E. coli outbreak at California pumpkin farm claims first victim after three kids rushed to ICU

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An E. coli outbreak at a California pumpkin farm has claimed its first victim.

An E. coli outbreak at a California pumpkin farm has claimed its first victim.

The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department confirmed the death of one person Tuesday after they were believed to have been infected at Brookshire Farms in late October.

The health department said: “This is truly a heartbreaking development, and our thoughts are with the family and everyone affected by this outbreak.”

“The entire team at Public Health extends our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

Officials said five people contracted E. coli after visiting the farm on Oct. 17 or 18, and 10 additional individuals who visited the farm between Oct. 16 and 26 developed matching symptoms. Three children required pediatric intensive care after developing Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome.

Health officials were not able to pinpoint the exact source of the outbreak, even though they found other strains of E. coli at the farm in some samples. But those results did not identify the source of the E. coli O157 outbreak.

​“Although it’s frustrating to not be able to pinpoint the exact source of the infection through environmental lab testing, this is not unexpected, and bacterial contamination is often temporary and difficult to detect through available sampling methods,” County Health Officer Dr. Christy Mulkerin said in a Nov. 6 statement.

One of the victims in the gravest condition was 6-year-old Camden Foy of Nipomo. It’s unclear if he is the victim announced Tuesday.

He was in severe condition at the last update and required a cocktail of medicine to stay alive, his grandmother Linda Strong-Foy said.

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