Nursery e-coli outbreak

A nursery in Derker is under investigation after nine people became infected with the E-coli bug.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is investigating the outbreak at Ambrose Nook Nursery.

Pupils, staff and their families have been tested and questioned by the HPA about what they have eaten or whether they have had any contact with animals, while the nursery is undergoing a deep-cleaning program.

Nine people have been diagnosed with the disease, including one member of staff and eight children under five-years-old. One child who is infected does not attend the nursery but is related to a pupil.

E-coli symptoms include diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. Unfortunately, five to ten per cent of patients under five will go on to develop Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), which can cause kidney failure and is potentially fatal.

Although there are no suggestions that the privately run facility is directly responsible for the outbreak, it could not have come at a worse time.

In March 2007, the Governments OFSTED inspectors accused the nursery of failing to maintain proper hygiene standards.

The OFSTED report claimed that this lack of hygiene standards led to an increased risk of infection spreading and children's health being compromised.

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