It's safe for children in E.coli outbreak town to go back to school, say health officials

A three-year-old girl from the area is understood to be seriously ill in a hospital in Glasgow and has received a blood transfusion.

The health board has been sending letters to parents of Carlogie Primary School and Nursery in Carnoustie to provide an update of the investigation.

But some attending the Peter Pan playgroup and Carlogie schools, which is at the centre of the latest outbreak, remained concerned that there is enough transparency over the extent of the outbreak and how safe their children are.

The health board said patient confidentiality meant it was unable to disclose the total number of cases. But it is understood there were as many as seven in the ward. Some are confirmed to have E.coli while others are suspected cases.

NHS Tayside consultant in public health medicine Dr Jackie Hyland said: "A small number of suspected and confirmed cases of E.coli have been assessed and treated as appropriate within Ninewells Hospital.

“The usual infection control measures are in place during this period to prevent the potential spread of infection. This includes providing separate areas for patients under investigation.

"We would like to make it clear that these patients are not being treated under quarantine conditions but are having their treatment in a small, dedicated area, where parents may attend and visit as normal."

NHS Tayside has said they are still investigating a possible link with a national outbreak linked to the eating of gourmet cheese in which a three-year-old girl from Bearsden died and 21 other people have been infected.

"The cases and contacts have now been identified and children should now be attending school or nursery unless they are symptomatic or have been formally excluded by the Health Protection Team."

She said an Incident Management Team (IMT) has also been in regular contact with those affected to ensure that they receive the appropriate medical treatment and advice from clinicians.

“The community should be reassured that the risk to the general public remains low."

Meanwhile parents have told of their upset at being told their two-year-old daughter was wrongly diagnosed with contracting the E.coli bug.

Karina and Hamish Fulford say they were told that Iva, who was suffering diarrhoea and vomiting, had tested positive for the potentially lethal infection at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee.

But after a fraught 24 hours, doctors told the family the youngster was not actually infected.

Mrs Fulford: “She is fine now but the thing that we have been upset by is the communication process.”

A spokesperson for NHS Tayside said of the case: "Due to patient confidentiality, we are unable to comment on matters relating to individual patients."

The national E. coli investigation, led by Health Protection Scotland, has said cheese produced by South Lanarkshire-based Errington Cheese Ltd is the most likely source of the outbreak.