A California preschool has become the latest site of E. Coli spread linked to a deadly pumpkin patch outbreak that has rattled San Luis Obispo County.
The infected person, who never set foot at Brookshire Farms, contracted the bacteria through person-to-person contact at the San Luis Obispo preschool and developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a severe complication of STEC infection that required hospitalization. San Luis Obispo County officials confirmed the individual is now recovering at home after the serious health scare.
“One case of person-to-person transmission has been identified at a preschool in San Luis Obispo,” the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department wrote in a Facebook post. “The person did not visit Brookshire Farms. The individual developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication of STEC infection, and was hospitalized. The individual is now recovering at home.”
The classroom closure and deep cleaning mark a troubling new phase in an outbreak that has already claimed one life and sent three children to pediatric intensive care with the same kidney-threatening complication. All five of the originally confirmed cases involved people who visited Brookshire Farms on Oct. 17 or 18, with ten additional individuals who visited between Oct. 16 and 26 developing matching symptoms.
Dr. Christy Mulkerin, the county health officer, said swift action was taken once the preschool link was established. “Since the transmission is thought to have occurred at the school, families were notified, thorough cleaning protocols were initiated, and the affected classrooms will be closed on Monday. The preschool has been working collaboratively with Public Health,” she said.
Health investigators have been unable to pinpoint the exact contamination source at the farm despite extensive environmental sampling. Tests did identify other E. Coli strains on the property, but those results did not trace the specific E. Coli O157 outbreak strain.
Shawn Callaway, co-owner of Brookshire Farms, has vigorously defended his operation amid the crisis. “We’ve gone through … about 11 days now of numbness. I can’t explain it… I mean, the worries, the fears, the concerns, the ups and downs. I mean, how do you explain it? I don’t know,” he said.
Callaway maintained that cleanliness was not an issue at the farm and disputed that pumpkins could have been the vector. “(The county) never tested our pumpkins,” he told The Tribune. “They refused to test our pumpkins and said it was not in their investigational area because the pumpkins didn’t have the ability to get tested correctly.”
The outbreak has struck the most vulnerable population segments hardest. Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems face elevated risk from the bacteria, which officials said produces symptoms including “severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (which may be bloody), vomiting and, in some cases, fever.”
The preschool case demonstrates how person-to-person transmission can extend an outbreak’s reach far beyond the original exposure site, creating secondary infection chains that complicate containment efforts. With one fatality already recorded and multiple children having required intensive care, the county’s public health apparatus faces mounting pressure to halt further spread.
The farm drew visitors throughout the latter half of October for seasonal activities before health officials connected the growing illness cluster to the property. Callaway’s emotional account of the past eleven days underscores the heavy toll on local business operators caught in outbreak investigations even when formal responsibility remains unassigned.
County officials continue monitoring for additional cases while the affected preschool classrooms undergo closure and sanitation. The investigation’s inability to isolate the precise environmental source at Brookshire Farms leaves open questions about whether further transmission risks persist.
The affected preschool classrooms are scheduled to reopen following Monday’s closure and deep clean.