BBC reports that the Blandford Children’s Centre Nursery in Dorset (U.K.) was closed as health officials investigate a cluster of rare E. coli illnesses.

Vanessa Glenn, head of family support at Dorset County Council, which runs the nursery in Black Lane, said a child there was diagnosed with E. coli infection in mid-October.

She said it was closed for three days while deep-cleaning work was carried out.

Another child from the nursery was infected on Monday and it is currently closed pending the results of staff blood tests and child stool samples, she added.

She said there had also been another E. coli case involving a child from Blandford who had attended Shaftesbury Children’s Centre, although this is not part of the “cluster”.

Ms Glenn said: “While there is no indication of a direct link between the nursery and recent cases, we are working closely with Public Health England and local authority environmental health officers to help tackle the problem.”

She added parents had been “kept fully informed” and were being advised of the nursery closure.

“As some cases have occurred in people associated with a children’s nursery, letters have been sent to parents whose children attend the nursery and staff, informing them about E. coli O55 and the ongoing investigation,” PHE said.

A couple of years ago I collaborated with Clemson’s Angie Fraser on a set of USDA NIFA funded food safety and infection factsheets for childcare facilities including using exclusion of ill staff and children as an outbreak control measure. The sheets can be downloaded here and here.