E. Coli Outbreak Tied to Denver Livestock Show

Colorado health officials say the recent Western National Stock Show in Denver is likely the cause of an outbreak of a rare and potentially deadly strain of E. coli bacteria.

At least 27 people, 19 of them children an average age of 4 who attended the livestock show, have been infected with the same strain of E. coli, a bacteria commonly carried in animals that can cause hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome, a leading cause of kidney failure in children. One of the infected people is a 17-month-old child, according to officials from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

More than 643,000 people attended the two-week-long show, which ended January 25, 2009.

While final test results are not yet in, Colorado health officials are saying they suspect cattle from the livestock show is to blame for the outbreak of E. coli O157:H7. The strain is fatal in about one in 50 cases and can infect blood and kidneys, causing kidney failure.

Symptoms of E. coli contamination include abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, low-grade fever, and vomiting. People infected during the recent Denver livestock show live along the state’s Front Range and include residents of Denver, Jefferson, Adams, Arapahoe, and Broomfield counties, officials said.

Organizers said it was the first E. coli outbreak in the 102-year history of the Western National Stock Show.

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