in 2019: Minnesota State Fair and San Diego County Fair Victims brought e. coli lawsuits following well-publicized E. coli outbreaks linked to petting zoos and animal contact in the animal exhibits

The occurrence of E. coli illnesses in small children after going to State and County Fairs is too common – in 2019 there were two publicized outbreaks, both leading to Petting Zoo Lawsuits Agilent fair organizers.  The San Diego County Fair led to the death of one small child and hospitalization of others, leading to a petting zoo lawsuit on behalf of the grieving and affected families by Ron Simon & Associates, the national food poisoning lawyers.  The Minnesota outbreak was just as big as the San Diego County E. coli outbreak, but luckily no one died.  Both animal – contact related E. coli outbreaks, called Zoonotic outbreaks, sickened about a dozen people that authorities know about.  The San Diego County Fair victims visited the animal exhibits and petting zoo in mid-summer, and the Minnesota patrons in late August, early September.

Note: “In most cases of death, the cause is hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS.”

Unfortunately, Zoonotic outbreaks are too common because animals often become infected, and their feces then carry the E. coli which comes into contact with patrons of these Fairs, from contact on walking shoes, to had contact though petting or feeding the animals, to even one case, a few years back, where it was suspected the feces got on the wheels o f a stroller at the Fair.

While these outbreaks are relatively common, the number of Zoonotic e. coli outbreak victims to become ill in recognized outbreaks remains under 100, on average, each year.  These victims usually reach out to one of the two firms who specialize in handling Zoonotic and food borne illness outbreaks, including the law firm that represents all the San Diego County Fair victims, and ht law firm that represents at least one family in the Minnesota outbreak.

Previous Zoonotic outbreaks linked to state of county fairs include the 2014 Minnesota Fair; the 2013 Dehn’s Pumpkin petting zoo outbreak; and the 2012 Cleveland County Fair outbreak that sickened at least 100, and like the San Diego County Fair was deadly.  According to Ron Simon, the lead attorney in all the San Diego County petting zoo e. coli lawsuits, “animals are a known risk factor, and it is difficult to control hand-to-mouth contact with small children who are allowed to enter a petting zoo environment.  Careful warnings, well-placed hand washing stations with antibacterial cleanser, and prohibitions on bringing food and water into these locations, are among the vital (and often ignored) protocols.”