AN OUTBREAK of verotoxigenic E coli infection (VTEC) has resulted in the temporary closure of a childcare facility in Co Clare.
The Department of Public Health Mid-West has confirmed to The Clare Echo that it is investigating and managing an outbreak of VTEC.
VTEC is a type of gastroenteritis that causes abdominal cramps, diarrhoea and sometimes bloody diarrhoea. It can cause severe illness, particularly in children under five and the elderly. It can cause a complication called haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), in which the red blood cells are destroyed and the kidneys can stop working properly. HUS occurs in 5-10% of VTEC cases.
It can be passed from person to person, through consuming contaminated food or water or contact with farm animals or contamination in the environment.
Between 2011 and 2021, the Department of Public Health Mid-West has been notified of approximately 1,250 cases of VTEC in the Mid-West, with the highest number of cases (164*) in 2021. The Mid-West region (Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary) has one of the highest rates of VTEC in Ireland, and Ireland has one of the highest rates in Europe.
Dr Mai Mannix, Director of Public Health Mid-West stated that “no one was seriously impacted” following the Clare outbreak.
To protect yourself and your children from VTEC, do not allow children to attend childcare or school if they have vomiting and/or diarrhoea and should continue to stay away for 48 hours after their first normal bowel motion. Regular hand washing, cooking meat fully, thoroughly washing raw vegetables, use of separate cooking utensils and plates when handling raw and cooked meats is also advised.
