Dallas County Health and Human Services said on Wednesday it is investigating nine confirmed E. coli cases that may have come from the petting zoo at the State Fair of Texas. That is up from seven cases confirmed on Tuesday. Officials said all nine patients visited the fair before they became sick. The patients are of different ages and have shiga toxin-producing E. coli. Several are hospitalized at Dallas hospitals.
Dr. Philip Huang with the county said the public should be aware of the illness. "It can be very serious," he said. State Fair of Texas officials said there is no verified information establishing the cause of the reported illnesses. The illness can spread through contaminated food, water or animals, and through hand-to-mouth contact. Symptoms include abdominal pain, bloody stool and vomiting. Severe cases can lead to kidney failure.
Parker's Promise, a nonprofit that supports families affected by environmental pathogens, is helping three North Texas families whose children were hospitalized with E. coli infections. Mary McGonigle-Martin of the group said visiting petting zoos is an extremely high-risk activity for young children. The group has also reached out to another affected family.