An E. coli outbreak at a suburban Chicago high school has now climbed to nine confirmed cases, according to health officials.
The McHenry County Health Department confirmed new cases of the Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli [STEC] have been reported at Huntley High School, officials say.
Five cases were originally reported as the school said last week that health officials were working to determine "common exposures” among the five individuals who have been diagnosed. No definitive source has been identified at this time.
“It is a very complicated investigation with multiple potential exposures within the school and outside of the school," the health department told NBC Chicago. "A large amount of data is being collected and analyzed, with no definitive conclusion at this time.”
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According to a press release, any child who experiences symptoms of E. coli must be kept home until they are symptom-free for at least 48 hours.
E. coli is extremely contagious, with officials saying it can be spread by:
-Swallowing water while swimming, or drinking water contaminated with STEC bacteria
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-Person-to-person transmission, where the bacteria passes from stool or soiled fingers of one person to another through food handling or direct contact.
-Animal contact by touching or handling animals carrying the bacteria
"Sometimes we get these clusters of cases, and these outbreaks that occur within the communities," said Dr. Irfan Hafiz, chief medical officer at Northwestern McHenry, Huntley, and Woodstock Hospitals. "That’s what we’re seeing in the Huntley community right now."
Hafiz said the cause of such outbreaks is typically a "common food source or water source."
"There’s some type of contaminated meats or some kind of fruit or vegetables that are contaminated," Hafiz said. "Sometimes it could be pool water that’s not completely chlorinated. Those are some potential sources that have been known to occur."
Symptoms of E. coli typically include an acute onset of diarrhea and/or vomiting. Nausea, abdominal cramps, fever and body aches are also typical symptoms, all of which can last for 5-to-10 days.
The illness often has an incubation period of 2-to-10 days, according to officials.
"If you are having symptoms, you definitely don’t want to be handling food, you don’t want to be serving food," Hafiz said. "If you’re taking care of somebody that has symptoms, definitely hand washing and taking precautions is necessary."
No further information was immediately available.
