The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Tuesday, January 01, 2019 03:01 PM
Knox County Health Department Confirms Two Of 10 Children Affected By E.Coli Outbreak in Serious Condition
The Tennessee Department of Human Services ordered the shut down of Kids Place Inc. Millertown Child Care Center on Tuesday night. State officials said the daycare remains closed as it is under investigation by the Knox County Health Department.
According to the health department, more than 10 cases of E. coli 0157 were reported, all among children, as of Thursday. Kids Place said only four cases came out of their daycare and none of the children had to be hospitalized.
Last week, the East Tennessee Children's Hospital had six patients under the age of four infected by E. coli. Four of the patients were in serious condition, but on June 11, the hospital said that number had been lowered to just two in serious condition. One patient is in fair condition. They said that six patients overall were still being treated. According to ETCH, the patient admitted Friday is connected to possible E. coli exposure at Kids Place. Also on Friday, it was revealed that a Seattle-based law firm, Marler Clark, specializing in Food Safety Law was investigating the case.
"The safety of children at the Kids Place Inc. Millertown Child Care Center is our foremost concern," a representative for the Department of Human Services said. As far as what, if any charges would be filed, DHS said, "If there were to be any charges, they'd come from law enforcement. Our only action is ordering the child care facility closed until the health department's investigation clears the facility as safe."
The state said the center will not be allowed to reopen until the health department provides written documentation that the center is clear and free of E. coli or any other pathogen possibly present. WVLT called the daycare Thursday and an employee said they had only part of the daycare called the baby house closed. Then, someone believed to be the site director said they had no comment.
On Thursday evening, Tennessee Department of Human Services representative Sky Arnold said that the department had issued a safety plan that required Kids Place Inc. Millertown Child Care Center to close Tuesday evening amid concerns about E. coli.
Arnold continued, "Thursday it came to our attention the child care center had not, in fact, ceased operations throughout the entire facility. TDHS representatives informed the center that no child care operations are to occure anywhere on the property."
Arnold said that Kids Place was cooperating with the order. Additionally, TDHS is "in the process of reaching out to child care providers in the Knox County region to assist efforts to find available child care options for parents while Kids Place Inc. remains closed." On Friday evening, TDHS said in a statement that they were "not ready to allow children to return" to the daycare at this point. The department continues to investigate the case.
Melissa Allen is a parent of both a four and ten year-old that attended Kids Place. The Knox County native said she got notification Wednesday about the outbreak. She still brought her four year-old daughter to daycare Thursday. She said "I told her 'bye' and 'see you later' and everything was fine. I dropped her off. The atmosphere was still positive. "
