Two children, ages 2 and 8, are extremely ill after attending the Oklahoma Youth Expo at the state fairgrounds. The children contracted E. coli infections and then developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which causes kidney failure and a host of other serious complications.
These children are part of an outbreak of E. coli illnesses linked to the Youth Expo, held in Oklahoma City from March 12 – 20, 2014. The outbreak includes 12 people, both adults and children.To date, 4 of these cases have been confirmed with laboratory tests.
“Most people are unaware that E. coli bacteria can cause severe illness and death. This is far more than a belly ache. I have stood by the bedside of young clients with kidney failure. I have sat with grieving families after a tragic death. In every case, the illness could have been prevented with better sanitation,” said Fred Pritzker, an E. coli attorney who has represented many clients with E. coli-HUS. You can call him now for a free consultation at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free).
All of the people sickened in the outbreak had some contact with animals prior to illness, but not all of them were at the Youth Expo, according to the Oklahoma Department of Health. There were 4 barns used during the Youth Expo. The livestock shown included cattle, sheep and goats.
“People are surprised to learn that cows are not the only animal associated with E. coli outbreaks. We have handled cases involving goats, dear and one case linked to a llama at a petting zoo,” said Fred.
The specific source of this outbreak is not yet known. Investigators have gathered stool samples from people sickened in the outbreak, fecal samples from animals, food samples (from venders who were at the Youth Expo), and environmental samples at the state fairgrounds. These samples are being tested for E. coli bacteria. Any E. coli found will be tested to determine the DNA “fingerprint” using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Matching PFGE patterns (DNA fingerprints) are evidence connecting illnesses with a common source.
Youth Expo representatives have indicated that handwashing sinks were set up at the barns and near the concessions stands, and that they were fully stocked with soap and handwashing gel. However, this needs to be investigated. Fred recently won a case for a family who lost their young son after contracting E. coli from a state fair. Within days of attending the fair, he had developed HUS kidney failure and soon died. Fred’s investigation showed that soap dispensers were empty.