SAN DIEGO — On Wednesday, the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency reported four new confirmed or probable E. Coli cases that may be related to contact with animals at the San Diego County Fair.
The new cases bring the total number of E. Coli cases to 10. The HHSA has called the cases an outbreak.
Last month, four children were hospitalized and one child died after being infected with E. Coli believed to have stemmed from animals at the San Diego County Fair.
RELATED: Details emerge on investigation into E. coli outbreak possibly linked to San Diego County Fair
The source of the E. coli bacteria is under investigation, but all children were reported to have visited the animal areas, the petting zoo, or had other animal contact at the San Diego Fair.
The San Diego County Fair came to its 2019 season close on July 4th.
County Environmental Health also re-inspected food facilities visited by the children and found no link to the cases.
One of the best ways to help prevent infection is frequent and proper hand-washing. Always wash your hands thoroughly after contact with animals or their environments (at farms, petting zoos, fairs, even your own backyard).
Thorough hand-washing means using plenty of soap, warm water, and scrubbing all surfaces of the hands (including between the fingers), for at least 20 seconds.
