E.coli outbreak woman 'improving'

Karen Morrisroe-Clutton's family hope she will be allowed visitors soon

The mother of a woman who is in intensive care after an E.coli outbreak says there are signs of improvement in her daughter's condition.

Karen Morrisroe-Clutton, 32, remains in a serious condition at Wrexham Maelor Hospital. She is one of four people who have the same strain of the bug.

Rose Morrisroe said her daughter was off dialysis and the sedation of her medically-induced coma has reduced.

The Llay Fish Bar in Wrexham is closed while a possible link is investigated.

The chip shop, which is in the Llay areas, is the focus of the investigation into the outbreak.

All four cases involved the E.coli O157 phage type 2 strain, according to the National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHS).

A three-year-old girl, Abigail Hennessey, remains in hospital in Liverpool and is also said to be off dialysis. Her parents say she is "eating and drinking quite well".

Abigail Hennessey, three, is recovering in a Liverpool hospital

Abigail's mother Sarah Hennessey, and a second woman have also been ill and are recovering at home.

Ms Morrisroe said her daughter, who has an 11-week-old son, was improving.

She said: "They have lightened the sedation and are hoping to bring her off the ventilator.

"She's now able to nod and shake her head but I don't think she's fully aware of what's happened to her.

"She's off the dialysis now but she may need further dialysis in future. The doctors say it's two steps forward, one step backwards."

Ms Morrisroe said no family have been allowed to see her daughter for the past two days for fear of infection.

She said her daughter's husband was hoping he would be allowed to visit on Friday.

An investigation is continuing into a possible link the fish bar

She and her husband, Joe, were still waiting to hear when they might be able to visit their daughter, she said.

She added: "Things are improving but she's still not out of the woods by any means."

Baby Oliver was doing well and was being looked after by both sets of grandparents, she said.

The NPHS has said laboratory testing suggested the four E. coli cases were all part of the same outbreak and their illness were linked.

Further tests aimed to find if the sources of the cases were identical.