The County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency is reporting four confirmed or probable pediatric cases of Shiga-toxin-producing E. Coli (STEC) linked to contact with animals at the San Diego County Fair. One child has died.
HHSA Epidemiology Program and the County Department of Environmental Health are investigating the cluster of four infections. The ages of the four children range from 2 to 13 years of age. They visited the fair from June 8 to June 15 and had symptoms from June 10 to June 19. Three of the four cases were not hospitalized. However, one of the four cases, a 2-year-old boy, was hospitalized and died on June 24, from a complication of this disease. He is identified as Jedidiah King Cabezuela.
The source of the E. Coli bacteria is under investigation, but all children had a report of visiting the animal areas or the petting zoo, or had other animal contact at the San Diego Fair. As a result, San Diego County Fair officials have closed public access to all animal areas, including the petting zoo.
“Our sympathies go out to the family of the child that died from this illness,” states Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “While most people recover from this illness without complications, 5 to 10 percent of people diagnosed with STEC develop the life-threatening kidney infection.”
County Environmental Health also re-inspected food facilities that were visited by the children and found no link to the cases.
