Pumpkin farm E. coli outbreak in California has killed a toddler
Health officials in San Luis Obispo County are still trying to identify the source of the illness, which has spread to a preschool and closed a beach.
By Standard Topic. AI-generated from the reporting listed under Coverage. Published . Updated .
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What happened
People who visited the same San Luis Obispo pumpkin farm have been sickened by E. coli, and a toddler has died. Nine children have been infected across several counties, and Capitola Beach in Santa Cruz County has been closed.
Why it matters
The outbreak has moved beyond farm visitors to a preschool and to children in several Bay Area counties. Officials still have not identified where the contamination came from.
Timeline
- Nov 11, 5:12 PM ET: Health officials in California reported a death linked to an E. coli outbreak among people who had all visited the San Luis Obispo pumpkin farm.
- Nov 12, 10:22 AM ET: Santa Cruz County's Public Health Department was notified of 9 cases, all involving children, and Capitola Beach was closed.
- Nov 13, 3:04 PM ET: The toddler who died was infected with a dangerous E. coli strain, a rare outcome for this type of infection.
- Nov 14, 1:49 PM ET: Another child was sickened after the outbreak spread to a San Luis Obispo preschool, and that child is recovering.
Coverage
- Brookshire Farms E. coli Outbreak Spreads to a San Luis Obispo Preschool: What a Secondary Case Is, How Common It Is and Where It Happens (marlerblog.com)
- SLO County could not find source of deadly E. coli outbreak. Is that normal? (sanluisobispo.com)
- Person at San Luis Obispo preschool recovering from E. coli complication (ksby.com)
- Another child sickened with E. coli after outbreak spreads to SLO preschool (sanluisobispo.com)
- Death reported from E. coli outbreak tied to California pumpkin farm (ktla.com)
- Death reported in San Luis Obispo County E. coli outbreak
- Santa Cruz County closes Capitola Beach amid child E. coli cases
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