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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Canada : Officials seek E. coli link

Via The Sun Times :

" Grey-Bruce public health officials are trying to find a link in a cluster of genetically similar cases of E. coli 0157 which has sickened eight people over the past several weeks.

"We're looking at their food history, where they've been travelling, some of their activities in order to determine if there's any linkage between the cases. At this point, we have not been able to identify any particular link," Angela Newman, program manager at the Grey Bruce Health Unit, said Monday.

The people who have contracted the bacteria — the same strain that caused the 2000 tainted water tragedy in Walkerton — range in age from six to 85. Some of the victims are still in hospital, but are "on the mend," Newman said. Some were "pretty ill."

No new cases have been reported to public health since the Aug. 13-14 weekend.

Newman said the eight cases are considered a "cluster" because the bacteria is genetically the same in each case.

The cases have all been reported to public health by physicians in the area, with the first report made in early July.

The victims do not live near each other."

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