A Belfast nursery school has closed for a “deep clean” following an E. coli outbreak.
The Public Health Agency (PHA) confirmed it was investigating and managing an outbreak of “Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC)” linked to the nursery.
The PHA did not name the school but said it had shut voluntarily for cleaning and to allow all staff and pupils to be tested for the infection.
STEC symptoms can include diarrhoea, stomach cramps and fever but most people recover within five to seven days.
However, a small proportion of patients, mainly children, can develop a serious life-threatening condition which can lead to kidney failure.
The PHA said it was “working closely with the nursery to ensure all infection control measures are in place” and was continuing to monitor the situation.
It explained “diarrhoeal illnesses can be easily spread from person to person in nursery settings due to the close contact between children and staff”.
The outbreak was first reported by Belfast Live on Tuesday morning.
