E. coli outbreak sickens four in Marin County

The Marin County Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Team (CDPC) is reporting three confirmed cases and one presumptive case of E. coli O157, according to a press release Tuesday.

Image/CDC

Health officials say three of the cases are children. Two of these children and one adult patient are currently hospitalized and are reportedly recovering. All three hospitalized cases presented with bloody diarrhea, and one has progressed to hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS).

Three of the four affected people reside in Tiburon and were likely exposed between September 11-15. The other person was from Inverness. There have been no new documented cases since then.

It is unclear what the source of the outbreak is and the investigation by state and local health officials is ongoing.

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, seniors and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.

The symptoms of  E. coli O157:H7 infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting. If there is fever, it usually is not very high (less than 101˚F/less than 38.5˚C). Most people get better within 5–7 days. Some infections are very mild, but others are severe or even life-threatening.

Around 5–10% of those who are diagnosed with this infection develop a potentially life-threatening complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page