One Person Dies in Brookshire Farms E. Coli Outbreak in California After Three Children Land in Intensive Care

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — One person has died in connection with an E. coli outbreak linked to a popular pumpkin patch on California's Central Coast. San Luis Obispo County health officials confirmed the death Tuesday, days after closing their investigation without finding the exact source of the bacteria.

"We can confirm that one individual associated with the E. coli outbreak has died," county Public Health Department spokesperson Tom Cuddy said. He said the information was being released with the permission of the person's family.

The department called the death "truly a heartbreaking development" in a statement Tuesday night. Officials did not give the person's age or any other details. They did not say whether the person was one of the children who had been treated in intensive care.

The outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157 has been tied to Brookshire Farms, a family-run farm on Los Osos Valley Road that draws large crowds in the weeks before Halloween. According to the county's Nov. 6 release, five people had laboratory-confirmed infections. All of them visited the farm on Oct. 17 or 18. Ten more people who visited between Oct. 16 and Oct. 26 became ill and are counted as suspected cases.

Three of the confirmed cases involved children. They required intensive care after developing hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious complication of E. coli infection that can lead to kidney failure.

The county said last week it was wrapping up its investigation and that the outbreak was no longer a public threat. Lab tests confirmed that E. coli O157 sickened the patients, but environmental testing at the farm did not detect that specific strain.

"Although it's frustrating to not be able to pinpoint the exact source of the infection through environmental lab testing," this is not unexpected, county health officer Dr. Christy Mulkerin said at the time. She noted that bacterial contamination is often temporary and difficult to detect with available sampling methods.

Brookshire Farms voluntarily closed for about 10 days during the investigation and reopened Nov. 6. The outbreak also led to the cancellation of annual pumpkin-smashing events in San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria.

Co-owner Shawn Callaway told The Tribune of San Luis Obispo that he and his wife were devastated. "Our hearts go out to the families, the kids, the adults," he said.

"We've gone through ... about 11 days now of numbness. I can't explain it," Callaway told the newspaper last week. He said safety has always been the farm's top priority, that the farm can see as many as 1,000 visitors a day before Halloween, and that the only known link among the confirmed cases is that they visited Brookshire Farms. The Tribune could not reach him for comment after the death was announced.

E. coli O157 is one of the most dangerous strains of the bacteria. It can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting. Young children and older adults face the highest risk of hemolytic uremic syndrome. Outbreaks at farms and petting zoos are often linked to contact with animals or contaminated surfaces, and the precise source is frequently never identified.

Health officials urge visitors to farms and animal exhibits to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water after touching animals or their surroundings, and before eating.