A young girl has died in Australia from a serious condition that develops after an E. coli infection.
The 3-year-old girl fell ill after visiting a farm in Victoria where she held, rode and petted animals.
The news was announced on a GoFundMe page for the family, which has raised almost AUD $55,000 (U.S. $40,000).
According to the fundraiser, the girl had been in the intensive care unit at hospital for six weeks being treated for hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). She suffered kidney failure and a brain injury. The likely cause was a bacterial infection, possibly contracted from a farm.
Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a severe complication associated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections that causes kidney failure and sometimes brain damage.
“The torture as a parent of not being able to console your own child, not through lack of trying anything and everything you possibly can but because they are truly inconsolable. The not knowing if your child will ever talk, smile, walk, run, play, or recognize you again,” read the post on fundraising page.
The family urged people to donate blood if they could do so to help other critically ill people.
Clare Looker, Victorian deputy chief health officer, told local media that the state had recorded 179 STEC cases so far this year, compared to 158 in the same period in 2025.
Official advice includes not kissing animals or allowing children to put their faces close to them. It is important to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after contact with animals, especially before eating and drinking.
E. coli is most ofter contracted through foodborne sources, but petting zoos are frequently a source for the pathogen.
About E. coli infections
Anyone who has developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other illnesses.
The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications.
About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication, known as a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor.
Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems, older adults because of deteriorating immune systems, and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients.
People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurologic problems.