Two more confirmed cases were added Monday to a wave of illnesses among recent Florida fairgoers, as investigators continued to focus on petting zoos as the source.
The 24 illnesses have been linked to a dangerous strain of E. coli bacteria, which can lead to severe diarrhea and potentially dangerous complications such as kidney failure. Most of the illnesses–21 cases–have occurred in children.
The leading theory is that people were exposed to the bacteria through the feces of infected farm animals. One company, Ag-Venture Farm Shows of Plant City, Fla., ran exhibits at the three events attended by all victims. The company’s animals are undergoing testing.
Officials cautioned Monday that they might never find the bacteria in the animals, which have been quarantined during the investigation. That’s because all of the fairs were held in March. Even if the animals were infected at the time, they likely have cleared the bacterium from their systems.
“What we’re testing for now is really just a snapshot of right now,” said Liz Compton, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. “We can’t go back [in time] and test on the day of the fair.”
But Dr. John Agwunobi, secretary of the Florida Department of Health, said the Ag-Venture exhibits are the only common link among all the sick.
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“The epidemiology of this investigation points very clearly . . . though not definitively” toward the petting zoos, Agwunobi said. So far, he said, scientists have determined that 20 people carried the exact strain of bacteria, strongly indicating that it came from the same source.
He toured Florida Hospital Orlando on Monday, visiting patients who remain hospitalized with complications from E. coli infections. Three children remain in fair condition at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children & Women.
The E. coli strain is dangerous to humans. It can be passed through contact with farm animals’ manure, contaminated food or beverages. About 8 percent of those infected get hemolytic uremic syndrome, in which a toxin created by the bacteria causes microscopic clots in the vessels that feed the kidneys.
Complications can include renal failure, intestinal perforations and an inflammation of blood vessels that can cause internal bleeding and brain damage, said Dr. Mehul Dixit, a pediatric nephrologist at Florida Hospital Orlando. E. coli also can cause a potentially lethal condition called pancreatitis that can throw off insulin levels.
Dixit is treating two Florida children with the syndrome; both are in critical condition and on dialysis. The long-term effects may not be known for months, he said.
Ag-Venture owner Tom Umiker has said that his company, which takes cows, sheep and goats to about 15 fairs a year across the country, is cooperating with the state. He said he was deeply troubled by the illnesses.
Umiker said the owners of animal exhibits rely on the fairgrounds to provide hand-washing and sanitizing areas, though they also sell hand wipes.