GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) – The recent E. coli outbreak, which affected 29 people in Colorado, and left one dead in Mesa County, is still under investigation.
Mesa County Public Health shared how they heard about the outbreak and what followed.
According to Epidemiologist Supervisor Kathleen Satterfield, two or more confirmed cases are considered an outbreak.
“It was a matter of days and we realized it was a large, complex outbreak that we needed to get in contact with our state partners and let them know that it was a growing situation of concern,” she said.
The first case was confirmed in early October. Health officials confirmed it to be a community-wide concern before altering the public.
“Anytime that we feel that there’s a risk to the community’s health, we would definitely notify them and try and provide necessary prevention and guidance to keep them safe,” she said.
Satterfield explains how public health monitors outbreaks to ensure that the risk subsides.
“We monitor all outbreaks for two incubation periods,” she said. “Anytime a new case comes in, that clock starts over again and we start two more incubation periods. If there are no new cases during that time period we can work towards closing that outbreak.”
As of October 7, no new cases have been reported risk to the community is low.
“We’re grateful for the community’s role in the case investigations,” said Satterfield.
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