Via The New York Times: Toddler Dies From E. coli Linked to Contact With Animals at San Diego County Fair. Excerpt:
A 2-year-old boy died from complications of E. coli and three other children were sickened in cases that officials said were linked to contact with animals at the San Diego County Fair in June.
Four children, ages 2 to 13, visited the fair from June 8 to 15 and exhibited symptoms of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli from June 10 to 16, the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency said in a news release on Friday.
The 2-year-old died on June 24 from complications of the bacteria; the other three children who were sickened were not hospitalized. Their conditions were not immediately available on Sunday.
The fair features more than 2,900 animals and numerous activities, including pig races and livestock shows with calves, rabbits, pigeons and goats. The fair shut public access to animals on Saturday, and on Sunday it began removing them from the fairgrounds.
Symptoms of E. coli infection include severe abdominal cramps, watery or bloody diarrhea and vomiting, the agency said. Symptoms may occur with or without fever.
Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, said the most common form of transmission was the fecal-oral route. In that route, children touch surfaces or animals contaminated with E. coli and then put their hands in their mouths.
“Young children at these zoos come in contact with feces of the animals,” he said on Sunday. “Certainly the animals clean themselves, and obviously contact by virtue of petting is common. We’re looking at calves, cows, goats, sheep as well as deer.”
Dr. Glatter emphasized the importance of hand washing after coming in contact with animals, calling it “paramount.”
