North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit News Release ******************** There are 249 cases, of which 49 are lab confirmed for E. coli O157:H7. This total includes cases from 10 other Ontario Health Units, Quebec and British Columbia.
North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit News Release
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There are 249 cases, of which 49 are lab confirmed for E. coli O157:H7. This total includes cases from 10 other Ontario Health Units, Quebec and British Columbia. In North Bay, the outbreak is in its final stages with no new lab confirmed cases.
The investigation into the source continues but at this time, we cannot confirm that any product or process is the source of the outbreak. With more information coming in, the data analysis is moving forward. For information on test results, media can contact the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care Media Relations line at 1-888-414-4774.
Everyone needs to prevent the spread of E. coli O157:H7. Do Not Work if You Have E. coli Symptoms
• If you have been ill, do not return to work until you are symptom-free for 48 hours.
• All employers should remind staff that if they are ill they should not be working.
• If you work in a daycare, health care facility, or in the food service industry and have a positive lab test for E. coli O157:H7, you need to get a doctor’s note stating that lab results are negative before returning to work.
Prevent the Spread
• Wash hands thoroughly, using soap and hot running water, before any food contact, and after any toileting or changing of diapers.
• Use a nailbrush and soap under hot running water to clean under fingernails. Rinse thoroughly.
• Have separate towels for sick people.
• Clean bathroom taps, toilets, and doorknobs at least once every day with an antiseptic cleaner such as bleach and water (1 part bleach to 10 parts water). Even better would be a separate bathroom for the sick person.
• Wash clothes, especially underclothes, in hot water and dry in a hot dryer for at least half an hour. If the clothes cannot be put in the dryer, dry in direct sunshine.
• Adults with E. coli O157:H7 or E. coli-like symptoms should not use recreational water venues, such as pools, for two weeks after symptoms are gone and four weeks for children, unless a laboratory test is negative.
• E. coli is not spread to others before you have symptoms (anywhere from one to 10 days after exposure to the E. coli bacteria)
For more information on E. coli O157:H7, visit www.healthunit.biz, or call the Health Unit at 474-1400 or 1-800-563-2808.
