Ecoli
Canada's E. Coli Epidemic Claims Fifth Victim1:44 p.m. ET (1744 GMT) May 26, 2000WALKERTON, Ontario (Reuters) - A fifth person died on Thursday in what may be Canada's biggest E. coli epidemic, as police and health officials were set to decide whether to launch a criminal investigation into the outbreak. Dr. Murray McQuigge, the area's chief medical officer, said the outbreak in the mainly agricultural community of Walkerton, Ontario, could have been prevented, and accused the local Public Utilities Commission (PUC) of ignoring the results of its own tests on Thursday, May 18, which he said established the town's water was unsafe. He said 10 people, including four children, remained in a critical condition, struck down by bacteria in the town's water system. An infant and three adults died from E. coli complications on Wednesday. At least 500 people have been infected in Walkerton, a town of 5,000 people about two hours drive northwest of Toronto. Dr. James Cairns, deputy chief coroner for the province of Ontario, sai
Why was it not released on Thursday? I'm just lucky I have a cast-iron stomach. "There may well be more people who will die. Schools and most businesses in the town, which is built on the banks of the Saugeen River, were closed on Thursday. He apologized to the town, saying he was not aware until Sunday that the water was contaminated. ''We are concerned about public safety,'' he said. coli 0157 after several people were admitted to hospital with bloody diarrhea. A local radio chat show host ranted: "What do we say to the dead? Sorry, we knew and you didn't?'' McQuigge said his office had alerted residents after independent tests by the public health laboratory revealed on Monday positive culture for E. d his department wants an inquest into the deaths. I think we could have prevented all these deaths,'' McQuigge told a news conference, adding that new cases could emerge as late as Monday as the bacteria can have an incubation period of up to 10 days before symptoms appear. "When we confronted the public utilities of Walkerton with these test results on Tuesday morning, we were told two things: first, that their machine that puts chlorine into the town drinking water supply had not worked properly for some time; secondly, the PUC had taken a water sample on Monday, May 15, and had received a fax from their testing lab saying that their water was contaminated,'' McQuigge said in a statement. "The PUC did know on Thursday, May 18, that there was potential danger of contamination in the water supply,'' he said. But he admitted later that the PUC had known last Thursday that the water was unsafe. '' "Somebody should be held responsible,'' said Jacques Gosselin who was treated for stomach cramps at the weekend.
Common topics in this essay:
James Cairns,
Saugeen River,
Commission PUC,
David Thompson,
Philip Englishman,
WALKERTON Ontario,
Ministry Environment,
Murray McQuigge,
Fifth Victim,
Jacques Gosselin,
water contaminated,
water unsafe,
investigation outbreak,
puc water,
public utilities,
coli epidemic,
town's water,
walkerton ontario,
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