COUNTIES WITH E. COLI INFECTIONS IN 2011• Carter• Greene• Hancock• Hawkins• Johnson• Sullivan• Unicoi• WashingtonSource: Tennessee Department of Health
Experts say the world’s deadliest E. coli outbreak mostly has died down after starting in Germany,but with triple-digit heat indexes and the call of the lake, local health professionals aren’t ruling out infection for Hamilton County.
“The old saying, ‘I have a case of the runs,’ it’s probably E. coli poisoning,” said Dr. Michael Mena with Chattanooga’s Memorial Health System.
The Tennessee Department of Health last week issued a news release about avoiding water illnesses, asking people to keep germs out of the pool in the first place. Among other health tips to stop E. coli’s spread, the department recommended against poolside diaper changes and swimming “if you have diarrhea.”
The tips weren’t just setups for Captain Obvious jokes. Through July 30, officials have reported 18 cases of E. coli in rural East Tennessee this year.