Five cases of E. coli O157:H7 infection have been confirmed in Central Missouri, according to Margaret Donnelly, director of the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services.
The source of the infections has not been identified, according to the health advisory issued by the department. The investigation is ongoing.
Two of the case patients, a 17-month-old child and a 2-year-old child, have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the severe and life-threatening complication of E. coli infection that can result in permanent kidney damage, according to the health department report.
