FOG BLOG CANADA LOG: E COLI OUTBREAK TOLL CLIMBS TO 264 IN CALGARY:

Cockroaches, previous violations at kitchen used by Calgary daycares as E. coli outbreak toll climbs to 264. 22 patients have developed a disease that affects the kidneys after E. coli infection A report, released by Alberta Health Services Tuesday, details health violations at a shared kitchen used by a number of daycares in the city.

This comes after an outbreak of the shiga toxin-producing E. coli, which can cause serious issues, at a number of daycares in Calgary.

The outbreak has sent children to hospital and some are on dialysis after developing hemolytic uremic syndrome, a disease which affects the kidneys.

• What is shiga toxin-producing E. coli and why are Calgary children getting so sick?

At a press conference Tuesday, Dr. Mark Joffe, the province's chief medical officer of health, said the kitchen inspection came after a noticeable increase in young children coming to the emergency departments over the September long weekend.

"The emergency department physicians were very astute and quickly recognized that something unusual was happening and they reached out to the medical officer of health on call and to the team," Joffe said.

"From there it was quickly determined that the cases that they were seeing were linked to daycare centres and, in turn, those daycare centres were linked to one centralized kitchen."