Another E. coli O157:H7 case has been added to the outbreak connected with the Cleveland County fair in North Carolina, bringing the total number of known cases to 101, according to the the North Carolina Department of Health. “Preliminary findings suggest animal exposure may be the source of this outbreak,” said health officials in a news release. “62 children and 39 adults are known to be/have been affected by this outbreak. Thirteen individuals have been or are currently hospitalized.” The numbers include the death of a 2-year-old boy in Gaston County, where 14 total cases have been reported. For the other counties involved in the outbreak, the case count is as follows:
Cleveland County – 59 Lincoln County – 14 Catawba County – 2 Union County – 2 Rutherford – 6 York County, South Carolina – 2 Cherokee County, South Carolina – 2 The health department said it would post updates daily as necessary here: http://epi.publichealth.nc.gov/cd/diseases/ecoli.html
