Teenager hospitalized with E. coli after trip to Lake Anna; Virginia Health Department investigates illnesses – NBC4 Washington

Northern Virginia mother issues warning after saying her daughter became ill from E. Coli after a visit to Lake Anna.

The start of Memorial Day weekend was as good as it gets for Ava Inglett, a 15-year-old student at Kettle Run High School in Nokesville, Virginia. She joined friends for a weekend of boating on Lake Anna, a popular summer destination in Virginia. They had a great time and made memories.

But days later, the same child shown in sunny photos taken on a boat was bedridden in a hospital.

“And now she's on dialysis and going through all these things that I never imagined my daughter would face,” said her mother, Judy Inglett.

Judy Inglett said one of Ava's friends tested positive for E. coli. Within days, Ava's symptoms worsened and UVA doctors said she was suffering from kidney failure.

Since her transfer to Inova, she has received three blood transfusions and four rounds of dialysis.

“There's something in the water that's making all these kids sick,” Judy Inglett said.

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is currently investigating what it calls a cluster of gastrointestinal illnesses and E. coli. coli in children who were at Lake Anna over Memorial Day weekend. According to the VDH, E. coli infection causes stomach cramps and diarrhea, and can cause vomiting, fever and chills. In severe cases, it can damage organs, including the kidneys, and lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome, which affects the kidneys and the body's blood clotting system.

“We hope that those hospitalized continue to recover and can return home to their families soon,” Rappahannock Health District Health Director Olugbenga O. Obasanjo, MD, said in an online statement. “This is an ongoing investigation with the Department of Health, and we will likely continue to learn more about the situation in the coming days.”

The VDH said all those who became ill swam in Lake Anna or were exposed to the water, but health officials said they did not yet have enough information to confirm that the Exposure to the lake was the cause of the illnesses.

“Analysis of the lake water is underway to assess current bacteria concentrations and determine whether a public health risk may persist,” the VDH said in a statement.

As a safety reminder to all parents, health officials recommend that swimmers shower before and after swimming, wash their hands before eating and never drink lake water.

“I just want people to know and think twice before they let their child swim in that water, because I would hate for anyone else to go through what my daughter went through,” Judy Inglett said.

The unofficial start of summer began for Ava Inglett with more days spent in the hospital than on vacation. Her mother said that if Ava's kidneys improved, doctors could release her from the hospital on Friday.