Walkerton E. coli outbreak

Epidemics and Pandemics

The Walkerton E. coli outbreak was a contamination of Walkerton, Ontario's drinking water supply with E. coli and Campylobacter jejuni bacteria. Improper water treatment after heavy rainfall allowed bacteria from nearby cattle manure to enter a shallow aquifer. The first case was reported on May 17, 2000. More than 2,000 people became ill with gastroenteritis, seven died, and others developed chronic illnesses. The outbreak led to the Walkerton Inquiry and stricter government water-treatment guidelines.

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Location: Walkerton, Ontario, Canada
First reported case: May 17, 2000
Impact: More than 2,000 sickened and seven deaths

Sources and credits

Article: Walkerton E. coli outbreak (English Wikipedia)
Wikidata: Q7962389
Text: Card text is adapted from the English Wikipedia article by an automated summary. Wikipedia content is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for its contributors. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Article history and contributors
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