Clark County alert after 3 E. coli cases

The Oregonian reports that Health officials are watching for more cases of E. coli after two teenage girls and a woman in her 20s suffered nausea, vomiting and bloody diarrhea from bacteria they might have picked up at the Clark County Fair.
In Clark County, physicians have been notified to watch for additional cases and recall patients who may have had symptoms in the past few days, said Dr. Justin Denny, Clark County’s health officer.
Symptoms include bloody diarrhea, vomiting, severe stomach cramps and fever.
E. coli 0157:H7 produces a toxin that causes kidney and blood vessel damage in about 15 percent of cases, or in more severe cases, death. No treatment against E. coli 0157:H7 is known. Antibiotics can increase problems, and anti-diarrhea agents should be avoided.
E. coli 0157:H7 is most commonly found in the intestines and feces of cattle but also is associated with handling animals or breathing in airborne bacteria. Other possible causes are eating uncooked meat, drinking unpasteurized milk or passing the disease person-to-person by, for example, handling soiled diapers.
Washing hands with warm soap and water after using the bathroom, changing diapers, handling animals or touching raw meat is the best way to prevent the disease’s spread, Denny said.