A possible Salmonella outbreak at Elite Childcare Academy in Omaha, Nebraska may have sickened an unknown number of children, according to news reports. The Douglas County Health Department is investigating. One hundred children are enrolled.
Officials do not know how many children may have been sickened, since there can be a 72 hour incubation period with Salmonella infections. The business told news outlets that there are confirmed cases of Salmonella among some of the children. Moreover, some children can be infected with the pathogen and not show any symptoms, but can pass the illness on to others.
Investigators have not found the cause of the illnesses. The daycare sent a notice to parents and guardians of children who attend that daycare, asking them to complete a survey that may help solve the outbreak.
The daycare has voluntarily closed while officials investigate. Officials have also said that the Elite Childcare Academy is cooperating with the investigation. The facility may reopen on Monday, June 10, 2019.
Salmonella infections can be spread several ways: through contaminated food and drink, through person-to-person contact, and through contact with contaminated surfaces. Officials always stress proper handwashing after diaper changes, since the bacteria are shed in feces.
The symptoms of a Salmonella infection include a fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, abdominal and stomach cramps and pain, and diarrhea that can be bloody or watery. Symptoms usually start 12 to 72 hours after exposure to the pathogen. Patients are usually sick for a few days up to a week, and most get better without medical intervention. Any child exhibiting these symptoms, especially if they attended that daycare, should see a doctor.
Still, some patients, especially young children, can become ill enough that they need to be hospitalized, usually with dehydration or, in rare cases, sepsis. There is no word on whether any patients have been hospitalized in this particular outbreak.
