Hawick nursery shut amid suspected E. coli outbreak

Anyone who attends or works at the school has been asked to stay at home and get tested

A nursery in the Borders has been closed due to a suspected E. coli O157 outbreak.

The region's health board said a number of children had been affected at Cherrytrees nursery in Hawick.

Anyone who attends or works at the site has been asked to stay at home and get tested to try to contain the spread of the illness.

NHS Borders said the nursery would reopen as soon as was practical following the outbreak.

What is E. coli?

Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria are found in the intestines of humans and animals. There are many different types, some are harmless and others can cause a variety of diseases.

The bacterium is found in faeces and can survive in the environment.

E. coli bacteria can cause a range of infections including urinary tract infection, cystitis (infection of the bladder), and intestinal infection.

E. coli infections can be serious and often cause severe diarrhoea, sometimes with blood in it, abdominal cramps and fever.

Contact your GP

The health board said it would be in touch with anyone directly affected.

Director of public health Dr Tim Patterson said: "I want to reassure people that the measures we are taking are preventative in order to limit the spread of this infection.

"Symptoms of E. coli include diarrhoea, stomach cramps and occasionally fever."

'Speed and efficiency'

He said anyone who had visited the nursery since 9 May and contracted symptoms should contact their GP or NHS 24 if their surgery is closed.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the management and staff of Cherrytrees in Hawick for their co-operation in this process," he added.

A post on the nursery's Facebook page praised the "speed and efficiency" with which staff had handled the situation.

"We are very, very grateful for the understanding and support from our parents, and truly humbled by your kind words," it added.