According to North Carolina state health officials, at least 106 E. coli cases, including 12 children who were hospitalized, were associated with the petting zoo at the 2012 Cleveland County Fair. Residents of 6 North Carolina counties and 2 counties in South Carolina became ill with E. coli infections during the outbreak, and a child died as a result of his E. coli infection.
Public health investigators suspected that runoff from heavy rains during the fair contributed to the spread of E. coli throughout the Cleveland County Fairgrounds.
Marler Clark has waived attorneys' fees for victims of the Cleveland County Fair E. coli outbreak.