Protecting families from contaminated food and water
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Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in E. coli,Our Blog,Outbreaks & Recalls on October 6, 2022
Elementary school students from surrounding counties fell ill with E. coli infections in an outbreak linked to the Appalachian Fairgrounds last week. According to the Northeast Regional Health Office, these illnesses reportedly occurred following this field trip.
E. coli infection causes a serious illness, particularly dangerous in young children.
Petting zoos, animal exhibits, and fairgrounds have recently been in the news related to outbreaks in young children. Not long ago, an adventure farm in the UK was also linked to an E. coli outbreak. Livestock was implicated as the source. Another fairground field trip in New Mexico is in the news as well with a campylobacter outbreak; also attributed to animal exposure at a fair.
While it is a great learning experience for young minds, certain risks exist when it comes to contact with livestock animals. Appropriate precautions could mean the difference between fun memories and scary illness.
According to a statement from the Tennessee Department of Health Northeast Regional Health Office, children from both Sullivan and Washington counties took a field trip on September 26 and 27 to visit the Appalachian Fairgrounds animal exhibit in Gray, Tennessee.
Reports of illness began after this trip.
According to Dr. Kirschke, of Tennessee Department of Health, Northeast Regional Office, both county and state health departments are working together to identify the source of the infections.
Traceback investigations and environmental testing at the fairgrounds will shed some light on the source of the cause or causes of this outbreak.
Escherichia coli, better known as E. coli is a type of bacteria normally found in the digestive system of humans and animals. Not all bacteria are harmful, in fact many are a major part of how your body processes your food.
Certain types of this bacteria, however, are very dangerous. Particularly those that produce a type of toxin that is harmful to humans. These are called Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, or STEC.
STEC symptoms can vary from person to person, but often involve typical diarrheal symptoms. While some may experience more mild symptoms, others may experience symptoms that are more severe or even develop life-threatening complications.
Typical symptoms include:
Some people infected with STEC may have a low grade fever, usually less than 101 °F.
Symptoms usually begin around 3 to 4 days after exposure through eating or drinking something contaminated with STEC or touching their mouth after touching something contaminated with STEC.
For many, these symptoms resolve withing 5 to 7 days and do not need medical assistance for recovery.
Certain symptoms are an indication of more severe illness. In these cases, you should contact your healthcare provider to help prevent life-threatening complications or treat them as they arise.
Contact your healthcare provider if:
After diarrheal symptoms begin to improve, some people may develop a type of complication that affects the kidneys. Children are more susceptible to this type of complication – hemolytic uremic syndrome.
About 5 to 10% of those diagnosed with STEC develop a potentially life-threatening complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome or HUS. This illness is caused by ruptured blood cells blocking the filtering processes in the kidneys and results in a type of kidney failure.
If present, HUS often begins around 7 days after STEC infection symptoms first appear, when diarrheal symptoms begin to improve.
HUS symptoms include:
Hospitalization is required for those experiencing HUS because without proper treatment, kidneys may stop working. This can lead to other serious problems.
In most cases, HUS patients recover within a few weeks. In some cases, the HUS patients may suffer permanent damage or death.
In response to this potentially life-threatening outbreak, The Tennessee State Health Department issued a statement explaining the outbreak situation and directing the public to where they can find more information.
“The Northeast Regional Health Office and the Sullivan County Health Department are investigating several cases of illness caused by Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) among elementary school children in Washington and Sullivan counties. These illnesses occurred after some classes visited an animal exhibit at the fairgrounds on September 26 and 27. We are actively working to identify the source of these infections, including performing environmental testing at the site.”
— Dr. David Kirschke, MD, Northeast Regional Health Office
Kirschke indicates that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a webpage about staying healthy while visiting animal exhibits.
According to the CDC, young children (under five years old), adults over 65, and those with a weakened immune system are more likely to become sick from exposure to the germs found at animal exhibits. Each year, people become sick after visiting animal exhibits in public settings such as zoos, fairs, and educational farms.
Data taken from 2010 to 2015 linked 100 outbreaks of illnesses such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter to this type of animal exposure.
Certain measures can help reduce the risk of illness at these types of venues.
Hand hygiene is a big first step at preventing illness, particularly when exposed to animals. Wash your hands immediately after touching animals or anything in their areas. Wash your hands after you leave the animal area, even if you didn’t touch the animal or wore gloves. Soap and water are best, but if this is not available, use a 60% or greater alcohol-based hand sanitizer and wash your hands with soap and water as soon as you can.
Do not eat or drink around animals. All food and drinks should be stored away from the animal areas. Do not share your food with them either. Animals should only eat food provided for them. If raw or unpasteurized products are made or sold at these exhibits (milk, cheese, cider, juice, etc.), do not eat or drink them. Raw foods and drinks have not been pasteurized or otherwise treated to kill potentially harmful bacteria present in the item.
Children should always be supervised around animals. Children under the age of 5 are at higher risk of becoming sick from animal exposure and should not touch reptiles, amphibians, or poultry. Monitor children to keep them from putting their fingers or other objects in their mouths while they are around animals or in animal areas. Additionally, follow all rules provided on signs or mentioned verbally by staff. Rules should be in place to help prevent the spread of illness.
If you have been impacted by the Appalachian Fairgrounds E. coli outbreak or another outbreak associated with an animal exhibit, you might have questions. The Lange Law Firm has experienced E. coli lawyers that understand your situation and may be able to help. Reach out for your free consultation by calling (833) 330-3663 or click here for email.
By Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)