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11 Sickened in UK by Rare E. Coli O55 Outbreak

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At least 11 people in the Blandford area of Dorset, United Kingdom, have been diagnosed with E. coli O55 infections, a rare strain of E. coli never before recorded in the U.K., according to BBC News.  Seven patients have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a kidney disease associated with the most severe E. coli illnesses, according to the report.  Some of the patients include children from the Blanford Children’s Centre Nursery.  One child was diagnosed as far back as mid-October. The nursery closed for three days of deep cleaning after that diagnosis, according to a nursery representative.  Another child from the nursery became infected on Monday, Nov. 24. The nursery is currently closed pending results from staff blood tests and children’s stool samples.  No direct link has been confirmed between the nursery and the outbreak.  E. coli can be passed from person to person, and young children are especially vulnerable to infections from the bacteria.  Local health authorities are still investigating the exact cause of the outbreak.

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