Hand-washing stations praised at fair

No E. coli cases have been seen so far this year, reports Eric Hanson of the Houston Chronicle. To help prevent an E. coli outbreak like the one that sickened at least 24 people at the Fort Bend County Fair last year, fair officials have installed an additional 15 hand-washing stations around the fairgrounds.
As many as two dozen people who attended the fair last year became ill, and local health officials said the illnesses were caused by contact with animals.
After the fair ended, specialists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture conducted tests at different spots at the fairgrounds. The results confirmed that the strain of E. coli that caused the illnesses was found only in an animal-holding area.
Kaye Reynolds, Fort Bend County deputy health director, said no illnesses have been reported at this year’s fair, which opened last Friday and ends Saturday.