Excerpts
Another child at a Calgary daycare has tested positive for shiga toxin-producing E. coli, a month after an outbreak that infected hundreds at numerous child-care facilities started.
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The letter said there's no evidence that the infection was acquired at the child-care facility or that there is a link to the outbreak that had affected 19 daycares — including the Bridgeland facility.
Kirsten Fiest — a Calgary epidemiologist whose 18-month-old son attended the daycare until last week — says it seems strange that there's another random case at a daycare that was part of the original outbreak.
"Is there that much E. coli going around the city?" she asked.
Fiest said she's concerned that it took Alberta Health Services so long to notify parents about the exposure.
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Alberta Health Services (AHS) confirmed the latest case in a statement, but said the risk of exposure is low and it is not recommending another closure of the site. AHS also says parents were informed as soon as the details were confirmed.
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The health authority said there's an average of 288 cases of E. coli in Alberta annually, aside from the outbreak.
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As of Sept. 27, the number of cases had plateaued at 351 — including 27 secondary cases. Four children remained in hospital.