--- title: Woman Certain Petting Zoo Caused Grandsons’ Illness date: 2005-03-29T09:20:19-08:00 author: Bill Marler canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/woman-certain-petting-zoo-caused-grandsons-illness" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / [Outbreaks](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/outbreaks) / # Woman Certain Petting Zoo Caused Grandsons’ Illness ![](http://www.ecoliblog.com/hus-hospital.jpg)Ava Wheatley is thankful that her granddaughter is afraid of animals. That’s why she didn’t touch the animals at the petting zoo at the [Central Florida Fair](http://www.fair-safety.com/fair-outbreaks/view/florida-state-fair-central-florida-fair-florida-strawberry-festival/ "Central Florida State Fair E. coli Outbreak"). Her younger brothers weren’t as lucky – the two boys have picked up the potentially fatal strain of E. coli bacteria that has them both hospitalized in serious condition. The two are undergoing kidney dialysis at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children & Women. The older one was taken there Thursday after he was admitted to Halifax Medical Center March 22. And his brother went to the Orlando hospital Friday, following his admission to Halifax on Wednesday. The two Port Orange brothers are the only confirmed Volusia County cases of the potentially fatal E. coli infection. Of the 14 confirmed cases in Orange, Seminole, Volusia, Collier and Pasco counties, nine are still hospitalized. The girl from Pasco County died shortly after visiting the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City. State officials are waiting on the results from the Pasco County medical examiner to see if the girl had been infected with the particular bacterium, [E.coli O157:H7](http://www.about-ecoli.com/ "about E. coli"), that sometimes results in the kidney disease, known as hemolytic uremic syndrome. Last year, there were about 70,000 cases of the disease that is fatal to 2 percent to 8 percent. But animals that carry the disease often appear the picture of health – as all the suspect petting zoo animals did when they were tested, said Liz Compton, a spokeswoman at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. State officials said that tests are incomplete on the animals of three petting zoos at the Plant City Strawberry Festival or the Central Florida Fair in Orlando earlier this month. State Health Secretary John Agwunobi, M.D., said the disease also could have been picked up at a dairy milking exhibition, undercooked food or simply playing in the hay. > *“It’s important that people know that (this disease) is not an animal problem but a washing-your-hands problem,” Compton said. “Animals can test negative for this bacteria one day and then positive the next.” But Wheatley scoffs at the idea that it could have been anything but the petting zoo: “The three kids ate everything the same, the same everything else” except the petting zoo.* ### Other E. coli Lawsuits [Raw Farms linked to another Raw Milk Cheese E.coli Outbreak - 9 People sickened - Company refuses to recall product](https://marlerclark.com/raw-farms-linked-to-another-raw-milk-cheese-e-coli-outbreak-7-people-sickened) [10 with E. coli linked to Cheese](https://marlerclark.com/3-with-e-coli-linked-to-cheese) [Sycamore Pool in Chico California Contaminated with E.coli - Two teens in 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The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ Get a free consultation ](https://marlerclark.com/contact) ##### Related Resources ###### [E. coli Food Poisoning](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/e-coli-food-poisoning) What is E. coli and how does it cause food poisoning? Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a highly studied, common species of bacteria that belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae, so... ###### [E. coli O157:H7](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/e-coli-o157h7) E. coli O157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen that causes food poisoning. E. coli O157:H7 is the most commonly identified and the most notorious Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) serotype in... ###### [Non-O157 STEC](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/non-o157-stec) Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli can also cause food poisoning. 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