16/09/2003

Health authorities look for E.coli source at nursery

The Northern Health Board has said it is working towards finding the source of an E.coli 0157 outbreak which has infected nine children at a nursery in Antrim.

Laura's Lodge Day Nursery closed voluntarily last Thursday following advice from Environmental Health Officers and the Northern Health Board.

Sixty children and staff have already been screened for the bacterial illness which has a range of symptoms including vomiting and diarrhoea.

Children and the elderly are especially vulnerable to that strain of the infection, which has seen the number of cases in the UK triple over the last decade.

A clean-up operation is currently under way at the Station Road crèche and the source of the infection is being sought.

(MB)

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