County fair, Lane County, Oregon

A news release from the Oregon Department of Human Services ( Oregon, 2002) reported on hemorrhagic colitis from the Lane County Fair held during August, 2002, in Oregon. The report indicated that 56 primary and 14 presumptive secondary cases were identified. This is believed to be the largest E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in Oregon history.  Two-thirds (66%) of the confirmed cases were <6 years old, and 56 % were <19 years old.

Although not confirmed, health officials postulated that possible exposures leading to the outbreak occurred at animal enclosures, including the cattle tent, horse barn, and exposition halls that housed goats, sheep, rabbits, chickens, ducks, and guinea pigs. Investigators tried to trace the transmission path of the bacteria to develop a strategy to prevent the outbreak in the future.  Capital Press, an agricultural magazine, discussed this event (September, 2002). The article mentioned that scientists discovered a virulent strain of bacteria on the pipes 15 feet above the goat pens in a fair exhibition hall, where about 75 people, including 12 children, were believed to be infected. A state epidemiologist from the Oregon Department of Human Services suggested that the microorganisms must have been present in the dirt and dust, and henceforth accumulated on the tops of the pipes 15 feet in the air.