Fair and Petting Zoo Safety

A resource for fair and petty zoo legal cases and outbreak prevention

2012 Cleveland County Fair E. coli Outbreak

North Carolina public health officials investigated an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak associated with attendance at the Cleveland County Fair, which ran from September 27 to October 7, 2012. At least 106 people became ill with E. coli infections after either visiting the fair of coming into direct contact with a person who had attended the fair.

As of October 29, 2012, the North Carolina Department of Human Services reported that 65 children and 41 adults had become ill with E. coli infections after exposure at the Cleveland County Fair. At least 13 people had been hospitalized, some with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and a 2-year-old child had died.

The Cleveland County Fair contained 5 animal petting areas, which were the focus of the E. coli outbreak investigation.

2012 Willow Grove Pumpkin Patch E. coli Outbreak
2012 Cantref Adventure Farm E. coli Outbreak

Connect with Marler Clark

Office:

180 Olympic Drive S.E.
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

Hours:

M-F, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Pacific

Call toll free:

1 (800) 884-9840

If you have questions about foodborne illness, your rights or the legal process, we’d be happy to answer them for you.