An official at six Calgary daycare centers closed due to an E. coli outbreak says a deep clean of the facility could take up to a week.
Alberta Health Services said Tuesday there were 56 laboratory-confirmed cases linked to the outbreak, including up to 50 children who arrived at hospitals.
AHS said the number of people hospitalized rose to 15, up from 12 it reported Monday.
Six of the Fueling Brains daycare centers have been ordered to close until the issues are resolved.
Additionally, AHS reported that five additional sites that share a central kitchen are also part of the outbreak.
“An order to close all 11 day care sites in the Calgary area has been issued until the issues are resolved,” AHS said in a statement.
“Families with children who attend any of the places listed above have been sent letters informing them of the outbreak and are asked to watch for symptoms.”
In a statement, Faisal Alimohd, co-founder of Fueling Brains, said the organization was notified by AHS about the possible outbreak around noon on Sunday, September 3. Alimohd said the families were notified of the developing situation as soon as it was reliable. information could be shared.
“The exact source of the outbreak has not been identified, but we will review our policies, procedures and sourcing related to food service for our facilities,” Alimohd said.
“We recognize that this is a difficult situation for our amazing families and staff. We will continue to work hard to support them and provide updates as they become available.”
In a statement, Lois Garcia, vice president of operations at Fueling Brains, said they are “rigorously looking for any common factors leading to this outbreak.”
“Our deepest concerns and empathy go out to each family, child, and staff member affected during this difficult time,” Garcia wrote.
E. coli is a type of bacterial infection that is commonly caused by eating contaminated food. AHS said most people who become infected usually get better on their own and without specific treatment within 10 days.
But the strain of E. coli that AHS has identified in this outbreak is called shiga toxin-producing E. coli, and it can cause more serious problems.
Dr. Stephen Freedman, a professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine at the University of Calgary, said that people infected with shiga toxin-producing E. coli can experience significant abdominal pain, cramping and frequent bloody diarrhea from 10 times a day to 40 times. times a day.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) told Breaking: that 859 cases of shiga toxin-producing E. coli were reported in the country in 2022.
