still being examined, the station said.

In early December, part of Dixon was under a boil water advisory after a utility pipe broke. With one exception, water samples screened for bacteria at that time came back clean. The one "hit' was for E. coli, but it was determined to be a false result, KCRA reported Friday.

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on December 20, 2008 (boomark / email).