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Beef From Boy Scout Camp Tests Positive For E. Coli

By Pritzker | Ruohonen

The Washington Post reports today that beef collected from a Boy Scout camp in Goshen, Virginia has tested positive for E. coli.  The camp, located near Lexington, Virginia, shut down yesterday due to an increasing number of sick campers. At least 18 people who attended the camp two weeks ago tested positive for E. coli.  Epidemiologist Christopher Novak of the Virginia Health Department reports that as many as 67 people from the camp have had symptoms of E. coli infection.

Reports of sick campers started coming in on July 27. Since then there have been 10 hospitalizations, though most have been treated and released.  Officials from the Virginia Health Department estimate that E. coli exposure was limited to 1700 people who visited the camp between July 20 and 26.  Boy Scout officials stopped serving ground beef because of the illnesses, because of its connections to E. coli.  

Beef from the boy scout camp has since tested positive for E. coli.

Three more people became sick last week, even though ground beef was no longer being served. Although the three people have exhibited symptoms of E. coli infection, Novak reports that the three cases have not been confirmed to be E. coli infections. Symptoms of E. coli infection include bloody diarrhea, fever, and nausea, and can lead to a dangerous kidney disease known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

Officials are still investigating whether there may be another source of E. coli infection which may have sickened the three people from last week. Goshen Scout Camp has been closed and will remain closed until further notice.

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on August 04, 2008 (boomark / email).