THE Department of Public Health Mid West headquarters has confirmed it is investigating an outbreak of a potentially life-threatening E.coli bug, found at a childcare facility in Limerick.
Verotoxigenic E.coli (VTEC) can cause serious illness in young children and the elderly, and in 5-10% of cases, it can cause the destruction of red blood cells and kidney failure.
Five percent of people who develop this dangerous, life-threatening condition may die, the department said.
Public health is currently managing the outbreak at the unidentified childcare facility.
A spokesman said the outbreak is “under control”, and he moved to “reassure the public that these isolated outbreaks do not substantially affect the department’s work in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, or any other infectious disease in the region”.
“However, VTEC outbreaks and clusters are most likely to occur at this time of year due to increased activity that can expose individuals to infection and further transmission,” he added.
Ireland has one of the highest rates of VTEC in Europe, and the Mid-West region has one of the highest rates of the disease in the country.
VTEC can live in the gut of healthy cattle and sheep, but can be a source of gastro-enteritis and can produce a toxin that can cause inflammation of the bowel which can lead to severe stomach cramps and bloody diarrhoea, which can last between two to nine days, while others may experience very mild or no symptoms at all.
The most common ways to be infected with VTEC are through contact with farm animals (including those in pet and open farms); swimming in fresh waterbodies such as streams and lakes; drinking untreated water from private wells; person to person contact in creches or households where there are children under five years of age; and through food and drinks that are contaminated with tiny amounts of faecal matter.
Incidence of VTEC tends to be higher in warmer weather, particularly over the summer time.
In the Mid-West, there were 128 cases in 2018; 130 in 2019; 117 in 2020; and 79 in 2021 to date, according to figures provided by the Department this evening.
Dr Rose Fitzgerald, Specialist in Public Health Medicine, said: “We are more likely to encounter cases and outbreaks over the summer period, so we urge people to exercise caution, it is a serious disease that can cause life-changing illness, and while it can last in the system for as short as a week, it can sometimes take several months to clear the infection.”
“Anyone who is infected, or is a close contact of a case requires clearance from a public health doctor to attend healthcare, childcare or work that involves food-handling,” Dr Fitzgerald said.
The department said “the serious outcomes of this disease underpins the importance of hand hygiene before and after preparing food, after contact with farm animals and their environment, and effective treatment and rehabilitation of private wells”.
“We encourage everyone in Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary to avail of their respective council’s domestic well grant schemes to ensure that your private water supply is clean, this financial assistance could prevent serious illness and save a life.”
