Claims filed for fatal E. coli outbreak
Claims filed for fatal E. coli outbreak at
San Diego County Fair
San Diego - The families of three children who
contracted E. Coli during visits to the San Diego County Fair this summer have
filed claims against the company that operates the fair.
Attorneys representing the families of Jedidiah
King Cabezuela, Christiano Lopez, and Ryan Sadrabadi filed legal documents on
Monday.
County of San Diego Health and Human Services
Agency confirmed 11 cases of E. Coli, all of which involve children ranging in
age from two to thirteen.
The outbreak was traced to children that visited
the animal areas or the petting zoo, or had other animal contact at the fair,
county health officials previously reported, and that the illnesses had no link
to any food facilities the children accessed.
2-year-old Jedidiah King Cabezuela, from National
City, suffered stomach problems four days after visiting the fair on June 15
despite washing his hands.
E. Coli can incubate over a period of 10 days.
Over the next three days, Jedidiah was in and
out of the emergency room before the symptoms worsened. His kidneys began
failing, and he died from Shiga-toxin-producing E. Coli June 24.
On June 28, fair officials closed public access
to all animal areas at the livestock barn on the eastern side of the Fairgrounds.
Officials with the 22nd District Agricultural
Association, the company that runs the fair, said they anticipate the animal
exhibit to return with more safeguards and policies next season.
Personnel
currently reminds guests to wash hands before and after the exhibits and
requires guests leave strollers out of walkways between animal pens, the fair
said.
While most people who contract the E. Coli
bacteria do not develop severe complications, roughly 5 to 10% of those who do
can develop a potentially life-threatening kidney infection.
Symptoms do not
appear for three to four days after contraction and can include severe
abdominal cramps, watery or bloody diarrhea and vomiting.
People who do not wash their hands after petting
an animal, or bring food or drinks into an area with animals, increase their
chance of getting sick, CDC officials said.
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