Food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker filed a lawsuit on behalf of the parents of a young boy who died from E. coli O157:H7 and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a form of kidney failure almost always caused by E. coli O157:H7.
On September 30, 2012, the two-year-old and his parents visited the petting zoo at the Cleveland County fair in North Carolina, according to documents filed in the lawsuit. Beginning on October 3, 2012, the boy had symptoms of gastroenteritis and bloody diarrhea. He was diagnosed with an E. coli O157:H7 infection and HUS a few days later. Although the The boy received intensive medical treatment, including dialysis, he died on October 12, 2012.
The lawsuit was filed in Gaston County Superior Court, State of North Carolina (13-CVS 2339). The defendants in the case are Cleveland County Fair, Inc. and Circle G Ranch: Wild Animal Park and Camel Safari, Inc.
The lawsuit alleges that, after exiting the petting zoo exhibit, his father attempted to wash his hands with soap and water, but the wash basin at the exit of the exhibit was out of soap.
