E. coli under the microscope

Scanning electron micrograph of E. coli, grown in culture and adhered to a coverslip.

(E Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH)

Clackamas County authorities on Saturday said a string of three E. coli cases since September has put two people in the hospital.

The county health department previously had declined to state the condition of the patients who have become ill. A statement from the county on Saturday said a third patient has recovered.

The statement provided no further details on the current status of the patients who were hospitalized.

Public health officials on Thursday told parents at Heart Centered Montessori, which serves infants and children up to age 5, that all staff and students should be tested as part of an investigation into the source of the infections.

Also Saturday, the school's owner said she was voluntarily closing the facility starting Monday while the investigation is underway. "This is serious stuff," Meg O'Keeffe told The Oregonian.

The following is the full text of the latest Clackamas County statement:

Clackamas County Public Health is actively investigating incidents of diarrheal illness that have occurred at the Heart Centered Montessori School in West Linn. Testing has shown that the two of the infections were caused by Ecoli (Escherichia O157.H7) otherwise known as Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli or "STEC". The third case has STEC infection but more testing is needed to know the precise typing.



These cases occurred in September and October. One of the children has recovered. Two children were admitted to the hospital.



Public Health officials have conducted extensive testing in and outside of the school but a source of the infection has not been determined. Consequently Public Health made a decision to test all children and staff at the school to look for undiagnosed infections without symptoms that may be playing a role in transmission. This decision is consistent with the extensive effort to find a source for the infection.



Clackamas County Public Health cannot issue any additional public comment at this time.

