'E. coli affected 16 people'

Control of infection in nurseries is difficult

Sixteen people were affected by an E. coli outbreak at a North Yorkshire nursery, an official report has stated.

Thirteen children who attended Busy Bears Nursery in Skipton were infected alongside two mothers and a sibling of one of the youngsters.

All five children who showed symptons of E.coli 0157 needed hospital treatment, while the other victims who tested positive suffered no ill effects.

The Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) report said the bug was passed from person to person rather than from a single point.

Poor hygiene

There was an initial outbreak in East Lancashire, which affected one of the nursery children, the report stated.

When a second case was discovered an investigation took place, with the nursery closing on 28 November when more children fell ill.

It was re-opened last Monday when the investigation team declared it was free of infection and had been cleaned and disinfected.

The PHLS said control of infection in nurseries and infant schools was difficult because of poor levels of personal hygiene among young children.

E. coli 0157 is a serious food poisoning bug and can potentially lead to acute kidney failure.