Training | 2009.09.13
Four children seriously ill after E coli outbreak at Surrey farm
Godstone farm closed after 36 people contract virulent strain of vomiting bug and four children are seriously ill in hospital
Health officials have warned that more children could fall sick from one of the largest outbreaks of E coli in the UK at a farm in Surrey.
The Health Protection Agency, which monitors infectious diseases, said today it could not rule out the possibility of more children who recently visited Godstone farm becoming ill due to the vomiting bug\'s delayed incubation period.
At least 36 people have fallen sick due to the outbreak, with 12 children aged between 18 months and 10 years being treated after contracting the bug.
Four children remain seriously ill in hospital, of whom three are being treated in isolation at East Surrey hospital in Redhill. They all have complications arising from an infection that can lead to kidney failure, especially in the young.
Those infected have E coli O157, a particularly unpleasant strain which first appeared in Britain in the 1980s, and to which children and older people are especially vulnerable. Like other strains, it can be transmitted through contact with animals. The HPA said the outbreak could be the largest UK case of the virus being transmitted by animals.
Prof Hugh Pennington, an expert in bacteriology, said an outbreak of this size was unusual. "It\'s a puzzle," he said, adding that food was a possible route of infection, given the size of the outbreak.
The farm has a tearoom and Graham Bickler, south-east regional director of the HPA, said the investigation "will cover food consumption" as well as contact with animals. But he said the agency as yet had no particular hypothesis on the cause of the outbreak.
Pennington said it was unclear when the number of cases will peak, or if it already had. "The incubation period can be as long as 12 days. It depends on what caused the infection and whether the cases can be tracked back to one day or transmission was ongoing up until the day the farm was closed."
Pennington said he would be surprised if the number of cases rose significantly further. He said: "We have about 1,000 cases of E coli in England every year and about 100 in the south-east of England. This outbreak will significantly boost the annual number in the region. But I\'d be very surprised if the number reached 100."
Godstone farm, which is home to a range of livestock including cows, pigs, sheep, llamas and a variety of rare breeds of poultry, attracts up to 2,000 visitors a day during the school holidays. Health authorities are advising anyone who became ill since visiting the farm on 8 August, or members of their households, to seek medical advice.
The farm\'s manager, Richard Maule Oatway, said that the staff were extremely upset about the E coli outbreak. "We have taken the decision to close the farm until the authorities have finished their investigations," he said. "These have been very thorough and are still ongoing. We will not reopen the farm until we are satisfied that we have got to the root of the problem and have put in place suitable control measures."
A Tandridge council spokesman confirmed the farm had remained open as recently as last week.
He said: "Measures to reduce the risk of the infection spreading were put in place by the farm last week but as more cases have been reported, the farm has agreed to close to enable detailed investigations into the source of the infection."
One mother who visited the farm two weeks ago said she was concerned her 23-month-old daughter may have contracted the bug.
Evelina Niedzwiedzka, 28, from Croydon, south London, said: "My daughter Nicole really loved the place. I\'m definitely worried now. If the farm did know about it two weeks ago, I\'m very surprised there were no warnings, especially because children are so vulnerable."
But she said her daughter was not showing any signs of illness and that she had been impressed with the handwashing facilities available at the farm.
Pennington said it was difficult to judge whether action had been taken promptly enough without knowing when the first diagnosis was made, and when the connection between the infections and the farm was made.
For more information, please visit
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/sep/13/ecoli-surrey-farm
