In early May of 2004, the Jasper County, Missouri, Health Department (JCHD) began investigating what appeared to be an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak among children who attended day care at Kid’s Korner day care in Joplin, Missouri. JCHD inspected the day care facility and did not note any major violations that would have led to the spread of E. coli; however, investigators discussed the importance of excluding children with diarrheal illness from the day care facility with operators and employees.
Later that month, JCHD again investigated E. coli cases among children attending the Kid’s Korner day care facility. During another inspection of the facility, JCHD investigators noted sanitary lapses conducive to the spread of disease, including improper handwashing, and learned that children exhibiting symptoms of E. coli infection had not been excluded from the day care. JCHD concluded that the spread of E. coli had occurred at Kid’s Korner day care.
The Marler Clark law firm filed an E. coli lawsuit against Kid’s Korner on behalf of the two-year-old boy who developed HUS and his 8-month-old sister. The E. coli attorneys resolved the claim in 2006.
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