State health department investigating E. coli cases connected to Georgia National Fair

The state health department is investigating four cases of E. coli connected with the Georgia National Fair, the DPH announced Thursday.

The DPH and the North Central Health District (NCHD) are working with fair staff to determine how four Middle Georgians who attended the annual event earlier this month became infected with the bacteria.

“We are hoping we don’t see anymore cases, but we encourage anyone that feels like they may have been infected to contact their primary care physician, “ said NCHD spokesperson Michael Hokanson.

All confirmed cases are children who live in Middle Georgia. Out of the four cases, three have been hospitalized.

Epidemiologists are asking people who visited the Georgia National Fair between Thursday, Oct. 7 and Sunday, Oct. 17, to complete an online survey, even if they did not become ill.

NCHD and DPH have identified four cases of shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC). The symptoms of E. coli include stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting and mild fever.

According to the state health department, symptoms of STEC usually appear between three and four days, but incubation can last up to 10 days before symptoms.

ANCHD and DPH epidemiologists are working to determine what could have caused the outbreak by comparing activities between those who became sick and those who did not.

It takes some people with a mild E.coli infection a week to recover, but young children, elderly adults and people with chronic medical conditions have a higher risk of a severe illness. There is no treatment for STEC, but supportive therapy and hydration is important for recovery.