Children battle E.coli bug

Five children from the same nursery were today battling the E-coli food poisoning bug.

The youngsters, aged between one and four who attend the Busy Bears Nursery in Skipton, North Yorkshire, are suffering from E-coli 0157 - the most serious strain of the illness.

Two of the children with the most serious symptoms remain in hospital.

Three others are being cared for at home and being closely monitored by their GPs.

Environmental health teams and local health board officials are carrying out investigations to try to locate the source of the outbreak.

Dr Ebere Okereke, consultant for Communicable Disease Control in North Yorkshire, said tests at the nursery were being carried out as a precaution but so far there was no evidence to suggest that the source of the bug came from the school.

Food samples are being examined at the Public Laboratory in Leeds and the results will be known within a few days, she said.

A total of 142 children and 23 staff are being screened for the bug.

The nursery was closed on Wednesday and specialist cleaning teams were called in to disinfect it.

Dr Okereke said: "Young children are not good at washing their hands and so by closing the nursery we are reducing the risk of the children spreading the bug, one to another."

The outbreak team will continue with their investigations until the source of the infection is identified.

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