Officials in Arizona investigating E. coli outbreak linked to petting zoo at state fair

Parents in Arizona are reporting that their children became infected with E. coli after interaction with animals at the Arizona State Fair petting zoo.

A non-profit group that works with parents of children infected with the bacteria says at least four children have been hospitalized. All four families told the group — Parker’s Promise — that their children petted a pig at the petting zoo. According to reports from the parents as many as eight children were at the hospital in Phoenix with infections.

As of Nov. 20, neither the Arizona health department nor state fair officials had responded to questions from Food Safety News about the outbreak. However, Maricopa County Health Executive Director Jeanene Fowler, told the Arizona Republic that the department is investigating the situation. The fair ran for a month in Phoenix, ending in late October.

Mary McGonigle-Martin said all four of the children whose parents contacted Parker’s Promise have been released from the hospital in Phoenix, AZ. Other children have reportedly been treated at a hospital in Mesa, AZ, according to McGonigle-Martin who is vice president of Parker’s Promise.

The organization was founded by Morgan Stine after her son Parker became sick after attending an agricultural summer camp in 2022. Parker became severely ill and required extensive treatment in ICU. During his infection he developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which attacks the kidneys and can lead to multiple organ failure and brain damage. Parker recovered but Stine felt obligated to offer support to other families in similar.

Stine, through Parker’s Promise, is campaigning for mandatory operational rules at agri-tourism businesses and other agricultural organizations, such as the summer camp where her son was exposed to E. coli.

McGonigle-Martin said the organization wants states to include such rules in legislative language when they approve agri-tourism businesses such as petting zoos. At the minimum the organization wants laws requiring such businesses and camps to provide handwashing stations and warning signs.

“Parents don’t have any legal recourse as it stands now,” McGonigle-Martin told Food Safety News. “We hadn’t even heard of HUS before our son got sick.

“The thought processes of agriculture just haven’t caught up with reality.”

McGonigle-Martin’s son was hospitalized for 56 days, but recovered fully. Many children who are infected end up with lifelong health complications, including the need for kidney transplants.

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Coral Beach

Managing Editor Coral Beach is a print journalist with more than 25 years experience as a reporter and editor for daily newspapers, trade publications and freelance clients including the Kansas City Star and Independence Examiner.

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