Virginia

STEC infections that hospitalized children 'likely' from Lake Anna, VDH says

2024-06-21
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Beach at Lake Anna State ParkPhoto byVirginia State Parks (CC2.0)

After an outbreak involving 25 cases of STEC potentiallly linked to the Lake Anna, Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has launched an investigation and is maintaining a devoted webpage that’s updated every Tuesday and Thursday.

What's what?

Lake Anna is a reservoir in central Virginia created to cool nuclear power facilities that now belong to Dominion.

STEC, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli , is an infection that causes stomach cramps and diarrhea (often watery or bloody). Symptoms can also include vomiting, fever, and chills. In severe cases, the infection can damage organs, such as the kidneys.

About the outbreak

In total, there are currently 25 confirmed and probable cases that appear linked to Lake Anna around Memorial Day weekend, according to VDH.

All primary cases have been in people who reported exposure to the water in Lake Anna between May 24 and May 27, the health department stated. Two of the cases are secondary, meaning people infected by close contact with other infected people.

VDH said severe STEC cases can progress to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a disease that affects the kidneys and blood clotting system.

Five HUS cases have been reported. All of them were in children that needed to be hospitalized, said VDH.

And although those involved in these cases are of ages ranging from 1 to 45 years old, 76% of the cases have been in children under 18, VDH added.

Testing results

VDH and the Department of Environmental Quality have been partnering on water testing from various locations in Lake Anna since June 11.

VDH addressed those initial test results in a June 14 update. “All fecal bacteria concentrations were well below a public health level of concern,” the department stated.

Although the department acknowledged its investigation was still underway, VDH added, “No single cause of the outbreak has been identified, and it is possible we might not be able to identify the source.”

A week later, as of the June 20 investigation update, the department said, “VDH’s investigation is ongoing. The exact cause of the outbreak has not yet been identified, but lake water is the likely source."

"Environmental pollution from heavy rains, livestock, failing septic systems, boating discharge, and swimmers are potential sources of illness when swimming in natural bodies of water,” it added.

Current status of Lake Anna

Meanwhile, VDH is not citing any heightened risk for Lake Anna.

In its FAQs, it responds to the question of whether it’s safe to be in Lake Anna by saying, “Recent water test results indicate that fecal bacteria concentrations were well below a public health level of concern.”

And the department goes on to put Lake Anna on par with other waters, noting, “any natural bodies of water always pose some health risk because the water is not disinfected.”

VDH tackles that question of whether there is still STEC risk at Lake Anna by saying, “Among the 23 people with STEC who reported visiting Lake Anna (primary cases), all visited the lake during May 24 to May 27. The timeline of illnesses and reported exposures, combined with water testing results, is reassuring. They suggest (but do not confirm) that illnesses were associated with a lake exposure that occurred over the Memorial Day weekend.”

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