San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department investigates E. coli outbreak linked to Brookshire Farms pumpkin patch

Visitors to the farm during late October face potential exposure to a dangerous bacterial strain that can cause severe complications, including kidney failure.

• •At least five people have been sickened with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli after visiting Brookshire Farms.
• •Three of those infected are children currently hospitalized in serious condition in the pediatric intensive care unit.
• •Estimated exposures occurred between October 16 and 26.
• •Brookshire Farms is currently closed and working with public health officials to locate the source.
• •Shiga toxin-producing E. coli is commonly found in the intestinal tracts and feces of farm animals and can cause bloody stool, fever, and diarrhea.
• •Antibiotics are not typically used to treat Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections because killing the bacteria can release a massive amount of toxin and cause sepsis.
• •Severe infections can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome, which causes red blood cells to break down and can result in kidney failure and death.
• •Children under 5 are identified as most at risk for severe symptoms due to their small size.
• •Reported cases of this type of toxic E. coli in California rose from about 500 in 2011 to 2,500 in 2023.