A child sickened by E. coli after visiting the Oxford County Fair has been released from the hospital, according to a spokeswoman at Maine Medical Center.
Myles Herschaft, a 17-month-old boy from Auburn, developed a dangerous complication from the E. coli infection called hemolytic uremic syndrome. He was listed in critical condition at one point, but improved and spent his first night back at home on Wednesday, according to a Facebook post by his father, Victor Herschaft.
“He will be closely monitored by his doctors for some time but we are truly blessed to have him finally back home,” a family member wrote on a fundraising website.
Another boy, 20-month-old Colton Guay of Poland, died from the same syndrome a week after visiting the fair, his father said in a Facebook post.
Maine health officials confirmed a week ago that both boys were infected by the same strain of E. coli, “making it highly likely that the cases acquired the illness from the same source.”
But Maine State Epidemiologist Siiri Bennett stopped short of linking the cases to a petting zoo at the Oxford County Fair, which ran through Sept. 19 in the town of Oxford, saying the state took samples from a barn, pens and a livestock area on the fairgrounds.
That petting zoo, which the boys visited separately, has been the only reported link between the cases.
The strain identified in their cases, known as O111, is one of several that can cause illness.
E. coli is most commonly transmitted by consumption of contaminated food or water, but it can also be contracted through contact with farm animals. The bacteria commonly live in the digestive systems of humans and other mammals. People typically contract the bacteria by coming in contact with animal feces and then eating or touching their mouths with contaminated hands.
While many strains are harmless, some produce dangerous shiga toxins, which the Maine CDC has said were present in these cases.
People with compromised immune systems, such as young children and the elderly, are more likely than others to develop severe illness from E. coli and hemolytic uremic syndrome. Most people recover from that complication within a few weeks, but some develop kidney failure that leads to permanent damage or death.
Health officials recommend cooking meat and washing produce thoroughly to fend off foodborne E. coli, as well as washing hands after touching food or live animals.
