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Recent E. coli outbreak still a puzzle in northern Utah

According to the Deseret Morning News, the Bear River Health Department cannot say for certain what caused a spate of recent E. coli cases in northern Utah, although it’s pretty sure that two of the five cases were not related to the other three.

Everyone has recovered in the town of Hyrum, there have been no new recent cases and the department is now warning residents to take precautions against foodborne and waterborne illness, since both paths have come under suspicion.

A few of the patients had shared events that led to their illness, but not all patients shared similar stories. Health officials found a possible but unprovable connection in the water supply to the subdivision where the patients lived.

However, since the water theory cannot be proven, officials are left with reminding residents to wash vegetables and fruits, cook meats properly and not allow cross-contamination between cooked and uncooked foods and surfaces. They are also pushing good hand-washing hygiene and avoiding direct exposure to backyard secondary water, especially among kids, such as playing in sprinklers or filling wading pools, playing in gutters and more.

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