E. Coli-Infected Baby in Serious Condition

The Icelandic Children's Hospital.

The Icelandic Children's Hospital. Mynd/mbl.is

Vala Hafstað

A five-month-old baby boy, infected by E. coli in an outbreak traced to a farm in Southwest Iceland, is in serious condition, mbl.is reports. The boy, who caught the infection from his sibling, was admitted to the Icelandic Children’s Hospital – Landspítali on Monday with acute kidney failure.

Two more children were diagnosed with E. coli yesterday afternoon, bringing the total number of infected children to 12. Three of the 12 were admitted with acute kidney failure, or hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). One of them has been discharged.

A three-year old girl remains hospitalized, but is recovering. All but the five-month-old boy visited the said farm and consumed ice cream there, suspected by health authorities of having been infected with the bacteria. For background information, please see our previous report .

Dr. Viðar Örn Eðvarðsson..

Dr. Viðar Örn Eðvarðsson.. Photo/Landspítali

“His condition is not stable, and his condition is deteriorating, so we must just wait and see whether he will require dialysis,” Dr. Viðar Örn Eðvarðsson, pediatric kidney specialist at Landspítali, told mbl.is late yesterday afternoon, referring to the five-month-old. “That could become clear any time in the coming 48 hours.”

“He undergoes blood tests every few hours to evaluate whether the deterioration is such that it warrants that kind of intervention,” he adds.

“The girl is recovering and has not required dialysis for 36 hours, so I believe she’s well on her way to recovery,” Viðar Örn remarked. “Her kidney function could be somewhat reduced, but not to a point where it causes her trouble … Most people recover fully.”

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