Three-year-old girl dies after contracting rare bacterial infection

A three-year-old girl has died after visiting a Victorian petting farm and contracting a serious infection that caused kidney failure and permanent brain damage.

The toddler spent six weeks in Monash Children’s Hospital’s intensive care unit after developing a rare condition called haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), which is caused by a type of bacteria that lives in the guts of many farm animals.

Her parents confirmed the tragic news in a statement on crowdfunding platform GoFundMe, saying their courageous and strong daughter had fought until the end.

“We’ve lost our darling girl,” they wrote.

“It’s difficult to find words to express the depths of darkness and what has occurred over the last seven weeks. The unknowns. The uncertainty. The turbulence. Fear. So many tears.”

This masthead revealed last month that two toddlers had contracted the rare infection after visiting the same petting farm in Victoria. A two-year-old boy was treated in the same intensive care unit in May after visiting the same petting farm. That child was placed on dialysis for 17 days, but made a full recovery.

The parents of the toddler who died said the illness was likely caused by a bacterial infection, possibly contracted from a farm where she held, rode and petted animals.

“There are no official treatments as such for HUS,” they wrote. “The treatment is about supporting the body, and time.”

The bacteria is spread through contact with the waste of infected animals and can cause bloody diarrhoea and lead to kidney failure.

The parents said their daughter had also tested positive for RSV and parainfluenza in the days after being admitted to hospital.

The Age has chosen not to name the farm, as health experts have said the bacteria is present in most farms and there is no evidence this one has acted inappropriately.

It’s understood that an investigation by local health authorities has cleared the farm of any wrongdoing.

Local health authorities advised the farm to increase handwashing stations and to display a sign at its entrance warning of the risk of infection and the importance of handwashing.

More than 160 cases of Shiga toxin-producing E.coli or STEC (the bacteria that causes the rare condition) have been recorded across the state this year, compared with 156 cases for all of 2023.

If this trend continues, Victoria’s latest figures will eclipse the 235 cases recorded last year.

Deputy Chief Health Officer Dr Clare Looker previously told this masthead that the department had not yet identified a common source for the reported HUS cases.

“The Department of Health investigates all reported cases of haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) to identify potential sources of infection and prevent further cases,” she said.

Looked said the increase in recorded STEC cases was linked to improved testing and reporting practices.

HUS is often triggered by the Shiga toxin entering a person’s blood and creating small blood clots that block the kidneys, causing them to “shut off”.

Parents should seek medical attention if their children have pus or blood in their stools, reduced urine output, lethargy, pale lips or small dots on their skin.

Children under the age of five, as well as those with suppressed immune system, were particularly susceptible.

Transmission occurs through exposure to animals, particularly cattle, and by eating undercooked meat and drinking unpasteurised milk.

To prevent infection, children’s hands should be washed after any contact with animals, ideally with soap and water. Meat should be thoroughly cooked, and fruit and vegetables should be washed before consumption.

In 2014, a three-year-old Victorian boy died from organ failure after consuming raw, unpasteurised milk that contained STEC.

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