Rebecca C. Austen, Lincoln County Public Health Division Director, announced Wednesday, Sept. 17, that laboratory test results indicate an Otis restaurant is not the source of infection in its ongoing E.coli investigation. Austen also stated that there have been no new reported cases of E.coli infection in Lincoln County since the start of the investigation. The Lincoln County Health and Human Services Department’s Public Health Division conducted a thorough investigation of the restaurant and submitted samples taken as part of the investigation to the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory for analysis. “All of the test results have come back negative and our comprehensive investigation of the establishment did not reveal a link to the reported case,” said Amy Chapman, Lincoln County Environmental Health Program Manager. Based on the current investigation results, public health officials are confident that there is extremely low risk of E.coli infection to the public. Officials stress that the investigation into the source of the infection is ongoing. They continue to urge everyone to take routine preventive measures against E.coli such as frequent hand washing, thoroughly disinfecting all household surfaces including bathrooms, kitchens and play areas, avoiding cross contamination during food preparation, washing fresh fruits and vegetables before eating and thoroughly cooking raw meat.
