Oregon Live reports that public health officials think an E. coli outbreak that killed a girl and sickened another child in September may have come from goat droppings. Lincoln County officials have completed their investigation, but are not providing any details.
Serena Faith Profitt was sickened with E. coli O157:H7 in early September and died September 9, 2014 at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon. Her friend who was also sickened is out of the hospital, and is slowly recovering.
Public health officials went over the family’s home and collected environmental samples. They also tested restaurants where the children ate. Lab tests did find E. coli O157:H7 in the goat’s droppings, but a link to the bacteria that made the children sick has not been confirmed. Both children played with the goat and fed it some watermelon that they both ate.
E. coli infections have been linked to contact with ruminant animals in the past, especially contact at petting zoos. Those zoos usually have sheep, goats, rabbits, and ponies, among other animals, for children to touch and pet. Last year more than 100 people were sickened with E. coli infections after visiting a petting zoo at the Cleveland County Fair, and this year visitors to the Zerebko traveling petting zoo got sick after visiting the zoos at Minnesota county fairs.
