2-Year-Old Child Dies After Contracting Bacteria Transmitted From Petting Zoo

A 2-year-old child died after getting infected with E. Coli, which was traced back to a petting zoo in Tennessee.

The health department said the child's older brother attended summer camp at Lucky Ladd Farms in June, where he picked up the bacteria.

The bacteria was transmitted to the 2-year-old, who then developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, which led to his death.

According to the Mayo Clinic, hemolytic uremic syndrome causes the destruction of red blood cells. This can sometimes lead to kidney failure. The syndrome occurs as a complication of a diarrheal infection, usually from E. coli.

An investigation was launched after two cases of STEC, or Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli, were confirmed at Lucky Ladd Farms.

Of the 82, who attended the summer camp, three contracted E. Coli, of which two were primary cases and one was a secondary case.

The source of the bacteria was traced to two baby goats that were in contact with the confirmed cases. Those goats were euthanized, WKRN reported.

Lucky Ladd Farms released a statement regarding the outbreak on their Facebook account:

"Our family and staff continue to offer our prayers and heartfelt condolences to everyone affected by the very sad outcome that occurred in June. We thank the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) for their very professional and thorough investigation.

"We are committed to keeping our guests and staff healthy and safe; but we cannot guarantee against exposure to communicable and zoonotic diseases like COVID-19, E. coli, Salmonella, and Lyme disease to name a few, during a visit with us as there is an inherent risk of exposure at any public facility including schools, parks, grocery stores, restaurants, public restrooms, etc," the statement read.

"We have been advised this risk exists the moment you walk out your door into any public setting with or without animals. We do our best to educate all guests of the potential risks before your visit by sharing information on our website, through online ticketing system, and with signage across the farm," Lucky Ladd Farms added.

E. coli, or Escherichia coli, is a bacteria that normally occurs in the environment as well as in the guts of animals and humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms usually vary from person to person. In most cases, symptoms appear three to four days after the bacteria is ingested. The symptoms include loss of appetite, fatigue, severe abdominal cramping, diarrhea and fever. More adverse cases would lead to bloody diarrhea, dehydration and even kidney failure.