Health officials in Beaufort County, N.C., are working with area schools and health care providers to identify and test for E. coli O157:H7 in school-age children after several cases were confirmed last week.
As a precaution, a petting zoo in Greenville, N.C., has been temporarily closed while health officials look for the cause of the E. coli infections. WNCT-TV reported that the petting zoo will remain closed until officials know where the infections are coming from. Meanwhile, parents are being reminded of the importance of hand-washing after adults or children come in contact with livestock or other farm animals.
E. coli symptoms can appear one to 10 days after exposure to the pathogenic bacteria. The symptoms range from mild diarrhea to severe abdominal cramps and bloody stools, but you may display no symptoms at all. E. coli is a leading cause of bloody diarrhea. These symptoms are more severe in children, the elderly and in those who have another illness.
Though most people recover from an E. coli infection, some of those infected develop hemolytic uremic syndrome, which is a severe and life-threatening complication.
Bacterial illnesses are the most commonly reported health risk associated with animals in public settings such as petting zoos, livestock shows, animal rides and public stables, according to Epi Notes, a disease prevention and epidemiology newsletter of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. The animals infected with pathogens like E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella and Campylobacter frequently exhibit no signs of illness and may shed the disease intermittently.
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