The Health Service Executive and Limerick County Council have issued a 'boil' notice to over 235 consumers of the Kilfinny Group Water scheme in west Limerick, because of an outbreak of E.coli.
14 cases of E.coli 0157 have been identified, and two children have had to receive hospital treatment. One of them is still being treated in Temple Street hospital in Dublin.
While no proven link has been found between the infection outbreak and the group water scheme, in nine cases water had been consumed from the scheme.
As a result both health and engineering experts in the area cannot rule it out as a source of the infection.
Consumers in the Kilfinny, Ballingarry and Adare areas are being advised to boil all water for drinking, washing salads, fruit and vegetables, and brushing their teeth, as a precaution until further investigations have been carried out.
E.coli 0157 can cause severe diarrhoea and complications particularly in pre-school children and the elderly.
