The Virginia Department of Health still does not know the cause of the E. coli outbreak at Lake Anna over Memorial Day weekend, and more water testing will be done this week.
Water samples collected on June 11 at six locations in the lake “indicate all fecal bacteria concentrations were well below a public health level of concern,” a news release said.
The samples tested came from the following locations:
- North Anna Branch – 0.3 miles above Sandbar
- North Anna Branch – Sandbar
- Lake Anna – Cocktail Cove North
- Lake Anna – Cocktail Cove South
- Lake Anna State Park Beach
- North Pamunkey Branch – 0.3 miles below Sandbar
Additional water samples will be taken on Monday, June 17, and posted on a health department web page where the testing has been mapped.
The outbreak sickened at least 25 people, with 21 from NoVA, central, and northwestern Virginia, the department said. Seventy-six percent of the cases happened in children.
E. coli causes gastrointestinal illness, including stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and chills. Infections can be serious, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome. The syndrome affects a person’s kidneys and blood-clotting ability. Five children have been hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome, the health department said.
No deaths have been reported.
“VDH’s investigation is ongoing. No single cause of the outbreak has been identified, and it is possible we might not be able to identify the source. There is no indication that contaminated food was the source of the outbreak,” the release said.
Potential sources of E. coli are “environmental pollution from heavy rains, livestock, failing septic systems, boating discharge, and swimmers,” the department said.
No advisories have been posted for the popular lake in Louisa and Spotsylvania counties.
The health department urges people who visited the lake over Memorial Day weekend and experienced gastrointestinal illness to contact their local health departments.
Feature image by Matthew Carroll/stock.adobe.com
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