The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Tuesday, January 01, 2019 03:01 PM
Knox County Health Department Confirms Several E. Coli Cases In Children
Health officials Tuesday evening said they are advising against drinking raw milk or any other unpasteurized products from French Broad Farm at this time and to throw any current supply out, due to a possible E. coli contamination.
The health department released a statement saying most of the children affected in the outbreak drank raw milk from the local cow-share dairy. KCHD said French Broad Farm is not currently operating, so exposure to animals or milk from the facility is no longer an issue.
The owners of French Broad Farm, Earl and Cheryl Cruze told local media they have no comment at this time.
KCHD said earlier in the investigation that the outbreak could be tied to raw milk or farm animals.
"We're looking at both of those very carefully to see which of those it might be," Dr. Martha Buchanan with the Knox County Health Department said.
East Tennessee Children's Hospital chief medical officer Dr. Joe Childs called the E. coli outbreak the "worst they've ever seen."
ETCH doctors have treated at least 10 children over the past 10 days for illnesses caused by E. coli bacteria. Four of those patients are reportedly in serious condition and receiving treatment in the intensive care unit.
E. coli are bacteria found in environment, foods, and the intestines of people and animals. Buchanan said that when it comes to farm animals, they're not necessarily very clean. E. coli can come from a child petting an animal with feces in its fur and not washing their hands, or touching animal droppings.
"If you go to a petting zoo, they have hand sanitizer everywhere," Buchanan said. "You want your kids to use hand sanitizer after they go in the petting zoo to reduce the risk of getting sick."
She added that even though feces can be small and easy to miss, "you definitely can't see microbes."
"They are really small," Buchanan said. "1,800 can cover the head of a pen, but 10 of them will make you sick."