A coalition that includes the Maryland Association of Agricultural Fairs and Shows, the Maryland Cooperative Extension Service and the state agriculture and public health agencies is demanding that county fair operators should place hand-washing stations near livestock exhibits and limit public access to animals to prevent outbreaks of illness from E. coli and other organisms.
E. coli infections
The Times Democrat had an editorial today on the many theories why the current E. coli outbreaks in Florida have happened.
Possible explanations include the emergence of new strains of bacteria, and humans’ lowered resistance to disease because of increasing urbanization. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that this strain of E. coli
Petting-zoo infections grow
The Orlando Sentinel has reported that are now three more cases of E. coli-related illnesses in Central Florida due to petting zoos at fairs.
The new confirmed cases bring the total to 26 children and four adults. 47 suspected cases are still under investigation.
Investigators determined last week that the E. coli bacteria were spread
Dairy cow bedding affects safety of meat
Ohio State University veterinary researcher Jeff LeJeune has found that the kind of bedding that cows sleep on affects the volume and survival rate of potentially deadly E. coli 0157:H7 in the farm environment.
LeJeune’s study found the prevalence of the bacteria in animals from sand-bedded herds was significantly lower than in animals from sawdust-bedded
Farms feel the pain of E. coli, too
The negative publicity associate with the recent outbreak of E. coli and hemolytic uremic syndrome in Central Florida is causing petting zoos all across Florida to have diminished business, if any at all.
Parents have stopped taking kids to the petting zoos. PTAs have cancelled animal appearances at spring festivals, and the Hillsborough County School
Another Lawsuit Over E. Coli Outbreak Targets Central Florida Fair
WFTV.com reports that the number of confirmed E. coli and hemolytic uremic syndrome cases are now at 28, with 45 suspected cases. More lawsuits are being filed against AgVenture, the Plant City-based company that had provided animals to petting zoos at three Central Florida fairs – the Florida State Fair, the Central Florida Fair, and
Foodborne Illnesses Continue Downward Trend: 2010 Health Goals for E. Coli 0157 Reached
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have filed a report that shows important declines in foodborne infections due to common bacterial pathogens in 2004.
The full report, “Preliminary FoodNet Data on the Incidence of Infections with Pathogens Transmitted
Serious Human Illness Linked to Some Animal Exhibits
As families begin flocking to petting zoos, fairs, and other animal venues this spring, a few people are coming down with serious illnesses. Some of the latest incidents occurred in Florida, where 60 people in 18 counties have confirmed or suspected cases of E. coli-related illness. The sources for the illnesses were petting zoos in
State confirms 27 E. coli cases
Officials concluded last week that a Plant City-based company that ran petting-zoo exhibits at three fairs in Tampa, Orlando and Plant City during February and March was the source of a recent bacterial outbreak. Cows, sheep, goats and other animals harbor the bacteria in their waste.
There is now a twenty-seventh victim in the outbreak.
Zoo adds sanitation station to help keep children safe
Due to the E. coli outbreak that caused kidney disease in several people who had played with animals in petting zoos at three fairs in Florida, a children’s zoo in Cedar Rapids is taking steps to protect children from similar illnessses.
Backers of the zoo at Bever Park say it’s not a petting zoo. But