E. coli cases in Calgary remain the same, source may never be known: Joffe

There have been no new reports of E. coli cases connected to several daycares in Calgary, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health (CMOH) said Tuesday, adding the exact source of the outbreak may never be known.

Case numbers remain at 348 cases – the same as Monday. There are also 27 secondary cases, and no additional ones have been confirmed in the last 48 hours.

Speaking from Edmonton, Dr. Mark Joffe says some secondary transmission is common, and “in fact, expected as part of a large outbreak such as this.”

Eight children are receiving care in hospital with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication of the blood and kidneys, with two on dialysis, down one from Monday.

Six daycare facilities remain under closure or partial closure orders since more orders were issued late Friday.

Those are Active Start Country Hills, the Scenic Acres CanCare Childcare location, CEFA Early Learning Childcare South, MTC Daycare, Renert Junior Kindergarten, and Calgary JCC Child Care.

Meanwhile, 707 children connected to the outbreak have been cleared to return to a daycare facility.

“These are not just numbers, these are Albertans, most of them under the age of five,” Joffe said.

Watch: E. coli cases in Calgary starting to slow down

Joffe also stressed the importance of parents following public-health guidance before they decide to send their kids back to daycare and only if they have no symptoms, a negative test, and have been cleared to return.

“It is crucial for parents with children that attend daycares to follow this guidance and the guidance that’s provided to them by health-care professionals,” Joffe said.

“If your daycare is closed, please respect why this is done and keep your children at home. Only send your child to another facility if they’ve tested negative for E. coli, if they have no symptoms, and if they’ve been given clearance from AHS.

“To all daycare operators in the Calgary region, please confirm the health and the daycare history of children who are new to your facility. This will protect you, your staff, and most importantly, the kids in your care.”

Investigation underway on Calgary outbreak

The CMOH says the province is investigating the food history of the 1,150 children and 250 staff, along with those who became ill and those who did not at the 11 affected daycares between Aug. 15-31.

The investigation includes everything to do with the food, the preparation, where it came from to where it was ultimately consumed. He also says they have cultured multiple food samples and have yet to identify any E. coli.

“Ultimately, there are thousands of pieces of data that are brought together that have to be looked at very carefully to ultimately, hopefully give us the answer,” Joffe said.

Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health Mark Joffe speaks at a news conference in Edmonton on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023. (Rob Maldaner, CityNews image)

He anticipates having the work done “soon.”

“We are doing everything we can to identify exactly how this outbreak occurred, what happened, when it happened, why it happened, and then ultimately, that will help us to prevent the next outbreak from happening,” Joffe said.

“It is possible that we are never going to know the exact source of the outbreak. But we are doing our very best to narrow it down. And again that will inform future steps and future prevention.”

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Two weeks have passed since the outbreak affecting 11 Calgary daycares was declared. Joffe says there are steps in the works to figure out what to do with the central kitchen believed to be the source, but adds it remains closed “indefinitely” at this time.

Joffe says there are a number of steps before the facility can be closed permanently, but says there are no plans to reopen it.

Premier Danielle Smith has promised parents affected by the outbreak in the original 11 daycares will get a one-time payment of $2,000 per child.

Some parents have not been able to receive the payments. Searle Turton, Alberta Minister of Children and Family Services, says they are coming.

“I know a lot of parents who are in the province are hurting. And this has been a very traumatic experience for so many families, especially in the Calgary area. And it is my full intention to get these payments sent out as quickly as possible,” he told reporters.

“We’re working with different ministries to be able to get the portal opened up so that families can access these funds. I know there’s a lot of anxiety about when these funds will be coming out. And we’re doing everything in our power to get these funds released as soon as possible.”

Public inquiry to happen once investigation concludes

Meanwhile, when it comes to the public inquiry, Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange says the government wants to see the results of the investigations before it takes further action.

“Once we have those results, if it warrants further action, then we’ll take that further action,” she said.

On her Saturday radio call-in show, Smith said some of that review could fall to a panel she announced earlier this year led by former Reform Party Leader Preston Manning, which is examining any legislative reforms that should be considered coming out of COVID-19.

Smith said the E. coli outbreak could dovetail with Manning’s mandate.

-With files from The Canadian Press