Evergreen E. coli outbreak traced to elk droppings
By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published November 11, 2008 at 9:49 a.m.
Updated November 11, 2008 at 9:49 a.m.
Photo by Ken Papaleo © The Rocky
A pile of elk droppings neat the football field, on Buchanan Field, Evergreen Parkway, Tuesday afternoon.
Photo by Ken Papaleo © The Rocky
Elk droppings on the grass at Buchanan Field, Evergreen Parkway, Tuesday afternoon, November 11, 2008, Evergreen. The mystery behind the E. coli outbreak southwest of Denver started clearing up when all eight sickened children said they liked playing outdoors -- in elk country.The medical enigma culminated in a decision by some coaches to cancel last weeks midget football games in Evergreen -- on fields close to where elk graze.
Photo by Dennis Schroeder © The Rocky
Elk droppings in the Evergreen area tested positive for the same strain of E. coli that sickened eight children.
The mystery behind the E. coli outbreak southwest of Denver started clearing up when all eight sickened children said they liked playing outdoors — in elk country.
The medical enigma culminated in a decision by some coaches to cancel last week's midget football games in Evergreen — on fields close to where elk graze.
"We track every case of E. coli 0157:H7," Gayle Miller, senior epidemiologist with Jefferson County Health and Environment, said. Usually, the outbreaks are so sporadic that no useful links can be made.
This time, though, she found eight cases of the same strain. All eight kids were between 4 and 12 years old — six from Jefferson County and one each from Park and Clear Creek counties.
"We knew we had a cluster," she said.
Next, she and her staff used a relatively new test, Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis, and found that not only was the strain the same, but each child's E. coli had almost identical genetic markers.
She and her staff interviewed the kids to see if they could find a pattern.
"All did say they spent some time in the Evergreen area," Miller said. They all were close to elk country, either through sports teams or spending time in parks.
Trouble is, there has never before been a direct link between deer a human's E. coli to deer and elk. The closest has been cases in which humans get waterborne E. coli after deer or elk have contaminated streams or lakes.
Still, Miller decided to test the elk feces in Evergreen close to where the kids said they played.
"We were looking for a needle in a haystack," she said.
"Lo and behold, we found it."
The E. coli in the elk had the same genetic markers as the E. coli in the sickened kids.
"That means the kids got the E. coli from the elk," she said.
How? Who knows, but one likely scenario is that their shoes got smeared with elk feces. Later at home they took off their shoes, then, say, ate an apple before washing their hands.
E. coli is a bacterium that is a leading cause of bloody diarrhea, and kids tend to get sicker than adults. Typical outbreaks are traced to poorly cooked hamburger or unwashed vegetables such as lettuce, or to contaminated water.
"This is the first time all the pieces have been put together — showing the epidemiology, correlating it with an infection and finding the same organism in the elk," she said.
Miller's office didn't insist that the sports teams cancel their games. But since it was toward the end of the season, the coaches decided to cancel last weekend's games as a precaution, she said.
"The best thing is just to be aware of the risks and take precautions," she said. "The main thing is to learn how to live safely together" — human and elk, she said. "Not necessarily to focus on one park or one field."
Jefferson County Health and Environment will continue to preach the sermon of frequent hand-washing, and speak of the extra risk for those in elk or deer country.
Meanwhile, the Evergreen case has generated a lot of interest among epidemiologists nationwide.
It's a favorite topic among members of the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases, also known as ProMED-mail, an organization of epidemiologists.
"Today's lab results tell us it is very likely the children acquired the E. coli infection from exposure to elk droppings in the environment," Alicia Cronquist, epidemiologist at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said in a posting to the site. "This is a highly unusual situation, and public health officials are continuing to investigate how the elk in the area may have been exposed."
Others said it is still possible that while the elk were the source, the kids may have picked it up from water that the elk were grazing in that hadn't been thoroughly treated.
The kids have all recovered or are recovering.
The elk carry the E. coli but don't get sick themselves.
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November 11, 2008
10:41 a.m.
Suggest removal
The_Punnisher writes:
This is why EPIDEMIOLOGISTS make the big bucks...>8->
Seriously, this is why you wash your hands before you eat. A word to PARENTS: We used to teach this stuff. Why aren't YOU doing your jobs? Too busy with other stuff, like soccer practice?
You have to set priorities. Without them, you get stories like this...
November 11, 2008
10:59 a.m.
Suggest removal
temurlan writes:
"Too busy with other stuff, like soccer practice?"
What the heck is wrong with soccer practice? It's not the moms practicing. And it's football season anyway.
November 11, 2008
11:05 a.m.
Suggest removal
blacksho89 writes:
Kids, they LOOK like Whoppers, but if they are on the ground-
Don't eat 'em
November 11, 2008
11:25 a.m.
Suggest removal
farsidefan writes:
Actually, the games weren't cancelled. The location was changed to Long Lake fields in Arvada.
I wonder what bad stuff there is in goose poop. It is everywhere !
November 11, 2008
11:31 a.m.
Suggest removal
The_Punnisher writes:
Actually, they look like oversized TRIX cereal....
And now you know when the TRIX rabbit has been in the box....
Don't eat the BROWN ones, kids....
Sheesh, try to add some levity into a serious subject and the trolls pop out of the woodwork....
Soccer moms, bad parenting, there MIGHT be a connection....
And you see BOTH kinds of practice on the fields in Evergreen this time of year...
Darn, noisy people.....>8->....
November 11, 2008
11:32 a.m.
Suggest removal
RufusTFirefly writes:
"ELK DUDS"
November 11, 2008
11:34 a.m.
