Nursery closed in E.coli outbreak

E.coli can cause diarrhoea and stomach cramps

A nursery has been partially closed in Cumbria after four children were taken ill in an outbreak of E.coli.

The pre-school section of the Happy Tots Nursery in Barrow was shut on Monday after the O157 strain of the infection was traced to the site.

One of the children is being treated in hospital for symptoms, including diarrhoea and stomach cramps.

A decision on when the site will fully reopen will be taken at a meeting on Friday, a health trust spokesman said.

'Incubation period'

Dr Nigel Calvert, of the Health Protection Agency (HPA), said: "All parents have been contacted and given advice and all children will be screened before being allowed to return.

"We are keeping a very close eye on the situation but we are not expecting any more cases.

"The on-set of the infections was grouped to 14 and 15 June and the incubation period for the strain is only three to four days."

Only the pre-school section has been closed as all the cases were in that part of the nursery and it does not have shared toilet or kitchen facilities.

The cause of the outbreak is still under investigation.

The HPA is working on the case with Cumbria Primary Care Trust and Barrow Borough Council.