Golden – An E. coli bacteria has caused up to 70 cases of intestinal illness among Jefferson County Jail inmates, public health officials confirmed today.
The culprit is shiga toxin-producing E. coli, a family of bacteria that has been associated with eating undercooked beef and spinach, alfalfa sprouts and lettuce contaminated with human or animal feces.
It also can be spread from person to person.
“We’re closer to finding the source of the outbreak,” said Nancy Braden, spokeswoman for the Jefferson County Department of Public Health and Environment. “We do not know, and may never know, the exact source.”
On Friday, a few inmates complained of abdominal cramping, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and bloody stools. The number grew over the weekend, with more cases identified Tuesday as investigators interviewed ill and well inmates.
Nine inmates have been sent to the hospital for treatment, with one remaining hospitalized. Thirty-seven are still sick.
Officials are trying to identify foods that may have sickened the inmates. Kitchen workers and the food supplier are being questioned and testing is being done on food, blood and stool samples.
Those who are sick have been separated from other inmates and are being given fluids and medications.
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli can cause illness ranging from mild symptoms to severe kidney complications, according to the state health department.
Symptoms usually appear one to eight days after exposure, although typically within three to five days. Outbreaks are more common in group facilities.
Staff writer Ann Schrader can be reached at 303-278-3217 or aschrader@denverpost.com.
