Why was E. coli outbreak kept secret for six months? Parents' fury as five children fall victim to deadly strain of the bug
Freddy Osborne, one, (pictured) is one of 11 people in
Dorset - including five children - who were struck down with a dangerous
strain of E. coli. At one stage he was left blind for ten days and had
to be put into a coma for six days because it was not safe for him to
try to breathe. His mother Charlotte Fudge was terrified he was going to
die when he contracted the infection after eating at a Frankie &
Benny's in Castlepoint, Bournemouth. The restaurant has now been given
the all clear by investigators. Isaac Mortlock, three, also fell ill
with E. coli after eating at the same restaurant. Several victims were
associated with a children's nursery. Yet while the outbreak began in
July, Public Health England (PHE) only began raising any alarm this
week.
Why was E. coli outbreak kept secret for six months? Parents' fury as five children fall victim to deadly strain of the bug
- Two children fell ill with E. coli after eating at Frankie & Benny's restaurant
- Freddy Osborne's mother thought her son might die after four seizures
- 21-month-old is now out of a coma but has lasting kidney damage
- Isaac Mortlock, three, also fell ill after eating at the chain in Bournemouth
- An investigation by health officials has cleared the restaurant of any blame
- Council and Public Health England investigators found no trace of E. coli
- 11 people have contracted the killer bacteria in Dorset since July
- Investigators' search for the mystery source of E. coli continues
A
dangerous strain of E.coli has led to at least two children needing
dialysis in hospital – and left angry parents asking why authorities
failed to sound the alert early enough.
The
rare form of the bacteria, apparently originating in Dorset, has struck
11 people, including five children, with seven developing kidney
problems which could be permanent.
One three-year-old girl, from Blandford in the county, is battling the infection in hospital after being struck down last week.
Freddy Osborne, one, was rushed to
hospital with E. coli after eating at Frankie & Benny's in
Castlepoint, Bournemouth - but the restaurant has been given the all
clear
Several
victims were associated with a children’s nursery. Yet while the
outbreak began in July, Public Health England (PHE) only began raising
any alarm this week.
It
is yet to identify the source of the potentially fatal infection of
E.coli 055 but has ruled out a Bournemouth branch of restaurant chain
Frankie and Benny’s where three victims dined in two separate groups
before being struck down.
Yesterday,
PHE contacted the families of all the victims asking relatives to give
blood tests in an attempt to establish the origin of the outbreak.
One of those who needed dialysis is Freddy Osborne, now 21 months.
Isaac Mortlock, three, also fell ill
with E. coli after eating at the same Frankie & Benny's restaurant,
which has been cleared of any blame by investigators
Isaac's mother Gabrielle Archer (pictured) also feared her son could die after finding him fitting in the middle of the night
He spent four weeks in Southampton General Hospital, much of it in intensive care, and required multiple blood transfusions.
He
was at one stage left blind for ten days and had to be put into a coma
for six days because it was dangerous for him to try to breathe.
Although Freddy survived the ordeal, he was left blind for 10 days and his kidneys may never work properly again
Eventually
he was diagnosed with the E.coli 055 strain, although all the diagnoses
took a long time because the strain has never been found since records
began in 1994.
Freddy’s mother Charlotte Fudge, 25, from Bournemouth, said: ‘The whole family thought he was going to die.
He
was totally traumatised and went through hell. It is ridiculous Public
Health England didn’t warn people what was going on and work harder to
find the source.’
Gabrielle
Archer’s son Isaac, three, was in the same hospital as Freddy, also
needing dialysis and spending time in intensive care.
He
is now home after nine weeks in two hospitals but is still on a nasal
drip and has permanently damaged kidneys. The family fear he may be in
need of a kidney transplant.
Miss
Archer, 26, from Bournemouth, said: ‘The day after Isaac’s birthday in
July he suddenly got very ill. First he was sick. Then he began passing
blood.
‘At
first doctors told us it was probably gastroenteritis. It was only when
he started leaking blood permanently they said they’d have to admit him
to hospital.
Then
he got violently sick – and an X-ray and scan showed his kidneys were
affected and he had to go on dialysis. He had to be switched to another
hospital in Southampton and stay there for five weeks.
‘He
had fits in the middle of one night as well, his eyes were rolling, I
thought he was dying, and I was screaming ‘‘Won’t someone help my baby?”
He was unrecognisable.’
Freddy, now two, was the first to pick up the rare strain of E. coli that has hospitalised 11 people in Dorset since July
Isaac’s aunt, Jessica Wilkins, 25, was then struck down by the same strain of E.coli and was hospitalised.
Miss Archer is angry that PHE did not start publicising the outbreak until this week.
She
said: ‘I’m devastated that other children are now suffering – and feel
that had Public Health England taken Isaac’s case more seriously in the
first place, and put out more warnings, fewer people could have been
affected.’
A
spokesman for PHE said that the people affected by the strain had been
struck over a lengthy period, and that while all had passed through
Dorset, not all were from there, so it took some time to pull the facts
together.
She
said: ‘All those affected and their close contacts are being followed
up and further investigations are taking place to determine the likely
source.’
Cleared: Three people who have fallen
ill with E. coli ate at Frankie & Benny's before they were
hospitalised, but the restaurant has been given a clean bill of health
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