E. coli cases from Calgary daycares up to 329, patients with serious illness declining
Posted Sep 14, 2023 6:08 am.
Last Updated Sep 14, 2023 5:20 pm.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) says eight patients have recovered from an E. coli outbreak linked to several Calgary daycares, and one patient doesn’t require dialysis anymore, as cases continue to rise, and doctors say patients in hospital with serious complications are declining.
“While case numbers continue to increase as test results come back from the lab, the number of patients in hospital is falling,” said an updated statement from AHS Thursday.
The agency says there are 329 lab-confirmed cases of the bacterial infection. The outbreak at 11 Calgary daycares was declared on Sept. 4.
Thirteen patients are receiving care in hospital, a drop from 20 on Wednesday. There are eleven children with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), down from 20. It is a complication affecting the blood and kidneys.
Six patients are in peritoneal dialysis as of Thursday’s update, which is a treatment for kidney failure and a way to remove waste products from the blood.
Meanwhile, 20 patients have been discharged since the beginning, one adult and 19 children.
“It can be frightening to see these numbers, especially a jump in the last few days,” Dr. Tania Principi, section chief of pediatric emergency medicine at Alberta Children’s Hospital, told reporters during a news conference in Calgary on Wednesday.
The increase in numbers, she said, is mostly due to a delay in getting lab results, and there has been a significant decrease in the number of children arriving at emergency departments in Calgary hospitals.
“We’re seeing that the patients on dialysis and even our HUS numbers have been fairly stable,” said Principi. “We’re not seeing a significant rise in that, but we’re continuing to do tests and follow this last group of patients.”
There have been 22 E. coli cases from secondary transmissions, all of whom have been in households linked to the outbreak.
“If we’re able to continue to contain that secondary spread, we should be through the largest hump now and see potentially some increase in case numbers ? as tests come back,” said Principi. “But, in terms of sick children and people, we should be at the tail end.”
The kitchen that supplied food to the daycares remains closed until further notice.
Fueling Brains Academy parents send open letter to Alberta premier regarding E.coli outbreak
Parents with children in the daycares linked to the E. coli outbreak sent an open letter Thursday to Premier Danielle Smith asking her to do more to deal with the situation.
“Many of our children began falling ill at the end of August,” said the letter, which was sent to media outlets.
“Many passed not just blood but their own flesh as they screamed in pain, unable to sleep for days while others became lethargic and despondent.”
It said parents did their best to protect their children by rushing them to emergency departments, but they now need the government to do more.
“We would like to know why we have not heard from you,” the letter said. “Surely the suffering of our children merits more communication than a single tweet.
“Lives have been torn apart by what seems to be a preventable crisis.”
Sarah MacDonald, one of the parents who put out the letter, said it’s about the lack of response from the government.
“We don’t feel that we’ve been given any answers yet that make us feel safe, that our children are safe back in the system where kitchens are being regulated,” she said in an interview.
No one from Smith’s office immediately returned a request for comment.
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Several fundraisers are in the works to support parents whose children got sick.
“I feel like this could have been any one of us,” said Cathy Wang, a Calgary engineer who’s organizing a campaign to support families. “I send my older one to daycare every single day, and I expect him to have fun and be safe.”
She and nine other parents from affected daycares have started a GoFundMe account and are using the money to make meals, buy non-perishable foods and make care packages for the families and goodie bags for the children.
Some people have also been dropping off coffee or meals at the Alberta Children’s Hospital for parents whose children are still receiving care.
“It’s a difficult time for them because, with their kids this young, they can’t leave their bedside,” Wang said Thursday. “Because they have to stay by their children’s side, it means they cannot work.”
Watch: 310 E. coli cases in Calgary daycare outbreak
Meanwhile, the daycares have been allowed to reopen.
“I want to stress that the closure orders were rescinded only after Alberta Health Services determined that the facilities are safe environments,” Dr. Francesco Rizzuti, medical officer of health for Calgary, said Wednesday.
A spokesman for the daycares said in an email that the well-being of the children, parents and staff remains the priority and that the daycares have had extensive cleaning and sterilization before they reopened.
“We have been in regular communication with our families and staff to ensure reopening requirements are met, along with implementing any changes in our operations and processes that are required,” said Kent Hehr, a former member of Parliament who’s a vice-president with Fueling Brains.
“All food will be provided by parents or sourced by external providers.”
A report released by Alberta Health Services earlier this week said inspectors found improper sanitation, live cockroaches and issues around food handling in a central kitchen for the daycares.
Rizzuti said the kitchen would not be allowed to reopen until the critical health violations are fully addressed.
Investigators are still looking for the source of the outbreak, he added.
“We have not identified a food source at this point,” said Rizzuti, noting the most likely source was food distributed from the central kitchen.
Meanwhile, Smith will join Health Minister Adrianna LaGrange, Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health Mark Joffe, and other officials to provide an update on the E. coli outbreak Friday morning at the McDougall Centre in Calgary.
