According tp the St. Louis County Department of Public Health, More than 20 high school students and parents in Missouri were sickened by E. coli following an end-of-season banquet, and several of them were hospitalized.

According to the St. Louis County Department of Public Health, the illnesses stem from an off-campus event involving students at Rockwood Summit High School near St. Louis.

The health department said more than 20 students and parents were sickened, and that number is still rising.

Amanda Brzozowsky is the agency’s senior epidemiologist and is leading the investigation to find the source.

“There are a couple of strains that make people sick, and this particular strain is one that can make people very sick,” she said.

Rockwood School District:

“On Nov. 13, Rockwood was notified by the St. Louis County Department of Public Health that several cases of E. Coli affecting students and parents from Rockwood Summit High were suspected to be tied to an off-campus event. We worked with the STLDPH to notify all staff and families of students who attended the event of the suspected cases, what symptoms to look for and if they were to experience symptoms, to contact their health care provider right away.

As an added precaution, we sent additional members of our facilities team to do a deep cleaning that evening at Rockwood Summit High that included spraying classrooms and common areas with special attention to disinfecting all bathrooms and doorknobs. The well-being of our staff and students is always a top priority, and we appreciate the partnership with county health officials to ensure that well-being and safety.”