Alberta Premier Danielle Smith expressed her condolences to the victims and their families of the E.coli outbreak, which has resulted in 190 lab-confirmed cases and 27 children being hospitalized. Alberta Health Services confirmed that 20 patients have severe illness and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a rare disease affecting the kidneys and blood clotting functions. Dr. Franco Rizzuti, Calgary Zone medical officer of health, stated that the severe illness is related to a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infection. The government officials, including Health Minister Adrianna LaGrange, have pledged to conduct a full assessment of the outbreak to prevent future occurrences.
Amidst the outbreak, experts have labeled it as a “historic outbreak” and emphasized its unusual magnitude, particularly in children under five years old. One affected child, Amelia Leonard, is among the more than 100 patients impacted by the outbreak. Her father Ryan described her struggles and subsequent improvement since starting dialysis. However, her condition remains unpredictable, and the future outcome is unknown.
Alberta Health Services is still investigating the exact source of the outbreak and has closed the central kitchen servicing several daycares in Calgary. Additionally, parents of affected children have filed a statement of claim for a potential class-action lawsuit, alleging “negligent, unsanitary, and unsafe food storage, preparation, and handling practices.”
In terms of facility reopening, AHS will rescind closure orders for four facilities and gradually reopen the remaining seven. These facilities must meet specific requirements and receive clearance from health officials before resuming operations. It is worth mentioning that none of the claims in the statement of class-action have been tested in court.
Lastly, the article includes a disclaimer that the information was gathered from various sources, with contributions from Adam Toy of Global News. It also attributes the content to Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.