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Residents report E. coli illnesses linked to Lake Anna; county urges caution as state tests continue
Summary
Local volunteers and public-health officials reported multiple children hospitalized with suspected Shiga-toxin E. coli after visits to Lake Anna. Volunteer testing of 31 sites on June 4 found no concerning E. coli results in lake sampling, but DEQ/VDH continue additional targeted testing and advise recreational caution.
Greg Baker, president of the White Camp Civic Association, told the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors on June 11 that families have reported a string of illnesses after visits to Lake Anna, including several hospitalizations of children. “We had 2 families… ultimately had 2 children hospitalized for E. coli, a toxin called Shiga,” Baker said, and later reported to the board that a total of about 20 people have been sick and seven children hospitalized.
Baker said volunteer testers from the association sampled 31 sites around the lake on June 4 and found no E. coli concentrations in the lake sites that would cause immediate concern; six upstream streams did test positive for E. coli, which he described as typical for streams. “As of the June 4 testing, the lake is clear,” Baker said, but he added that the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) “was going to continue to study” the illnesses and had not reached a final conclusion about cause.
County leaders and environmental volunteers described parallel communications with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and VDH. Baker said he encouraged affected families to file reports with VDH and that VDH requested DEQ test several lake sites twice between the board meeting and the Fourth of July weekend; DEQ had tested three lake sites the day before the meeting, including the heavily used sandbar, and additional targeted results were expected in days.
County officials asked residents to treat the lake cautiously while investigations continue: avoid drinking lake water, consider avoiding large crowds at shallow, heavily used areas, and shower after swimming. Chairman Lane asked volunteers to share testing results promptly with county administration so the county can help distribute official messages.
The board did not take formal action on the matter during the meeting; VDH and DEQ remain the lead agencies for determining cause and issuing public-health directives. County staff and volunteer groups said they will post and share lab results as soon as they are available.
