A child has been left with permanent brain damage and may require a kidney transplant, after contracting a dangerous virus while visiting a Melbourne petting zoo.<\/p>\n
Victoria\u2019s Department of Health has begun investigating an outbreak of the shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) which can cause serious gut problems and kidney damage.<\/p>\n
The Age reports one of the two children currently in hospital \u2013 a three-year-old \u2013 is suffering permanent brain damage and kidney failure. <\/p>\n
The child was admitted to Monash Children\u2019s Hospital four weeks ago and may require a kidney transplant after they first became infected from visiting a petting zoo.<\/p>\n
Noah, a two-year-old boy who visited the same farm, spent three weeks in intensive care, 9News reports. Noah\u2019s mother Brooke Snooks said she was in \u201cdisbelief\u201d and said there was \u201cno way to predict how it\u2019s going to play out\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was like standard gastro symptoms which is absolutely terrifying because you don\u2019t know what that means,\u201d she told the broadcaster.<\/p>\n
The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) said that STEC is commonly found in the gut and faeces of animals, particularly cows, and that over 1,000 cases are recorded every year.<\/p>\n
Symptoms of the disease include diarrhoea, cramps, nausea and vomiting and begin three to four days after first being infected. <\/p>\n
Children can have the bacteria in their bodies for up to three weeks, while adults usually remain infectious for a week.<\/p>\n
The CDC said contact with farm or petting zoo animals is one of the ways the disease can spread, while other scenarios like swimming in contaminated water or consuming contaminated food or drinks could also increase infection.<\/p>\n
STEC can also lead to haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition that damages red blood cells and the kidneys. <\/p>\n
Both diseases are common in children under the age of five and cannot be treated with vaccinations. <\/p>\n
Chief health officer Caroline McElnay advised parents to encourage children to wash their hands to minimise the risk of infection. <\/p>\n
\u201cGood hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself and your family from infections that can, in rare cases, lead to serious illness such as haemolytic uraemic syndrome,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhile HUS is very rare, young children can become seriously unwell, so it\u2019s important to wash your hands, and help children wash theirs, after using the toilet and after contact with animals.\u201d<\/p>\n