Toddler Dies, 3 Other Children Sickened By E. Coli Linked To Livestock, Zoo Animals At San Diego Fair

Fair officials closed access to nearly 3,000 animals on Saturday. Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician, said the most common form of E. coli transmission is when young people come in contact with animal feces. The importance of handwashing is ''paramount,'' he said.

The Associated Press: 1 Child Dies, 3 Sickened By E. Coli Linked To San Diego Fair 
Authorities say E. coli bacteria encountered at the San Diego County Fair has killed one child and sickened three others. A Friday night release from the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency announced four confirmed cases linked to animal contact. While three cases didn't result in hospitalization, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Jedidiah King Cabezuela, 2, visited the Del Mar Fairgrounds on June 15, became ill on June 19, and died on June 24. (6/29)

The New York Times: Toddler Dies From E. Coli Linked To Contact With Animals At San Diego County Fair
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. (Taylor, 6/30)

Los Angeles Times: San Diego County Fair Restricts Access To Animals After Child Dies Of E. Coli Complication
The county’s recommendation to shut down the fair’s animal exhibits, including its sprawling livestock exhibits which fill row after row of barns, came Friday, nearly four days after the boy’s death. With symptoms showing up from June 10 through June 16, some have questioned why the action was not taken sooner. McDonald said that it takes some time for symptoms to turn into doctor’s visits and for those visits to result in testing to indicate that E.coli is or may be present. It’s only after the public health department is notified of possible infections that public health nurses can begin interviewing subjects and their families, gathering enough facts to determine whether people with similar conditions visited the same places, ate the same food or share some other commonality. (Sisson, 6/29)

Sacramento Bee: San Diego Fair Shuts Animal Exhibits After E. Coli Death
Escherichia coli bacteria are found in food, the environment and the intestines of humans and other animals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Most are harmless to people, but some E. coli bacteria can cause diarrhea and other illnesses. Symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting and a low fever, the CDC says. Proper hygiene, including washing your hands, can help prevent infections. (Sweeney, 6/30)

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