The Whatcom County Health Department (WCHD) in Bellingham investigated an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 infections. The Washington State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention assisted with the investigation.
Environmental contamination with E. coli O157:H7 of the Dairy Barn at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds was the likely source of this outbreak. All of the ill people either attended the Milk Makers Fest between April 21 and 23 at the Northwest Fairgrounds; helped with the event between April 20 and 24; or were close contacts of people associated with the event. Most of the ill people were children, including older children who helped with the event. More than 1,000 children from primary schools in Whatcom County attended the event on these days.
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