Experts Report On Fife EColi Nursery

A report is to reveal the causes of an E.coli outbreak which led to kidney failure in children attending a Fife nursery school.

NHS Fife commissioned an investigation into an outbreak at the Careshare nursery in Dunfermline last year.

The investigation examined the way the outbreak was handled and looked at ways of preventing it happening again.

Five children suffered haemolytic uraemic syndrome and nine other people became ill during the incident.

The privately-run Careshare nursery, situated within Lauder College in Dunfermline, was closed for five weeks for an investigation.

The nursery was allowed to re-open after cleaning teams disinfected the premises.

Health Protection Scotland (HPS) identified a rare strain of the potentially deadly E.coli 0157 bug, which is most commonly found in the intestines of cattle.

Humans can become infected by eating contaminated foods or inadequately cooked meat and dairy products.

It can also be spread through direct contact with animals as well as person-to-person.