Despite what health officials thought were appropriate hygienic practices, E. coli has spread through a Vancouver, Washington daycare leaving one child dead and three other ill. A 4-year-old boy died recently, one of the four children hospitalized because of the infection. The facility, Fletch Family Daycare, is now closed.
Dr. Alan Melnick, a health officer with the Clark County Washington health department, said that the other three children have since been released from the hospital. Melnick declined to offer any further details concerning the young boy who died. According to him, the health department first learned of the first hospitalization related to E. coli O157:H7 bacteria strain on March 19th of this year.
The daycare is owned and operated by Dianne and Larry Fletch, and has been open since 1990. Recently, the center cared for approximately 22 children. Up to this point, no complaints had ever been filed against the daycare. Health officials closed the daycare on April 2 when it became evident that E. coli food poisoning was spreading from person to person, but found that the hygienic practices of the business were acceptable. So far, officials have not been able to pinpoint the exact source of the outbreak . Melnick stated that until affected staff present no presence of the bacteria during two consecutive tests, the daycare facility will remain closed.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that daycare centers are a common setting of E. coli food poisoning outbreaks that spread person to person. The bacteria are normally spread through fecal-oral contact. Children often do not wash their hands thoroughly after visiting the toilet, which can lead to spread of the pathogen.
Larry Fletch, owner of the in-home daycare, stated in an interview to KGW-TV that the death of the 4-year-old boy was horrible, and that they had known him since before he was born. He also stated that they have been trying to help the family and were close to the boy, as they are to all of the children they care for.
Young children are particularly susceptible to contracting HUS, or hemolytic uremic syndrome after becoming infected with E. coli. This often leads to kidney failure, and it is estimated that about 5 to 15% of people infected with E. coli develop HUS.
If you have become ill with E. coli food poisoning, contact a doctor at once. Consult with a New York food poisoning attorney to learn of any rights you may have related to foodborne illness.
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