UPDATE: July 8 12:25 p.m.
Health officials at the Northeast Tennessee Regional Health Department are awaiting lab results on three possible new cases of E. coli infection in the region.
So far 11 cases of E. coli infection have been confirmed in the Northeast Tennessee area. Those include one confirmed in Sullivan County Tuesday.
Doctor David Kirschke with the NE TN Regional Health Department said his office is currently interviewing the infected people and their families to locate the source of the outbreak.
"From our initial investigation, still trying to generate a hypothesis of something we can test...at this point there is nothing confirmed as an exposure that may have caused it," said Kirschke.
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UPDATE: July 6 10:15 a.m.
Northeast Regional Health Dept. spokesman Beth Rader says 2 new E.coli cases were confirmed late Monday / early Tuesday.
That brings the 7 county NETN total to 10 (and doesn’t include the 2 cases confirmed in VA).
Rader said there have been NO deaths in NETN. 1 child is still hospitalized in Knoxville (no information about the child will be released).
The two new cases were not serious enough for hospitalization. No age, sex, location details released.
Rader said there is no common link, but the investigation isn’t finished yet.
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One child has died, two more are in the hospital, and seven others have suffered E. coli infections this month. Health officials said they are treating reports, "like an outbreak."
Click the play icon above to watch a video report.
TRANSCRIPT:
DR. DAVID KIRSCHKE, Medical Director: "This is about as many cases as we would typically see in a year in Northeast Tennessee."
GEORGE JACKSON, reporter: "And that's happened in one week?"
KIRSCHKE: "Mm Hmm."
NARRATION: Dr. David Kirschke says the Northeast Tennessee Regional Health Office started investigating eight E. coli cases in at least four counties last Thursday.
KIRSCHKE: "We've interviewed everybody. We haven't found any connections. They don't particularly know each other. They haven't been to the same places. We've asked about shopping at the same grocery stores."
NARRATION: Contaminated beef, fruit, vegetables, and water can cause the infection.
REBECCA BARTLES, Infection Prevention: "When feces of an animal or another human being enter the body, E. coli enters in that manner."
NARRATION: E. coli comes in more than one strain. The most severe -- 0157 -- can result in bloody diarrhea, kidney failure, and death.
KIRSCHKE: "We think that there's at least two different strains. There is one case that is producing the bad toxin. There are seven cases that have the less severe."
NARRATION: Kirschke says lab results are days away. Until he finds the source, cook red meat thoroughly, wash fruits and vegetables, and avoid untreated water.
BUTCH PATTERSON, Greeneville Parks and Recreation: "Farm animals and things will be getting in it and everything kind of rolls down hill. With a swimming pool, obviously, you're controlling the water."
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