National Western Stock Show E. coli Outbreak
At least 20 people have been infected with E. coli O157:H7, 19 of them children. The Colorado Health Department has reported that 16 of the 20 ill attended the National Western Stock Show, held in Denver in January. Investigators are trying to determine the infection vehicle at the show, whether it was food, water, or animals. Animal Exhibits and petting zoos have been the source of more than two dozen outbreaks over the last 20 years, and the CDC has produced recommendations for reducing risk at such shows. E. coli is can be transmitted to family members and others in the home, so those who attended the show are asked to immediately report any illnesses involving abdominal pain or cramps and diarrhea, especially bloody diarrhea.