Two more cases of potentially deadly E. coli infection linked to petting zoos at three central Florida fairs have raised the total number of confirmed cases to 24.
Twenty-one children and three adults either tested positive for the infection in their stool or else had a potentially fatal kidney disease known as hemolytic uremic syndrome
Some Basics about E. coli Infection
The following is some basic information on E. coli, as well as helpful tips on how to avoid E. coli infection, provided by the US Department of Agriculture:
What is Escherichia coli O157:H7?
E. coli O157:H7 is one of hundreds of strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli. Although most strains are harmless and live in the intestines of healthy humans and animals, this strain produces a powerful toxin and can cause severe illness. E. coli O157:H7 was first recognized as a cause of illness in 1982 during an outbreak of severe bloody diarrhea; the outbreak was traced to contaminated hamburgers.
How is E. coli O157:H7 spread?
The organism can be found on a small number of cattle farms and can live in the intestines of healthy cattle. Meat can become contaminated during slaughter, and organisms can be thoroughly mixed into beef when it is ground. Bacteria present on the cow’s udders or on equipment may get into raw milk. Eating meat, especially ground beef, that has not been cooked sufficiently to kill E. coli O157:H7 can cause infection. Contaminated meat looks and smells normal. Although the number of organisms required to cause disease is not known, it is suspected to be very small.
What illness does E. coli O157:H7 cause?
E. coli O157:H7 infection often causes severe bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Little or no fever is present, and the illness resolves in 5 to 10 days. In some persons, particularly children under 5 years of age and the elderly, the infection can also cause a complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome, in which the red blood cells are destroyed and the kidneys fail. About 2%-7% of infections lead to this complication. In the United States, hemolytic uremic syndrome is the principal cause of acute kidney failure in children.
How is E. coli O157:H7 infection diagnosed?
Infection with E. coli O157:H7 is diagnosed by detecting the bacterium in the stool. Most labs that culture stool do not test for E. coli O157:H7, so it is important to request that the stool specimen be tested on sorbitol-MacConkey (SMAC) agar for this organism.
How is the illness treated?
Most persons recover without antibiotics or other specific treatment in 5-10 days. There is no evidence that antibiotics improve the course of disease, and it is thought that treatment with some antibiotics may precipitate kidney complications. Antidiarrheal agents, such as loperamide (Imodium), should also be avoided. Hemolytic uremic syndrome is a life-threatening condition usually treated in an intensive care unit. Blood transfusions and kidney dialysis are often required. With intensive care, the death rate for hemolytic uremic syndrome is 3%-5%.
What are the long-term consequences of infection?
Persons who only have diarrhea usually recover completely. About one-third of persons with hemolytic uremic syndrome have abnormal kidney function many years later, and a few require long-term dialysis. Another 8% of persons with hemolytic uremic syndrome have other lifelong complications, such as high blood pressure, seizures, blindness, paralysis, and the effects of having part of their bowel removed.
What can be done to prevent the infection?
E. coli O157:H7 will continue to be an important public health concern as long as it contaminates meat. Preventive measures may reduce the number of cattle that carry it and the contamination of meat during slaughter and grinding. Research into such prevention measures is just beginning.
What can you do to prevent E. coli O157:H7 infection?
Cook all ground beef and hamburger thoroughly. Because ground beef can turn brown before disease-causing bacteria are killed, use a digital instant-read meat thermometer to ensure thorough cooking. Ground beef should be cooked until a thermometer inserted into several parts of the patty, including the thickest part, reads at least 160F. Persons who cook ground beef without using a thermometer can decrease their risk of illness by not eating ground beef patties that are still pink in the middle. If you are served an undercooked hamburger or other ground beef product in a restaurant, send it back for further cooking. You may want to ask for a new bun and a clean plate, too.Continue Reading Some Basics about E. coli Infection
Deltona family recovering from E. coli illness, lawsuits filed against Ag-Venture Farm Shows
Attorney Scott Miller has filed a lawsuit against Ag-Venture Farm Shows Inc. – adding to the string of legal actions taken against the Plant City-based company, whose petting zoos at fairs held in Orlando, Plant City and Tampa in recent weeks are under scrutiny by state health and agriculture departments.
Miller is filing the suit
Petting-zoo safety stressed in wake of E. coli illnesses
While over 22 people suffer the effects of E. coli infection due to recent petting zoo visits in Florida, more than a few people are still willing to play with farm animals at recent local events.
Duck Duck Goose Petting Zoo of Bushnell, the company who provided the animals for the Park’s petting zoo,
2 more suits filed against zoo in E. coli cases
State health workers say there are two new confirmed cases of a potentially deadly E. coli infection in Florida, for a total of 24 confirmed cases statewide and 40 suspected cases. So far, most of the cases have been found in children in Orange County.
State health officials said Plant City-based AgVenture Farm Shows
Liverpool scientists uncover how E.coli became lethal
Dr Heather Allison, from the a University of Liverpool’s School of Biological Sciences, has discovered how the food poisoning bug E.Coli 0157 became deadly to humans.
Allison’s team has determined that twenty-three years ago, a harmless gut bacterium called E. coli developed the ability to kill people through food poisoning, bloody diarrhea and kidney failure
Find out what you can do to prevent E. coli’s spread
An estimated 73,000 cases of infection and 60 deaths occur in the United States each year due to E. coli infection. Consumers can help prevent E. coli O157:H7 infection if they understand the risks and know what precautions to take. Here is some information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
What is Escherichia
E. coli outbreak among children in Florida brings scrutiny to petting zoos
People attending fairs all across the country look forward to happy memories of carnival rides and cute farm animals. They don’t think about sanitation nor the possibility of E. coli infection – which happens at fairs more often than people tend to think.
One of the country’s first large fair outbreaks came in the fall
Vacationers cautioned about E. coli
For those planning a trip to Florida this spring, they might want to think about packing a few extra items – like hand sanitizer.
The Indiana State Department of Health is cautioning residents planning trips to the Sunshine State about a recent outbreak of a potentially dangerous, deadly strain of E. coli that has made
Florida Health Officials Worried E. coli Will Spread Via Human Contact
The Florida State Fair, which ran Feb. 10-21, attracted more than 500,000 visitors. Florida Health Secretary John Agwunobi has now added that fair to the list of fairs that hired a Plant City-based petting zoo company that is the likely source of a bacterial outbreak that has sickened fairgoers across the state. The Strawberry Festival