The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has updated their investigation into the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) outbreak at The Learning Vine daycare in Greenwood county. Now 11 cases have been confirmed. The cases are of people who went to the daycare and their family members. As of today, June 13, 2014, 194 test results are negative for STEC.
The three new lab-confirmed cases are people who had diarrhea, or were asymptomatic, but are now symptom-free. There is “no evidence of ongoing transmission related to this investigation, and there has been no new onset of illness in students or staff of the daycare since June 1, 2015,” according to the report.
The childcare center has been cleared to re-open. The Learning Vine has met conditions of the public health consent agreement and can re-open on Monday, June 15, 2015. Before returning, staff and students must show proof of one negative stool sample if they have not been sick, or two negative stool samples if they have had diarrhea.
The government will continue to collect and test samples for lab analysis. The lab testing to screen for STEC has an accuracy RATE OF 99.7%. The hotline about this outbreak is still open: it is 1-800-868-0404.
If you or your child have attended this daycare facility and have experienced diarrhea, please see your doctor. The symptoms of an E. coli infection include abdominal cramps, watery and/or bloody diarrhea, and a mild fever. If this infection is treated with antibiotics, the risk of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) developing is increased. HUS is a serious complication of a STEC infection that can lead to kidney failure and death.
