The Pennsylvania Health Department has reviewed, in detail, a 2011 outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in children and some adults who visited Cowan’s Gap State Park during the last days of July and the first days of August. While investigators took pains to look at a variety of potential sources — including park food vendors, a new shower area and a nearby water treatment plant — the epidemiological evidence clearly pointed to lake water in the public swimming area as the source of illness.
Tests of water samples, including some sediment taken from the sandy shore, came back negative for E. coli O157:H7, but 100 percent of the primary case patients reported swimming there, some on numerous occasions. The park is located in beautiful Allens Valley of Fulton County and the lake is 42 acres large.
“The vast majority of the cases in this outbreak were children,” said the report in the Winter 2012 edition of Pennsylvania Epi Notes. “The original source of contamination of the lake was unable to be determined, though it is likely from a person who was swimming while ill.”
The outbreak resulted in the closure of the lake on August 9 to all water activities, including boating and fishing. In all, there were 18 case patients and 13 who were confirmed as infected by findings of E. coli O157:H7. Ten of the 13 victims were hospitalized, including some of suffered life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
The report talked about the health risk of putting diapered children in swimming waters, particularly during or recently after they’s had diarrhea. “Children are also more likely to shed the bacteria after symptoms have resolved, putting other children at risk while playing together in the water or while interacting in other settings,” the report said.
“The public needs to be reminded not to swim, or allow their children to swim, when they are experiencing diarrhea.”
You can see the health department report at the Pennsylvania Health Department page.
