"A particularly serious infection": children in serious condition in Antwerp region, AFSCA and Sciensano deliver their hypothesis

Five young children in Belgium's Antwerp region have been hospitalized with severe complications from STEC bacterial infections, prompting an investigation by the Flemish Ministry of Health. The STEC bacteria, a variant of E. coli, primarily attacks the intestines, causing diarrhea, sometimes bloody.

In these cases, the infection led to Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), a rare but serious complication that attacks the kidneys, causing them to cease functioning. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health described HUS as an infection requiring intensive hospital care, acknowledging that a fatal outcome is possible, though expressing hope for the children's recovery.

Health authorities, including the Belgian Food Agency (AFSCA) and Sciensano, are collaborating to identify the source of the infection. One leading hypothesis points to a petting zoo called Mikerf in Brasschaat, as several of the affected children had recently visited the facility. STEC bacteria can be contracted through contact with farm animals.

As a precautionary measure, educational activities involving animals at the Mikerf petting zoo have been suspended pending further analysis. The possibility of food contamination is also being investigated as part of the "vast and complex" inquiry.

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s'attaque principalement aux intestins et provoque des diarrhées, parfois sanglantes