Over the past two and a half weeks, all eight members of the Sanders family in Hyrum have, according to The Herald Journal, been sick. The youngest child, just 16 months old, has tested positive for E. coli.
The case is one of three positive tests for the bacteria in Cache County during the last month, all of which have occurred in Hyrum’s High Valley subdivision.
E.coli can be spread through a variety of ways and involves the transmission of fecal material in water or food, such as uncooked hamburger meat. The bacteria can develop into Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome and can prove fatal in the most serious cases.
Although officials have not determined if the illnesses are related, some residents are claiming the city’s water source could be the culprit. The city recently put in a new water line underneath 300 North to better serve the residents of the subdivision. Officials are now monitoring Hyrum’s drinking water.
During the past month, the Health Department has conducted at least five tests of water samples in the area, but have not found any bacteria in the water.