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New E.coli outbreak affecting children but source yet unknown
May 07 , 2021
At least seven children are sick with E. Coli infections in a new outbreak involving an unknown source, according to an outbreak announcement by Washington State health officials.
All of the sick children are younger than 14, with three of them younger than five years old.
“Our investigation is ongoing, and we have not identified any foods, restaurants, or other sources in common among all cases. It is not yet known whether these cases share the same source or not,” officials reported in the announcement.
The children became ill between April 22 and May 1. Six of the seven children have been so sick they had to be admitted to hospitals. One of the sick children is confirmed as having developed a life-threatening kidney complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and is recovering. A second child is suspected to have HUS.
How coronavirus thrust public health departments into the political spotlight in Washington, beyond By Ryan Blethen, The Seattle Times
Published: December 14, 2020, 6:01am
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SEATTLE Dr. Anthony Chen was heading to the mountains for a hike with his wife on a rare day off from work when he learned the Pierce County Council was moving to dissolve the health department he leads.
Sitting in the passenger seat of the car, he read an email from Councilmember Derek Young about an ordinance that would end the agreement between the city of Tacoma and Pierce County that created the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, and replace it with a new county department.