Dr. Nicola Mercer, the medical officer of health for Wellington Dufferin Guelph Public Health declared last week that the E. coli outbreak at the University of Guelph is over.
"We have waited two incubation periods and there have been no new exposures," Mercer stated.
"The incubation period is the maximum amount of time that you can develop symptoms after exposure to the E. coli bacteria. The incubation period for E. coli is up to 10 days with the average being three to four days."
Analysis of information collected by Public Health during the outbreak supports the theory that the contamination occurred during the week of July 20.
"We are still waiting for lab results for some people who experienced symptoms related to possible exposure during that period of time,” Mercer said. “The number of confirmed cases could change but the outbreak remains over unless new exposures are found."
During the course of its investigation, WDG Public Health found eight people who were affected by E. coli symptoms.
E. coli are bacteria that are commonly found in the intestines of humans and animals. E. coli O157: H7 can cause serious illness. Good handwashing is the best measure to prevent the spread of E. coli. For more information visit www.wdghu.org.
