More Cases Of E. Coli Linked to Va. Camp

Beef Meals Pulled From Scout Menu

Health officials said yesterday that they had not identified what made people sick at a Scout camp in Goshen, Va., last week, but that the number of people who contracted the E. coli infection has grown to at least 18, with two boys in the most serious condition.

The Virginia Department of Health began receiving reports of sick children Sunday, when boys from about 70 troops and some adults returned home after a week at the Goshen Scout Reservation near Lexington, Va. Almost all of the confirmed cases were in Northern Virginia, but as many as 60 people who attended the camp also have exhibited symptoms, officials said.

Christopher Novak, a Health Department epidemiologist, said about 30 employees were investigating the outbreak, interviewing Scout troops and taking stool samples from those with symptoms.

Novak said a possible source was food in foil-packaged meals that included ground beef and vegetables. The camp staple, typically cooked over a fire by Scouts, is not problematic if cooked long enough and at the right temperature, Novak said.

Those who were infected with E. coli 0157, a harmful strain of the bacterium, were a mix of Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts and two people from Maryland, officials said. The sick children ranged in age from 10 to 16, and about 10 required hospitalization, Novak said.

Six of those were treated and released, Novak said. Of the remaining four, two had hemolytic uremic syndrome, which occurs when the toxin produced by the bacterium enters the bloodstream, he said.

The condition can lead to kidney failure and can require dialysis, but the "large majority" of patients recover, Novak said. Seth Levine, a VDH epidemiologist investigating the outbreak, said at a news conference yesterday that "the numbers are continuously evolving." Symptoms of an E. coli infection include bloody diarrhea, fever, chills, nausea and vomiting.

In a written statement, Alan Lambert, Scout executive with the Boy Scouts of America's National Capital Area Council, said Scout leaders have been contacting potentially affected troops and encouraging them to seek medical attention if showing symptoms.

"Our goal is to reach out personally to every family affected by this incident and to assist as necessary while the boys recover," Lambert wrote. Goshen comprises six Scout camps and serves 6,000 children each summer.

The exposure appears to be limited to about 1,700 people who attended Goshen between July 20 and 26, Novak said. E. coli has many strains, and non-harmful ones are present in human waste, Novak said. But E. coli 0157 can cause inflammation of the lining of the bowels and leads to the leakage of fluid, he said.

From January through June, the Health Department had recorded 49 cases of E. coli of varying strains, Novak said. Antibiotics typically are not helpful, and infections are often treated by drinking fluids and taking pain relievers, he said.

Ground beef has been removed from the menu at the camp, which has a fresh group of troops this week, Lambert said. The atmosphere there, he said, has been business as usual.

"There's sailboats and kayaks," Lambert said. "It looks a lot like a Boy Scout camp down there."

On Monday, camp officials were notified of the outbreak by health officials, and in less than an hour, Lambert had gathered the adult leaders at the camp to brief them, he said. They were urged to use hand sanitizers and meat thermometers and more carefully supervise boys doing any cooking.

"You could tell people were surprised and somewhat shook up," said David Lewis, an assistant Scoutmaster from the Kings Park West area of Fairfax County who is at Goshen this week with a troop of 35 boys, including his two sons.

But Lewis said his Scouts have had a great time, working on merit badges, learning celestial navigation on night hikes, motorboating and shooting rifles.