Youngsters hit by E coli

Published on Saturday 12 September 2009 19:47

A GROUP of 12 children were being treated in hospital last night following an outbreak of the vomiting bug E coli, health officials said.

The youngsters, all under ten, are thought to have caught the bug after visiting Godstone Farm in Surrey.

The Health Protection Agency said there had been 36 cases of E coli in the outbreak, believed to have started on 8 August.

Godstone Farm – a popular attraction boasting a large range of animals for children to pet and feed – has closed to the public.

At the peak of the school holidays it receives up to 2,000 visitors a day.

Dr Angela Iversen, director of the Surrey and Sussex Health Protection Unit, said: "This is a large outbreak of this infection. The farm owners are cooperating fully and we are working closely with them and colleagues across health and local authorities to investigate the source.

"Our advice is that the farm should remain closed while this work goes on."

The bacteria causes diarrhoea and can lead to kidney failure, especially in young children.

The health protection unit is advising anyone who has been unwell after visiting the farm to seek medical advice.

A spokeswoman for the Health Protection Agency said the children were in stable conditions.