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California pumpkin patch closes amid E. coli probe
USA Today • • health
Key Points:
- Five cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections have been confirmed in San Luis Obispo County, California, with a possible link to visits to Brookshire Farms between October 16 and 26.
- Three children are hospitalized in serious condition in a pediatric intensive care unit; children under 10 are at highest risk for severe complications from STEC infections.
- Brookshire Farms has voluntarily closed for the remainder of the pumpkin season as health officials investigate the source of the infections, which remain unidentified.
- Health officials urge anyone who visited the farm during the specified period and developed gastrointestinal symptoms such as severe cramps, bloody diarrhea, or vomiting to seek immediate medical attention.
- STEC infections can result from contact with contaminated food, water, or animals, and can lead to serious conditions like hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), especially in vulnerable populations.
