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E. coli found in school's water not deadly
| Friday, Oct 19 2007 10:45 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Oct 19 2007 10:49 PM
The E. coli bacteria detected in the Piute Mountain School water supply was not the O157:H7 type that is so severe as to cause organ failure or death, officials said.
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A boil-water notice was issued by state health officials Tuesday after regular monthly testing found elevated levels of E. coli in the school's water system.
There have been no reports of related illnesses, officials said.
For that, "we're very fortunate," said Cindy Douglass, Piute's administrative assistant. This is the first instance of E. coli contamination for the school that was built in 1984.
The 86-student school near Caliente closed Friday as an extra precaution while the system is flushed and retested, Douglass said.
Douglass said the well had not been contaminated. Once the water passes two consecutive tests, the system will be flushed with chemicals one more time before students are allowed back. That could be as early as Thursday, she said.
"This is not uncommon," said Matt Constantine, director of Kern County's Environmental Health Department. "This generic E. coli is found throughout the environment, in intestinal tracts of mammals."
Contamination can happen if leaves or animals get into a water tank or if there is a septic system failure, Constantine said.
Officials aren't sure how Piute's water supply was contaminated, said Kern County's Interim Director of Public Health Services, Dr. Claudia Jonah.
While this is not the potentially fatal strain, ingesting an "overwhelming amount" could lead to gastrointestinal tract symptoms such as cramping or diarrhea, Jonah said.
While the students were in school, they washed their hands with boiled and sanitized water and were given bottled water for drinking, Douglass said.