A treatment room in the emergency department at Peter Lougheed hospital is pictured in Calgary, Alta., Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. Alberta Health Services says there are 128 lab-confirmed cases of E. coli connected to an outbreak at several Calgary daycares. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
CALGARY – Alberta Health Services says there are 128 lab-confirmed cases of E. coli connected to an outbreak at several Calgary daycares.
It says in a statement that 25 patients are receiving care in city hospitals, while three have been discharged.
Nine of those patients have been confirmed as having hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition that affects the kidneys and causes blood clots.
AHS, which delivers health care in the province, says all of the patients are stable and receiving care at Alberta Children’s Hospital and Peter Lougheed Centre.
It says there are also three people linked to the daycares who are receiving care outside of Alberta.
The health authority says it has established a dedicated clinic at Alberta Children’s Hospital to monitor symptomatic patients after their emergency department visits, as well as those who have been discharged from hospital.
“It is important to note that the majority of individuals who get sick from E. coli generally improve on their own and without specific treatment within 10 days, but a small proportion may develop more severe complications,” AHS said in a statement Thursday.
“Our staff has been working with the operators of the 11 facilities which have been issued closure orders by our public health inspectors. These sites will remain closed until AHS determines it is safe for them to reopen.”
An official with AHS had said the decision to close six Calgary Fueling Brains daycares and five others was made out of an abundance of caution after emergency departments started seeing patients.
Families with children at those daycares have been sent letters about the outbreak and are asked to monitor for symptoms and go to an emergency department if necessary.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 7, 2023.
