Officials are checking the water in a lake in central Virginia because many people got sick with E. coli after swimming there. The Virginia Department of Health got reports of stomach sickness, mostly in kids, from people who were at Lake Anna on Memorial Day weekend. Nine people had to go to the hospital because of it. They’re looking into everything that could have caused the sickness, like the lake water or the food people ate there.
People got sick between May 27 and June 4. Ten more cases are being looked into, but they’re not sure if those are E. coli infections yet.
Even though everyone who got sick said they were in the lake, officials can’t be sure if the lake is what made them sick.
They’re testing the lake water to see if it’s safe. The results from the tests done on Tuesday aren’t ready yet.
Lake Anna is a big lake with lots of shoreline. It was made in the 1970s to help cool down a nearby nuclear power plant. Some parts of the lake are colder, and others are warmer because of the power plant.
People got sick in different parts of the lake.
Officials are reminding people not to drink lake water and to avoid swimming if they have cuts or sores on their skin.
E. coli can cause stomach pain, diarrhea, throwing up, and fever. In serious cases, it can hurt your kidneys.
The health director hopes everyone in the hospital gets better soon. They’re telling families to be careful when swimming this summer. They should shower before and after swimming, wash their hands before eating, and not drink lake water. If someone has diarrhea, they shouldn’t swim.