There are seven children sick and hospitalized in the Tennessee fair E. coli outbreak, and four children remain hospitalized more than two weeks later, according to news reports. Elementary classes from Sullivan county and Washington county visited the fair. The children took part in a school event, when elementary school kids visited an animal exhibit at the Appalachian Fairgrounds on September 26 and September 27, 2023. The pathogen that sickened these children is Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). The serovar was not named. Dr. David Kirschke, Regional Medical Officer for the Northeast Regional Health Office issued a statement. It reads, "The Northeast Regional Health Office and the Sullivan County Health Department are investigating cases of illness caused by … [Read more...]
Children Sick With E. coli After Fair Visit in 2 Tennessee Counties
There are elementary school children sick with E. coli infections in two Tennessee counties after they visited a local fair and had contact with animals in an exhibit there, according to news reports. The Northeast Regional Health Office is investigating this outbreak, which includes children from Sullivan and Washington counties. We do not know how many children are sick, if any have been hospitalized, or if any have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a type of kidney failure. That Office's Regional Medial Officer, Dr. David Kirschke, said in a statement, "The Northeast Regional Health Office and the Sullivan County Health Department are investigating several cases of illness caused by Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) among elementary school children in … [Read more...]
