Minnesota’s State Fair E. Coli Outbreak: “Miracle of Birth” Exhibit is Possible Culprit of E. coli Outbreak
11 confirmed cases of E. coli among Minnesota residents who visited state Fair.
St. Paul Minessota hosted its annual state fair August 25-September 3. One of the most popular exhibitions this year was the Miracle of Birth exhibit. Unfortunately, after reportedly attending Minnesota State Fair, 11 people have fallen ill with E. coli. As Minnesota Department of Health investigates the possible cause of this outbreak they discovered that most fair attendees who reported E. coli infection also visited the Miracle of Birth exhibit. At this exhibit onlookers could observe the fascinating process of birth among cows, goats, sheep, and piglets. E coli. Is spread to humans through animal feces and from person to person through fecal-oral transmission. Although the fair attendees may not have directly come in contact with the animals, they could have easily picked up the germs by touching fences or guardrails which had been contaminated by the animals. The strain of E. coli was tested and commonly found to be E. coli O157. Although the MDH is still investigating the cause of this outbreak, they remind people “this serves as a strong reminder to always wash your hands after being around livestock and their enclosures,” especially when young children are concerned.
The symptoms of E. coli O157 include nausea, bloody stools, diarrhea, and low-grade fever. People generally contract symptoms of the illness 2-5 days after coming into contact with it and recovery time can last up to 5-10 days. However, there are a few rare and dangerous complications which E. coli infection can cause, making the recovery much longer. Six of the eleven people infected with E. coli linked to the Minnesota state fair were priorly hospitalized for their conditions. Unfortunately, one of them remains hospitalized due to a serious complication known as Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. This condition is caused by damage to the blood vessels in the kidney often due to the Shiga toxins produced by E. coli bacteria. The damage to the blood vessels causes blood clots to form and clog the kidney passageways. These blockages can lead to kidney failure and be fatal. If Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome is caught early on and proper treatment is given, patients are likely to recover.
The Minnesota State Fair committee declined any interviews but did release a statement explaining that they provide “handwashing stations as well as educational signage and will explore if any changes or additions should be made for the 2020 Minnesota State Fair”. Although, the investigation is still underway, the MDH says it is not as likely that the bacteria will continue to spread now that the fair is over, as long as if people wash their hands and see a doctor immediately if they experience any symptoms of E. coli infection.
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/e-coli-outbreak-traced-back-to-minnesota-state-fair
https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/general/index.html
