Lake Anna, a popular summer vacation spot in Central Virginia, is the “likely source” of infections that sickened dozens of swimmers over Memorial Day weekend, Virginia Department of Health officials investigating the outbreak said Thursday.
Public health officials say they may never know what caused harmful strains of E. coli bacteria to contaminate the freshwater reservoir, but parents have voiced concern about the lack of restrictions during and after the outbreak.
Some of the affected families have retained veteran trial attorney Bill Marler, who represented hundreds of victims in the 1993 E. coli outbreak involving the Jack in the Box restaurant chain, to investigate the source.
Is it safe to visit Lake Anna?
It depends on whom you ask. The exact cause of the outbreak has not yet been identified, but VDH spokeswoman Brookie Crawford said Thursday that lake water is the “likely source” and that officials previously ruled out food as a possible source of contamination.
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The health department confirmed Thursday that livestock have been in Lake Anna but could not say if the animals were present on Memorial Day weekend when the infections occurred. In addition to livestock, other potential sources of illness in waters like Lake Anna are environmental pollutants from heavy rains, failing septic systems, boating discharge and swimmers.
Lake water samples collected June 11 and Monday indicated “all fecal bacterial concentrations were well below a public health level of concern,” officials said. Additional testing is scheduled for Tuesday.
How many people got sick after Memorial Day?
At least 25 people came down with gastrointestinal illness after having contact with the water at Lake Anna State Park, including seven children who developed a severe complication of an E. coli infection known as hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, which can cause kidney failure, according to a website on the outbreak.
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Some children spent up to two weeks in the hospital undergoing blood transfusions and dialysis. Medical experts say generally of HUS that a quarter of cases will require long-term dialysis or even a kidney transplant.
About three-quarters of the Lake Anna cases occurred in children, who along with the elderly and people with underlying health conditions are at higher risk of contracting illness from open waters, which are more likely to have bacteria than disinfected pool water would be.
What is E. coli, and what are the symptoms of an infection?
Most kinds of E. coli, or Escherichia coli, are harmless, but some can make people sick with stomach cramps, vomiting, fever, chills and diarrhea that is often watery or bloody. These bacteria can cause infection when someone ingests food or water contaminated with a small, often invisible, amount of animal or human feces, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Symptoms of an E. coli, or STEC, infection should not be treated with anti-diarrheal medication, which could increase the chance of HUS, according to the state.
Health officials ask that anyone experiencing GI illness after visiting the Lake Anna area during Memorial Day weekend or since to contact their local health department and seek medical care if symptoms are ongoing. Anyone with questions can contact the state health department call center at 877-829-4682 (option 2). The call center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Who is responsible for the outbreak?
That’s what health department investigators and the families aim to find out.
Marler’s Seattle-based firm is representing six families, including four with children who developed HUS. He is requesting health department and property records in hopes of linking the cases to a source.
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“We’re gong to take a hard look at whether we can show who was responsible for the contamination,” he said in a phone interview Monday.
Lakes, petting zoos and county fairs are often overlooked culprits of infection because patrons focused on having fun may not consider pathogens that weren’t a problem decades ago and neglect to adapt their behavior accordingly, he said.
What other safety measures should you consider?
The Virginia health department offers tips for people who are visiting natural water sites like Lake Anna:
- Never swallow untreated water, and don’t swim if you have cuts or open wounds.
- Avoid swimming near livestock. Farm animals can carry germs that can cause a variety of illnesses in people.
- Avoid swimming if you are vomiting or have diarrhea.
- Shower or bathe after swimming to wash off possible germs and contaminants.
- Avoid swimming for three days after a heavy rain, which can result in the spread of germs via overflowing sewage, polluted stormwater and runoff from land.
