COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) -
A 2-year-old died from E.Coli, and officials believe he contracted from a county fair in North Carolina. So far, there have been no cases of E.Coli reported from the South Carolina State Fair, and they are working to keep it that way.
Just walking around the State Fair, you can count 10 to 15 signs asking fair goers to wash their hands along with numerous handwashing stations.
The push is especially important if people are coming in contact with animals at the petting zoo, but Dianne Jones isn't taking any chances.
"I'm not going to touch the animals," Jones said.
Some folks are also staying away from eating meat products while they are at the fair, since E. Coli can be found in undercooked meat.
DHEC has staffers on site making sure the hot dog you might bite into is well done.
The third way of getting an E.Coli infection is through drinking contaminated water, but so far there have been no reported cases of E.Coli at the fair this year, and the source of the E.Coli outbreak at the Cleveland County Fair in North Carolina hasn't been identified, so for now handwashing is the best defense.
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