Fatal E. coli Outbreak Adds Preschool Case

San Luis Obispo County reported an E. coli O157 infection in someone who had not visited Brookshire Farms, but who officials believe contracted it through person-to-person transmission at a local preschool from someone linked to the farm outbreak. The patient developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, was hospitalized and is recovering at home; affected classrooms were scheduled to close for cleaning, and families were notified. The farm outbreak involved five laboratory-confirmed cases and 10 suspected cases among visitors, and one person—an 18-month-old girl, according to reporting by the San Luis Obispo Tribune—died. Officials have not identified the source of the contamination; testing did not find the outbreak strain, though corn cups, pumpkins, hay and nonpotable water were among possible shared exposures. Brookshire Farms reopened after the county concluded there was no ongoing public health threat.