Three more children of workers who live in the stable area of Arlington International Racecourse have tested positive for shigella, a form of bacterial dysentery. This brings the total to 15 cases since Aug. 27, according to the Cook County Department of Health.
Only two of the cases have involved adults, said Caryn Stancik, spokewoman for the county health department. No further tests are pending as of Wednesday, she said.
Shigella can cause fever, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. It is rarely fatal, county health officials have said. The bacteria is carried in human waste and can be spread through poor hygiene, including not washing one’s hands, according to Tom Oas, director of the Arlington Heights Health Services Department.
Oas said the communal bathrooms used by backstretch workers at Arlington were “in pretty good shape,” after an inspection this week.
Racecourse officials have tried since 1982 to ban children from the backstretch area. Illinois courts overturned Arlington’s children ban, saying it discriminates against families.