Water Park E. Coli Cases Probed
A tenth child has contracted a dangerous strain of E. coli at a suburban Atlanta water park.
The latest child is from Cobb County, Ga., and does not have hemolytic uremic syndrome, the complication that can lead to kidney failure, state health authorities said Thursday.
All the sick children - eight from metro Atlanta and two from Chattanooga, Tenn. - visited the Captain Kid's Cove wading pool at White Water Park on June 11 or 12.
Five, including the son of Atlanta Braves shortstop Walt Weiss, developed hemolytic uremic syndrome. Two remained in critical condition Thursday.
E. coli is a common bacterium that lives in the digestive tracts of humans and other animals. But the strain affecting the children is highly toxic, causing bloody diarrhea and severe cramps.
Health officials believe a sick child defecated in the pool and other children swallowed contaminated water before chlorine and a filter system could clean it.
The outbreak has led owners of private and community pools into a race to prevent similar incidents.
"We've had more people coming in wondering how to keep [E. coli] down," said Jennifer Wood, who works for JC Pool Supplies Inc. in Morrow south of Atlanta.
Customers were buying chlorine Thursday in an effort to keep the water clean, she said.
But health experts said that the outbreak should not be regarded as common.
"This is a very rare case," said CBS 'This Morning' Correspondent Dr. Emily Senay.
Senay said that pools usually require infants and toddlers to wear plastic pants or water resistant swim diapers before they can enter the park's pool. Any child that is sick should not be in the water.
"Parents should take precautions. They should be aware that this kind of thing could happen," Senay said.
In Alabama, state health officials were investigating at least one and possibly two cases of E. coli in Alabama children who played in the White Water park pool. State epidemiologist J.P. Lofgren said Thursday both children were at the water park June 17, five days after the last known day of contamination in the pool.
He said the first child suffered from dehydration, nausea, and bloody diarrhea that was severe enough to warrant hospitalization. The child was recovering Thursday, Lofgren said, adding that information was preliminary on the second case. He said tests will be conducted on bacteria from the children to pinpoint a definite source, but results will take time.
Lofgren said that if tests prove the child contracted the virus from the White Water pool, it would prove children were contaminated for a third day. The known victims all were stricken after being in the pool June 11 and 12.
"There were probably hundreds of children potentially exposed, and that's why I believe that the actual number of cases is probably much greater than we currently have a handle on," Georgia health official Kathleen oomey told CBS News.