Three Local Children Test Positive for E coli 0157

The First Coast News reports that the Duval County Health department has confirmed its third case of E coli 0157 in children this year. Four year old Emma Kee is the latest to be diagnosed on the First Coast. Her symptoms started with a fever, then bloody diarrhea. Her mom, Trisha Kee says she’s concerned it took three days for a hospital to diagnose the particular strain.
Dr. Jeff Goldhagen of the Duval County Health Department says 0157 isn’t typically tested for immediately because it’s rare, though we’ve seen three cases in Northeast Florida. Goldhagen says it takes two cases where the patients are linked through one source for the county to declare an outbreak. In the three cases so far, there were no points of commonality. “Not where they ate, took field trips or even animals they touched.”
Kee encourages parents to ask as many questions as possible and ask specifically for an E coli 0157 test.