OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — A toddler from Ottawa County is in a Grand Rapids ICU, battling a disease caused by the E. coli bacteria.
She, along with several others in the county, have been hospitalized as lakeshore health officials issued a warning to residents about the increase in cases.
The family from Hudsonville asked to keep their last name private as they continue to just focus on getting their little girl back to good health. But they still worry, as they have no idea where she contracted the bacteria.
Their little girl, Hailey, isn't even two years old yet, but is fighting with everything she has at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital after contracting the E. coli bacteria.
"It was probably Wednesday or Thursday when she was starting to show symptoms," said Hailey's mother, Jenny. "She had bloody diarrhea, she was lethargic and just really exhausted."
The Ottawa County Department of Public Health (OCDPH) said that as of Aug. 16, there are 14 cases of Shiga-toxin producing E. coli infections in the county.
"We brought Hailey to the hospital on Saturday when she had bloody diarrhea," Jenny explained. "They didn't find anything at that time so we took her to her regular doctor, but by Monday she was still having it so they told us to go back, and that's when she was admitted."
"She has also been extremely dehydrated because she wouldn't pee or eat anything," added Jenny, "so she really hasn't eaten since Friday."
According to the OCDPH, of the 14 cases, five of those people are hospitalized, and two of the cases have Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), which is a rare but serious disease that affects the kidneys and blood clotting functions. Hailey's mother, Jenny, says her daughter is one of the two with HUS.
"Especially in children, it can shut down their kidneys to the point where they may need a ventilator like my daughter was on," she said. "Hailey is also on dialysis right now to get all the fluids off her body in order for her to be functional."
Jenny said she has no idea where her daughter could have gotten E. coli, but is hoping that the Ottawa County Department of Public Health will soon have more definitive answers.
"It could be fast food, or it could be somewhere that we went like the grocery store," Jenny said. "I just really wish I knew where it was from, so we know not to go back there for a while."
Jenny said Hailey's father also got the bacteria but did not need to be hospitalized.
In a statement sent to 13 ON YOUR SIDE Tuesday, the Ottawa County Department of Public Health said:
"Test results are still pending for many of the cases and the investigation into the increase in cases in the county is ongoing. At this time, a cause for the increase is still unknown. STEC is a serious illness and OCDPH continues to encourage everyone to take precautions to protect themselves. Residents should see a health care provider immediately if they are experiencing diarrhea, especially with blood, for longer than three days; have a fever and/or so much vomiting that they cannot keep liquids down."
Experts say the infection is very contagious, so it's important to stay home if you are sick. They say to always cook meats thoroughly, don't swallow water when swimming and wash your hands often.
As for Hailey and her family, they are doing the best they can to stay positive and help her get better as soon as possible. They've also set up a GoFundMe to help with her medical expenses.
"She's still in the ICU right now," Jenny said, "so hopefully we are getting her the best care we could."
While Hailey battles the illness, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced an outbreak of E. coli in Ottawa, Kent and Oakland counties.
MDHHS reports learning of 98 cases of E. coli infection in August, compared to 20 cases reported during August of 2021.
“While reports of E. coli illness typically increase during the warmer summer months, this significant jump in cases is alarming,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive. “This is a reminder to make sure to follow best practices when it comes to hand hygiene and food handling to prevent these kinds of foodborne illness."
Bagdasarian reminds residents to tell their health care provided if they are experiencing any of the following symptoms:
- Severe stomach cramps
- Diarrhea – often bloody
- Vomiting
- Fever
Symptoms usually appear three to four days after exposure, but may appear anywhere from one to ten days.
The infection can be anywhere from mild to life-threatening. Young children and older adults are at an increased risk of being severely ill. Five to ten percent of confirmed cases develop hemolytic uremic syndrome.
MDHHS officials say it's important to take the following steps to prevent an E. coli infection:
- Washing hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds, or using an alcohol-based sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol:
- Before and after handling food.
- After using the bathroom or changing a diaper.
- After contact with animals or their environments, such as farms, petting zoos, fairs or even the backyard.
- Always marinating foods in the refrigerator, not on the counter or outdoors. Never reuse sauce on cooked food used to marinate raw meat or poultry.
- Never placing cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs. Be sure to have on hand plenty of clean utensils and platters.
- Never letting raw meat, poultry, eggs or cooked food sit at room temperature more than two hours before putting them in the refrigerator or freezer (one hour when the temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cooking meats thoroughly. Ground beef and meat should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Consumers should use a food thermometer as color is not an indicator of "doneness."
- Rinsing fruits and vegetables well under running water. There is no need to use soap.
- Avoiding raw milk, unpasteurized dairy products and unpasteurized juices (like fresh apple cider).
- Avoiding swallowing water when swimming or playing in lakes, ponds, streams, swimming pools and backyard "kiddie" pools.
For additional information on E. coli, visit the USDA website on protection from foodborne illnesses here or the CDC website. Find more food safety information on the MDARD website.
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