Published Date: 2000-12-15 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> E. coli, petting zoo - USA (Pennsylvania) (02)
Archive Number: 20001215.2200
E. COLI, PETTING ZOO - USA (PENNSYLVANIA) (02)
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See Also
E. coli, petting zoo - USA (Pennsylvania) 20001105.1929E. coli O157, petting zoo - USA (Washington) 20000609.0925
1999
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E. coli, VTEC, cattle, petting zoo - Canada (Ont.)... 19991016.1840
E. coli, VTEC, cattle, petting zoo - Canada (Ontario) 19991012.1821
E. coli, VTEC, open farm - UK (Wales) 19990627.1090
E. coli, VTEC, open farm - UK (Wales) (02) 19990709.1149
Date: 14 Dec 2000 16:15:29 -0500
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, 14 Dec 2000 [edited
Merrymead Farm cows test positive for _E. coli_ strain
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More than 2 dozen cows and calves at Merrymead Farm in Worcester have
tested positive for carrying the strain of _E. coli_ that sickened 16
children who visited there, according to a draft report by the Centers for
Disease Control.
While the CDC says its final report is weeks away, a summary of the draft
report provided yesterday by Montgomery County officials states that the
strain of _E. coli_ found in 26 cows and calves on the farm has been
determined to be O157:H7. That is the identical strain that is said to have
infected the 16 children, ages 1 to 10. In addition, the summary says, more
_E. coli_ bacteria of the same strain were found on a railing, which
separates the animals from the public at the farm.
The findings bolster the belief of county health officials, first made
public when they announced news of the outbreak 3 Nov 2000, that cows in
the petting area of the farm were the likely source of the bacteria. To
date, there are 16 confirmed cases and 45 probable cases of _E. coli_
linked to Merrymead.
Yesterday, Joe Roynan, the interim director of the county Health
Department, agreed that the draft report seemed to confirm much of what had
been suspected about the source of the _E. coli_, but he cautioned that it
was incomplete. "It's a draft report. It is still evolving," he said,
adding that a part of the report regarding recommendations for preventing
future outbreaks were still being hammered out.
Chuck Fallis, a spokesman for the CDC, declined to discuss the report
yesterday. "We never comment on a draft report," he said. The summary notes
that cows carry this strain of _E. coli_ naturally and that it can be in up
to 10 percent of a herd at any given time. Though it does not sicken the
cow, _E. coli_ can be toxic in humans and leads to about 60 deaths in
America each year.
Yesterday, Merrymead Farm - the subject of 2 lawsuits filed by parents
whose children contracted _E. coli_ - issued a statement saying it was
"astonished" it had not received the county's summary of the CDC draft
report, but rather had to be told by the media. "For more than 150 years,
this farm has been our family's life and livelihood," the Merrymead
statement said. "We have relied on the county to provide appropriate
guidelines so we can serve the community in a healthy and safe manner."
According to the summary provided yesterday, the CDC is also working to
develop national guidelines for operators of petting zoos, farms and animal
exhibits, which now are largely unregulated. Among those recommendations
would be to have adequate hand-washing facilities on site, to have eating
areas separate from areas in which animals are kept, and to warn visitors
of the risk of infection. Roynan said he hoped the outbreak would make the
public aware "of the importance of aggressively washing your hands."
County officials have said they eagerly await the final CDC report to
conclude an investigation of the Health Department's handling of the
outbreak, which has already led to the director's forced resignation and
the firing of another employee. The county commissioners concluded that the
former health director, Robert Gage, should have notified the public by 10
Oct 2000 of potential hazards, but instead waited until 3 Nov 2000.
[Byline: Erin Carroll
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ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[National standards for operators of petting zoos would be welcome, indeed.
- Mod.ES
......................................mpp/es/ds
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