5 children hospitalized, 14 others diagnosed with E. coli after visit to Lake Anna
Officials with the Virginia Department of Health said several people contracted a bacterial infection while visiting Lake Anna on and after Memorial Day weekend. And while tests show the concentration of E. coli were below a “public health level of concern,” no single cause of the outbreak has been identified.
The department said 25 probable and confirmed cases of the bacterial infection have been reported from visitors since it began investigating the issue on June 11. Only four of those cases involved residents of other states.
“Most cases (76%) have occurred in children younger than 18 years of age,” the department said, adding that all five cases of a more serious hemolytic uremic syndrome — a disorder affecting kidney functions and blood clotting — have involved children who visited the lake.
While the investigation is ongoing, officials with the state health department said that samples collected on June 11 have found fecal bacteria concentrations that “were well below a public health level of concern.”
“VDH’s investigation is ongoing. No single cause of the outbreak has been identified, and it is possible we might not be able to identify the source,” the department said in a release Friday evening.
Officials said that everything from environmental pollution caused by heavy rains, failing septic systems, livestock patterns and swimmers themselves could be a source of illness. Swimmers are warned to avoid swimming in areas where livestock are present.
The department has also released an outbreak tracker with more information on local infections. No deaths related to the outbreak have been reported.
Days after the reported E. coli outbreak was first reported in around Lake Anna, WTOP spoke with the father of a Warrenton, Virginia, teenager whose daughter was hospitalized with E. coli. She was later sent to an emergency room and treated for kidney failure with dialysis and blood transfusions.
“I was in just disbelief. It’s just been a whole nightmare for us,” Inglett said.
Preventing future cases
The Virginia Department of Health is asking those in and around the Lake Anna area in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, who visited on Memorial Day weekend and have started experiencing symptoms, such as stomach cramps and diarrhea, to contact their local health department and seek medical care.
They also want swimmers and boaters who are in natural bodies of water to avoid drinking untreated water or swimming with open wounds and cuts.
VDH also encourages everyone taking a dip in natural waters to:
- Wash their hands when using the bathroom and before doing any cooking.
- Avoid swimming near storm drains.
- Avoid swimming with symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea.
- Keep pets and people from water that has a green film, which could cause sickness.
- Take a shower or bath to wash off germs after swimming.
- Avoid swimming in natural bodies of water for at least three days after heavy rain.
- Dispose of human waste at marinas with proper dumping stations or pump out units.
Officials also said those who are immunocompromised should speak with their doctor before deciding to swim in natural and untreated bodies of water like oceans, rivers and lakes.
WTOP’s Mike Murillo and Ciara Wells contributed to this report.