Hear from daycare owner

MIDDLETON – Local health officials are investigating an outbreak of E. coli at a Middleton daycare center.

Southwest District Health spokeswoman Laurie Boston confirmed that five children at the Little Leggs Daycare have contracted the bacteria.  The children range in age from 6 months to 2 years.

According to the daycare’s owner, a 6-month-old boy came there last Thursday with diarrhea and was already infected.  The next day, four other children showed symptoms.

Symptoms can range from mild, non-bloody diarrhea to severe diarrhea, which is virtually all blood.  The diarrhea is often accompanied by abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Symptoms generally occur within two to eight days after being infected. Anyone with these symptoms should contact their medical provider.

Boston says the owner, Theresa Legg, contacted them immediately and has been very cooperative with health officials, who are working hard to keep it from spreading.

Although some forms of E. coli can have serious health effects, so far none of the children have required hospitalization.

“We are working very closely with the daycare facility, and they are adhering to very strict hygiene standards for thorough hand washing, as well as sanitizing surfaces, said Jennifer Tripp, Communicable Disease Epidemiologist for Southwest District Health . “The daycare facility will not allow children to return until a stool specimen indicates they are free of the bacteria,” she said.

Around 80 children attend the daycare.  Officials are still trying to determine how the baby boy got E. coli.

Boston said the daycare passed a health inspection less than two week ago.  She says Southwest District Health sees about one to two cases of E. Coli per month.