Suggest removal
footballfan writes:
Wow, my boys have played baseball and football on those fields for years, we called it Elk Poop Park, it is really disgusting...hmm, maybe the Mountain Football and Baseball Associations should rethink where they have their games...
November 11, 2008
11:44 a.m.
Suggest removal
philvysor writes:
WHOOPERS and ELK DUDS, very funny $H!T.
November 11, 2008
11:49 a.m.
Suggest removal
The_Punnisher writes:
Maybe that is what the DOW should be doing instead of complaining about how people in Evergreen entice the wildlife....
Try cleaning up after their animals; they keep claiming their ownership...( WE know how to take care of OUR animals; YOU people don't )...
Just remember: who was here first? The people or the animals? Who is doing a better job at CO-EXISTING with the animals? The Evergreen residents?
If you don't want to have animals around, why not got back to Highlands Ranch and live in those ticky-tacky houses?
( there's a green one and a pink one and a blue one and a yellow one.....)
November 11, 2008
12:13 p.m.
Suggest removal
blacksho89 writes:
Punnisher:
relax, breath deep, and re-read the article...
November 11, 2008
12:26 p.m.
Suggest removal
timpatico writes:
Mabye the children were just outright eating the Elk Poo. I mean, your 4 years old, playing in the park, getting kind of hungry and... oooh, poop! I'd like some poop! Just a theory.
November 11, 2008
12:57 p.m.
Suggest removal
The_Punnisher writes:
I'm tired of reading the DOW crap they peddle...
When I have more Elk, Deer, Foxes and other wildlife tracks around my house than the average DOW employee sees in a year....
And I have done better wildlife management in Indianhead country ( Northern WI ) than the DNR does...I learned how to walk the walk...and to not scream for help any time I see bear or mountain lion scat in my driveway ( deer + elk = predation )...
So I comment on the lack of common sense displayed by the many people involved.
And I get tired of people displaying so little of common sense...
and importing the Cali lifestyle to CO open spaces....
/rant
November 11, 2008
1:03 p.m.
Suggest removal
timpatico writes:
How many Elk, Deer, Foxes and other wildlife tracks do you see around your house in a year? Better yet, how many does an average DOW employee see?
November 11, 2008
1:38 p.m.
Suggest removal
The_Punnisher writes:
timpatico writes:
How many Elk, Deer, Foxes and other wildlife tracks do you see around your house in a year? Better yet, how many does an average DOW employee see?
Well, I've had THREE herds of elk stop by to munch on the grass this fall ( the BOSS was a houseguest for a few days....)
Then there was that herd of whitetail that went through yesterday..
And I know of an injured vixen that lives in the area and it used to live under my deck...
And I see sign every once in a while....
And I do NOT set out food. I just leave them alone and they leave me alone. As it should be.
November 11, 2008
2:17 p.m.
Suggest removal
Willy writes:
I know of a woman in Evergreen who hired a couple of guys to "mark their territory" on her flower garden so that the elk did not eat the flowers. True story.
November 11, 2008
2:28 p.m.
Suggest removal
philvysor writes:
Nice, maybe we should have all the pee-wee teams mark their field in Evergreen so the Elk don't go there anymore.
November 11, 2008
2:33 p.m.
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Squatch writes:
I usually toss a few Elk Turds in my mouth to find out what they have been eating and what direction they are traveling.
November 11, 2008
3:19 p.m.
Suggest removal
The_Punnisher writes:
Squatch:
http://www.metrolyrics.com/grazing-in...
It sure is mellow grazin' in the grass
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
What a trip just watchin' as the world goes past
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
There are so many good things to see
While grazin' in the grass
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
Flowers with colours for takin'
Everything outta sight in the grass
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
The sun beaming down between the leaves
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
And the bir-ir-ir-irds dartin' in and out of the trees
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
Everything here is so clear, you can see it
And everything here is so real, you can feel it
And it's real, so real, so real, so real, so real, so real
Can you dig it
Whooo-oooh
I can dig it, he can dig it
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it
Can you dig it, baby
I can dig it, he can dig it
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it
Can you dig it, baby...
-The RAVENS
November 11, 2008
4:09 p.m.
Suggest removal
timpatico writes:
The_Punnisher writes:
How many Elk, Deer, Foxes and other wildlife tracks do you see around your house in a year? Better yet, how many does an average DOW employee see?
Well, I've had THREE herds of elk stop by to munch on the grass this fall ( the BOSS was a houseguest for a few days....)
Then there was that herd of whitetail that went through yesterday..
And I know of an injured vixen that lives in the area and it used to live under my deck...
And I see sign every once in a while....
And I do NOT set out food. I just leave them alone and they leave me alone. As it should be.
So, that really doesn't answer my question. However, it does confirm that you have brain damage. Thanks for the confirmation.
Tim
November 11, 2008
5:28 p.m.
Suggest removal
GILPINMAN writes:
THE PUNISHER THINKS WHITE TAILS ARE IN ELK HABITAT! THAT IS FUNNY! you don't even know what kind of animals they are do you? and just so you know deer do not travel in herds. they are called MULE DEER!
ELK DUDS yummmmmmmmmmmy.
November 11, 2008
6:53 p.m.
Suggest removal
SierraStorm writes:
They shouldn't be eating those elk dropings!
The only thing to do now is to kill all elk for contaminating the surrounding area.
November 11, 2008
6:56 p.m.
Suggest removal
The_Punnisher writes:
I suggest that some city slicker ( or Chicago deer season transplant ) might be trolling for a response...
( that was the WORST insult you can get in Indianhead country )...
Methinks some people are envious....8P....