Three children hospitalized in intensive care due to E. coli outbreak in Reykjavik

Three children are currently in the intensive care unit at the National University Hospital in Reykjavik due to an E. coli outbreak linked to a preschool last week. According to Valtýr Stefánsson Thors, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the hospital, the children are expected to remain in intensive care through the end of next week, with one child on a ventilator. The infections have caused kidney failure, but recovery is anticipated.

Additionally, seven other children are hospitalized in a general ward with infections, most of whom are reportedly improving, with hopes for their discharge next week. One child has already been released from the hospital. The emergency department for children is under significant strain, requiring daily monitoring of a larger group of children who are confirmed to have the infection but do not require hospitalization.

Between 10 to 15 children seek outpatient treatment daily for testing and care; these children mainly report feeling tired and unwell. In total, nearly 25 children have been affected by the outbreak. The preschool, Mánagarður, located in the western part of Reykjavik, is set to reopen on Tuesday after being closed following the identification of the E. coli infections. The source of the outbreak has been traced to undercooked beef and lamb that some of the children consumed.