An E. coli outbreak at six Calgary, Alberta daycare centers has sickened at least 128 people, according to Alberta Health Services and news reports. Since AHS last released an update on September 4, 2023, five more daycare centers located in that city in Canada have been added. As of September 7, 2023, 25 children are hospitalized. Nine patients have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and three children have been discharged from the hospital.
The facilities identified by Alberta Health Services, which are all located in Calgary, have been issued a closure order. They are:
Fueling Brains Braeside
Fueling Brains West 85th
Fueling Brains New Brighton
Fueling Brains Centennial
Fueling Brains Bridgeland
Fueling Brains McKnight
Braineer Academy
Kidz Space
Little Oak Early Education (formerly Mangrove)
Almond Branch School
Vik Academy in Okotoks
Families of children who have attended those facilities are being asked to monitor for symptoms of an E. coli infection and HUS, and to take their children to a pediatrician or an emergency department if they do become ill.
This is not the first E. coli outbreak associated with daycare centers. In 2015, an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak sickened at least 14 children at the Learning Vine daycare center in Greenwood, South Carolina in the United States. That outbreak began with a teacher who was sick and went back to work without being tested ti make sure that the infection was gone.
Symptoms of an E. coli O157:H7 infection include severe and painful abdominal cramps along with diarrhea that is bloody and watery. In young children, especially those under the age of five, a complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome can develop.
Symptoms of HUS include little or no urine output, easy bruising, bleeding from the nose and mouth, a skin rash, lethargy, and pallor. Anyone experiencing those symptoms should see a doctor as soon as possible because this condition can be very dangerous.
