Fox 8 Cleveland
CLEVELAND - A 7-year-old girl is dead after complications associated with the bacteria E.coli.
The girl's family, who asked that her name not be released, told FOX 8 that the child was sick for several days. They said she died after the E. coli infection led to other severe health problems.
Cleveland Health Department Director Matt Carroll said the school notified them Monday the the girl died over the weekend, and right now they are trying to find the source of the bacteria.
"We do have three other cases in this general area that may be linked to this child and there was beef recalled today and that is a possibility of a connection to that beef product, not confirmed but still being looked into," Carroll said.
Symptoms of E.coli are severe stomach cramps and vomiting. The bacteria can be found in raw meat and fecal matter. Carroll said steering clear of it comes down to good hand washing and handling meats safely.
"People should be really careful about how they cook. It's really important not to mix meat products with raw veggies or fruit that won't be cooked. You want to handle meat carefully and cook it thoroughly," Carroll said.
The CDC is working with the family to track down the source of the contamination.