http://www.koat.com/article/exposure...olina/22039538
At least 18 people were hospitalized after a feces contamination that took place at a neighborhood gathering in North Carolina, according to health department officials.
The Mecklenburg County public information officer said those affected were attending a birthday party where the contamination took place. Officials believe prepared food came in contact with fecal matter rather than the illness resulting from bad food.
The cause of the feces contamination was likely from improper hand-washing, said health officials.
There were five reported emergency phone calls made within an hour that were related to the incident, according to WBTV in Charlotte.
More than 30 people overall were transported to a nearby hospital and health officials said being an attendee of the birthday party soon became a common theme among the patients.
Four of the people who were hospitalized were confirmed to have Shigella, which is a contagious disease that can be passed through direct contact with bacteria in the stool, according to health officials.
The source of the bacteria hasn?t been discovered yet, but health officials said it was found in food that was prepared by someone who attended the birthday party.
One of the patients affected was treated as having a serious illness, according to health officials. A 2-year-old child was among those hospitalized and is currently being treated in the ICU.