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Sandra Yi ReportingA northern Utah community is battling a bacteria problem. Health officials in Hyrum are trying to find out what it is and where it comes from.
The health department says in the past three weeks, there have been three documented cases of E. coli. More people have shown symptoms of the sickness. What's unusual is that all three people infected live in the same subdivision in Hyrum. Residents there don't think it's a coincidence.
This particular strain of E. coli comes from cow feces. It usually gets into the human digestive tract by ingesting something -- eating or drinking something that's contaminated. That can come from sources such as raw meat, unpasteurized milk, or untreated irrigation water.
Anthony Sanders' 14-month old daughter tested positive for E. coli in June. He says she had diarrhea and blood in her stool. The infection has also spread to her kidneys. She's taken medication, but the symptoms have returned.
Sanders says that about the same time his daughter was tested, he, his wife and five other children also began to get sick.
Anthony Sanders, Daughter Had E. Coli: "Stomach cramps, nausea, and around the end of June, I took my other children into the doctor and they put us all on medications."
Sanders wants answers, so does his neighbor. The neighbor says her two boys have not tested positive for E. coli, but they've battled the symptoms for about 10 days. She suspects water may be the source.
The city is in the process of installing a bigger waterline in the subdivision. Residents say pipes have been exposed and leaking, and at times, ducks were swimming in the water.
The city told the health department it followed proper procedure. The health department has tested water samples, and they say all have come back negative for E. coli. Health officials can't say if the cases are related. They're still investigating and trying to find the source.
