The outbreak of E. coli that is unfolding in a small number of Calgary daycare centres is absolutely horrific. As of Sunday, there had been 190 cases reported, including 27 patients hospitalized, of whom 20 have “severe illness.”
But just as disturbing is the inadequate response of officialdom to what is probably the worst outbreak of pediatric E. coli in Canada ever.
It’s been a week since the first cases were reported and we still don’t know the source of the food poisoning, other than that Alberta Health Services (AHS) said that it is “highly likely” that it originated in the central kitchen that supplies the affected daycare centres. All we’ve been told is that samples have been collected and are undergoing testing. This is a languorous response, at best.
Despite the magnitude of this problem, we have yet to hear a peep from Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, who is (checks notes) Dr. Mark Joffe. AHS seems to be content with releasing a daily count of the hospitalized, and basic information telling parents what to do if their children fall ill. Meanwhile, both Premier Danielle Smith and provincial Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange have been “sending thoughts and prayers” to parents. Argh.
We didn’t really need another brutal reminder of the eviscerated state of public health in this country, and politicians’ indifference to it, but here we have it.
How did this kind of mass poisoning of children happen? There’s been a lot of political rhetoric these days about getting rid of “gatekeepers” and pesky public-health officials. It makes you wonder: Had the kitchen in question been visited by public-health inspectors recently? If so, let’s see the reports.
Why have we not pulled out all the stops to find the source of E. coli in kids’ food? What consequences, if any, will befall the operator? (Six of the daycares where the E. coli cases occurred are operated by the Fueling Brains Academy, and five others are supplied by the same kitchen.)
These are some of the questions we need answered, stat.
The media coverage of this story has, to date, failed to convey just how serious this outbreak really is.
Globe Staff: What to know about E. coli infection symptoms and how to handle an outbreak
Consider that there are roughly 440 cases of E. coli in Canada annually. But Calgary has seen almost 200 cases in the past week alone. Worse yet, the victims are mostly children. (Not that health officials have provided any data on the ages of victims; the obsession with secrecy remains.) This is the worst case of pediatric E. coli poisoning since 14 children fell severely ill in Toronto in 1980 after drinking unpasteurized apple juice. In the most infamous case, more than 2,300 people were sickened by E. coli and seven died after drinking tainted water in Walkerton, Ont., in 2000.
E. coli is a nasty bacterium, one that is found in the feces of animals like cattle. People are usually sickened by undercooked meat, especially ground beef, to the point where it is nicknamed “hamburger disease.” But leafy greens and sprouts, grown in manure, can carry the bug too if inadequately washed.
E. coli mostly causes gastrointestinal woes like diarrhea, vomiting and cramps. But there are more serious strains, such as E. coli 0157, which secretes Shiga toxins that can lead to an uncommon but serious complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can damage organs.
What officials have called “severe illness” is presumably HUS. We know that some of the 20 children with HUS have required dialysis because their kidneys shut down. Some of them, sadly, may require kidney transplants. But there have been no deaths to date.
The saving grace has been the superb response of the Alberta Children’s Hospital, which immediately set up a dedicated clinic to treat the affected children. It also has the good fortune of employing Dr. Stephen Freedman, probably the world’s foremost expert on pediatric E. coli.
This outbreak is also a reminder of how common and devastating food-borne illnesses can be, and why good food regulation and inspection is needed. There are an estimated four million cases of food poisoning annually, or one in approximately 10 Canadians – but this is likely a large underestimate, because most cases are not reported. What are recorded are the 11,600 hospitalizations and 230-plus deaths every year.
These are not just tummy aches. Outbreaks of this breadth and severity must be taken seriously. Bolstering public health post-COVID is required, lest we want more of these incidents to occur.
Our children surely deserve it.
André Picard