Food Poisoning Law Blog

12 people in Bakersfield, California have been sickened by an outbreak of E. coli, 11 of them are children.  Four of the children involved in the outbreak of been diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is the leading source of kidney failure of children in the United States. 

According to B. A. Jinadu, M.D., M.P.H., Kern County Health Officer and Director of Public Health Services:

After a thorough investigation, the Department of Public Health has identified that an initial exposure occurred on 4/26 during a water slide event, a known source of E. coli exposure in such a situation. This started the chain of an infectious process which stretched from 4/26 - 5/4, where some of the cases became ill following these events. This is consistent with the incubation period for E. coli.

Another significant event occurred on 4/29 during which the same social circle attended that event. This proves to be an event point for secondary infections.  The evidence also supports that the two (2) cases that showed symptoms on 4/27, a day following the water slide event, appeared to have been exposed at an earlier date and were infectious at the time of that event. One of the cases is considered the starting point for the investigation. The Department of Public Health continues to explore the point of exposure of the index case. However, it is not unusual in similar types of outbreaks that the initial point of exposure may never be identified.