Children Are Hospitalized as Health Departments Investigate E. Coli Cases After Visits to Pumpkin Farms and a Fair Petting Zoo

Three health departments are investigating E. coli infections in people who visited a pumpkin farm in Illinois, a pumpkin patch in California and the petting zoo at the State Fair of Texas. In Illinois, four of the five people infected have been hospitalized, and in Dallas, at least two families have told FOX 4 their children are in the hospital.

Halloween is Saturday, when many families plan a farm trip. None of the departments has confirmed where the infections came from.

If you are going, Will County's advice is to wash your children's hands with soap and water after they touch animals or anything around them, and before they eat. "Animals can carry E. coli bacteria even when they appear healthy, but animal contact is not the only way these bacteria can spread," said Sean Conners, Director of Environmental Health at the Will County Health Department in Illinois.

Four of Five People in the Bengtson's Pumpkin Farm Investigation Have Been Hospitalized

In Illinois, the Will County Health Department is investigating five laboratory-confirmed cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli that may be connected to visits to Bengtson's Pumpkin Farm in Homer Glen. All five people visited the farm before they became ill, and four of them have been hospitalized. The department is still working out how the infections happened and whether they share a common source.

Bengtson's closed its petting zoo on October 23 and kept its rides, food stands and corn maze open. "We are working closely with Bengtson's Pumpkin Farm, and the owners and staff have been fully cooperative," Conners said. "As a precaution, the farm has voluntarily closed its petting zoo and is arranging for animal testing." Animal and environmental samples were taken on October 26, and the results are expected around November 5.

If anyone in your family had diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting or another stomach illness after visiting Bengtson's on or after September 29, the department is asking you to fill in its confidential online survey.

San Luis Obispo County Has Confirmed Five Cases and Brookshire Farms Has Closed

The County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Department has confirmed five cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and is investigating a possible link to Brookshire Farms in San Luis Obispo. The county puts the suspected exposure period at October 16 to 26 and says the source is still under investigation. The San Luis Obispo Tribune reported, citing a county Public Health spokesperson, that three of those sickened are children in serious condition in pediatric intensive care.

Brookshire Farms has closed while Public Health finishes its work. "We are working diligently to identify the source of these infections to protect the health of our community," said County Health Officer Dr. Christy Mulkerin.

If your family visited the Brookshire Farms pumpkin patch or corn maze between October 16 and 26 and someone now has stomach symptoms, the county asks you to contact your healthcare provider. The usual signs are cramping stomach pain and bloody diarrhea, typically three to ten days after the visit, and the county says children under 10 are at the highest risk of complications.

Dallas County Is Testing a Cluster of Cases in Children and Has Not Called It an Outbreak

Dallas County Health and Human Services told FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth it is lab testing a "cluster" of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli cases and is looking into whether they came from a petting zoo at the State Fair of Texas. The department says the cases involve children of a range of ages, that it is still interviewing the families, and that it does not currently classify the cases as an outbreak. Children's Medical Center Dallas says it has seen an uptick in cases.

The State Fair of Texas said it had not received official notification of the reports. "We take any concerns about the health and safety of our guests seriously," the fair said, adding that its animal exhibits follow precautions that include measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "At this time, we do not have verified information establishing the cause of any reported illness."

E. Coli Also Spreads Through Food, Water and Surfaces

Besides animals, E. coli spreads through contaminated food or water, dirty surfaces and contact with someone who is already sick. The department asks families to keep children from touching their mouths or eating until their hands are washed after animal contact. It also advises washing hands before making or eating food and after using the bathroom or changing diapers, and says anyone with diarrhea should not make food for others until at least 48 hours after their symptoms stop.

With a toddler, wash their hands at the farm before you hand over any snack.

Symptoms Can Start Anywhere From One to Ten Days After a Visit

Will County says symptoms begin one to ten days after exposure, usually within three to four days, and most people recover within a week. The symptoms are severe stomach cramps, diarrhea that may be bloody, and vomiting, with a low fever or none at all.

Children under five are more likely to develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the rare but serious complication that can damage the kidneys, and it can appear a week or more after the diarrhea starts, so keep watching even once your child seems better. Call your healthcare provider about any symptoms after a visit, especially bloody diarrhea or severe stomach cramps, and get medical help straight away for signs of dehydration, peeing much less than usual, or unusual tiredness.