Late last week, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health (NCDPH) released a final report detailing its investigation into a Salmonella outbreak linked to a fundraising barbeque held at Sandy Plains Baptist Church in Shelby, NC, on Sept. 7, 2013. The report states that 104 people between the ages…
Panel Recommends Petting Zoo Safety Measures for NC Fair
In the wake of an E. coli outbreak linked to a petting zoo at a North Carolina county fair that sickened over 100 people last fall, experts have issued a set of recommendations to improve the safety of animal exhibits at the fair — while the future of a petting zoo at this year’s event…
North Carolina Mom Sues County Fair After Son Part of E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak
Amie Westfall is suing the Cleveland County Fair in Shelby, North Carolina after her 18-month-old son Dominic suffered from a severe E. coli infection as part of last month’s outbreak tied to the fair’s petting zoo, Circle G Ranch. According to the North Carolina Department of Health, there were 106 reported illnesses and 1 death…
The Petting Zoo Problem
Katie Maness was 13 years old when her parents took her and two friends to the 2004 North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh. It was a beautiful October day, as her mother Becky recalls years later, and the three girls were excited to visit the petting zoo on their own. Inside the zoo exhibit, the…
Bittersweet News in NC Fair E. coli Outbreak
More than a month has passed since the first of the 106 victims in North Carolina’s Cleveland County Fair E. coli outbreak began showing symptoms of infection. This week brought bittersweet news regarding two of those victims. First, the good: After 35 days in care, 12-year-old Jordan McNair was discharged from Levine Children’s Hospital in…
Two E. coli Outbreaks Linked to Animal Contact Expand
Two E. coli outbreaks with possible ties to petting zoos expanded Monday. In North Carolina, the number of illnesses linked to the Cleveland County Fair rose from 101 to 106, while a smaller outbreak linked to a Washington state pumpkin patch and petting zoo venue grew from 2 victims to 4. A total of 64…
New Number in NC Fair E. coli Outbreak: 100
The North Carolina Department of Health has revised the number ill in the Cleveland County Fair E. coli outbreak to 100 people, the agency announced Tuesday. The agency previously believed to have 106 people ill last Friday, and then revised the number to 98 on Monday. A 2 year-old boy died from complications of…
E. coli Cases Linked to NC Fair Rise by 20
The number of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to the Cleveland County Fair in North Carolina has jumped to 81, up from the 61 cases reported yesterday. One patient, a two-year-old boy from Gaston County, died last week as a result his illness. At least 52 children and 29 adults are now known to be…
61 Now Ill in North Carolina E. coli Outbreak
The deadly E. coli outbreak linked to the Cleveland County Fair in North Carolina grew to 61 cases by Wednesday. At least 10 people have been hospitalized.
This latest figures comes less than a week after 2-year-old Gage Lefever died from his infection last Friday. His funeral services were held on Wednesday afternoon.
Food Safety …
No Source Yet for Growing E. coli Outbreak Tied to NC County Fair
At least 29 children and 17 adults are now known to have been infected with the dangerous O157:H7 strain of E. coli while attending the Cleveland County Fair in North Carolina. The death of one of these victims, two-year-old Gage Lefever, has sent the community into mourning. On its website, the Cleveland County Fair says…
Publisher’s Platform: Time to Ban Petting Zoos Yet?
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced the death of a child Saturday. So far fourteen children and six adults who attended the Cleveland County Fair have gotten sick with the E. coli O157:H7 bacteria. I penned the following op-ed in January of this year. I am sure I have missed several…