E. Coli Case Confirmed in Wisconsin

WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) â€” Health officials launched an investigation after a pupil at an elementary school was infected with E. coli and 19 others were sickened. <br><br>Three of the Bethesda Elementary

Thursday, October 26th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) â€” Health officials launched an investigation after a pupil at an elementary school was infected with E. coli and 19 others were sickened.

Three of the Bethesda Elementary School children remained hospitalized early Thursday. All the children, ages 5 to 9, had symptoms similar to those associated with E. coli infections, health officials said.

No source of the illnesses was immediately determined, said Jeff Landin, chief of staff to the Waukesha County Executive. Health officials planned to check the school's lunchroom Thursday and Friday.

One child was confirmed to have contracted E. coli; test results were not yet in for two others who were being treated at hospitals.

Officials at the school in this city just west of Milwaukee said they started receiving calls from parents and hospitals Wednesday.

``If any one child is dealing with E. coli that's a very serious thing and of course that's a lot of concern no matter where that's coming from in terms of E. coli contamination,'' Bethesda Principal Jack Bothwell said.

The school has 485 pupils.