MACON, Ga. — The state health department is investigating whether four E. Coli cases were spread at the 2021 Georgia National Fair in Perry.
Ginny Crouse is the mother of two of the four children who tested positive.
"On Friday, she was dancing on the floor. On Saturday, she wasn't even walking. It was a dramatic turn," Crouse said as she described her daughter's condition. "Zoey is 1 and Campbell is 3. Campbell, luckily, wasn't one of the 15% that developed HUS.”
HUS is the most dangerous form of E. Coli. Her daughter Zoey wasn't as lucky. Crouse said her symptoms started two days after the fair and that landed Zoey in the hospital.
“She got her dialysis catheter placed yesterday and her central line yesterday, her labs were starting to decline, so they decided to go ahead and start dialysis today," she explained.
Stacey Wooddell says her daughter Skyler was the third child who tested positive.
"She's had dialysis 3-4 times, multiple blood transfusions, platelet transfusions. We're now turning the corner where she is getting better," Wooddell said.
Both women say the one thing they have in common is a trip to the fair.
"The cow barn where they do the grooming of the cows before they show them, we petted a few in there, and the steak truck, the steak and potatoes food truck is one that's linking a lot of people," she said.
The women have been sharing their daughter's progress on social media. They say parents should take any symptoms seriously.
“It can be very scary, and that's why we want to get the word out to other parents that it’s not just a stomach bug, it’s not just because we didn't wash their hands, because we did. It’s very serious and shouldn't be taken lightly," she said.
If you visited the Georgia National Fair between Oct. 7 - Oct.17, the Georgia Department of Public Health is asking you to complete a survey even if you didn't become ill.