NEWS: Nine Kids Get Deadly Kidney Infections From Petting Zoos

Nine children in Florida may have been exposed to E. Coli after petting and feeding animals at a petting zoo and fair. It caused a rare disease called hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS. HUS affects children up to 10 years old, it attacks and shuts down the liver and also disrupts blood circulation which can lead to multiple organ failure.



Going to the zoo is something most of us have done in our lives. We've fed and petted the animals without fear of catching a disease. There are more chances of catching new and old diseases in the world today, then there has been in the past. We need to always play it safe by washing our hands after coming in contact with zoo animals and always before we eat a meal. Parents need to take responibility for their children.

Oh NO...

I'm going to Orlando in Apirl.... not to a petting zoo, but was planning on visiting Animal Kingdom...

This is amazing, they admitted this in FL.

My 10 month old (at the time) daughter had eColi back in November of last year and at first the doctors didn't know what it was. They tested her for salamanilla and everything except eColi. Three weeks went by and she was just getting worse. Eventually it got to the point of having bloody diarrhea and a lethargic demeanor. We took her to the Emergency room explained everything that had happened for over 3 weeks and they ran an eColi test. The test came back positive.

Almost Instantly the doctors that originally tested her, slammed the report and claimed she really did have Salamanilla, even though the tests they had done came back negative for Salamanilla.

My belief was they didn't want to admit eColi and have a Health Department/CDC/FDA investigation that I believe is required in eColi cases.

To this day she hasn't been totally healthy for more than a few weeks, she gets anything and everything now since her immune system was hammered back in November.

Phae

which version of e.coli? E.coli is the most common form of mamallina bacteria on the planet-part of the "normal flora" of the digestive tract. Feces and such can cause infections if the proper strain is introduced where it's not supposed to be.

Instead of looking for some conspiracy, and someone to blame, how about teaching children proper hygiene? E.coli does not get through skin, it has to get into your system, usually orally.

If there's complaint about anything, it should be about the condition of animals kept in these petting zoos...not from kids putting their hands in their mouths or touching food after playing with animals having a rather significant fecal content in their fur.

There are more chances of catching new and old diseases in the world today, then there has been in the past.

are there really MORE chances of catching diseases, or has our tolerance to some diseases decreased--due to a lowered immunity, a lack of contact with these animals, or too much antibacterials making super germs?
EG

All this super-safe, super-sterile, isolated living. The suppressed immune system and reduced physical robustness was first postulated decades ago, even by sci-fi authors.

Milquetoast society of panty-waists, I tell ya! Wedgies for the lot of you!

Originally posted by evilgrin

There are more chances of catching new and old diseases in the world today, then there has been in the past.

are there really MORE chances of catching diseases, or has our tolerance to some diseases decreased--due to a lowered immunity, a lack of contact with these animals, or too much antibacterials making super germs?
EG

Originally posted by evilgrin

There are more chances of catching new and old diseases in the world today, then there has been in the past.

are there really MORE chances of catching diseases, or has our tolerance to some diseases decreased--due to a lowered immunity, a lack of contact with these animals, or too much antibacterials making super germs?
EG

Our immune system may not be working as good as it has in the past, but that is not the reason we catch disease easier. There are more people in the world that are traveling from city to city and country to country. Our body has a lot more to deal with. Our food has less vitamins and many can't afford health care. We don't know if the next restraunt we eat at will serve us meat with E. Coli or Mad Cow or if the kid sneezing at school just has a cold or something like the bird flu. The government needs to encourage employers to give more paid sick days, so people will not spread disease and also encourage parents to keep their children home from school, if they are sick.

Everybody simmer on down. As I posted in the regular ATS thread, if these kids did not die in the first 24 hours they will be fine (there are always exceptions of cource) Hemolytic Uremic Syndrom is treatable and the kids will have to go on some form of dyalysis and have multiple blood transpfusions if thier couts go to low not to mentioan a serious round of anit biotics.

E. coli infections from petting animals? How is this possible? Will someone please explain it to me like I'm a two year old?
Obviously I'm in no position to say they didn't get E. coli from touching those animals. But maybe the petting zoo is just a cover up and they really got sick from eating contaminated meat? OK I know I'm paranoid, but nothing surprises me anymore.