E Coli essays

E Coli essays Canada's E. Coli Epidemic Claims Fifth Victim 1:44 p.m. ET (1744 GMT) May 26, 2000 WALKERTON, Ontario (Reuters) - A fifth person died on Thursday in what may be Canada's biggest E. coli epidemic, as police and health officials were set to decide whether to launch a criminal investigation into the outbreak. Dr. Murray McQuigge, the area's chief medical officer, said the outbreak in the mainly agricultural community of Walkerton, Ontario, could have been prevented, and accused the local Public Utilities Commission (PUC) of ignoring the results of its own tests on Thursday, May 18, which he said established the town's water was unsafe. He said 10 people, including four children, remained in a critical condition, struck down by bacteria in the town's water system. An infant and three adults died from E. coli complications on Wednesday. At least 500 people have been infected in Walkerton, a town of 5,000 people about two hours drive northwest of Toronto. Dr. James Cairns, deputy chief cor oner for the province of Ontario, said his department wants an inquest into the deaths. ''We are concerned about public safety,'' he said. "We want to know how the contamination occurred, how it was managed and how people died.'' It is believed the water may have been contaminated by manure washed into the system by recent heavy rains. "There may well be more people who will die. I think we could have prevented all these deaths,'' McQuigge told a news conference, adding that new cases could emerge as late as Monday as the bacteria can have an incubation period of up to 10 days before symptoms appear. McQuigge said he would meet with health and provincial police officials on Friday to try to decide where blame for deaths is to be laid. "There is probably going to be a criminal investigation,'' he said. Walkerton residents were outraged as news spread that it is possible that the tragedy could have been prevented. A local radio chat show host ranted: "What do...