An ongoing investigation by Victoria’s Department of Health has been launched after an outbreak of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), a dangerous foodborne and zoonotic bacterial pathogen, linked to a Melbourne petting zoo left two young children hospitalized, with one facing lifelong health impacts and a potential kidney transplant.
Four weeks ago, a 3-year-old child was admitted to Monash Children’s Hospital following infection contracted during a visit to the interactive animal attraction. The toddler has already developed permanent brain damage and acute kidney failure, with clinical teams indicating a kidney transplant may be necessary to sustain long-term health. A second infected child, aged 2, spent more than two weeks receiving life-sustaining dialysis at the same hospital unit after falling ill from the same outbreak.
According to Australia’s Centre for Disease Control (CDC), STEC bacteria naturally reside in the gastrointestinal tract and faeces of many animals, with cattle being the most common carrier. The agency records more than 1,000 confirmed STEC infections across the country annually, and the pathogen can trigger severe gastrointestinal distress and catastrophic kidney dysfunction in vulnerable populations. In the most serious cases, STEC infection progresses to haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition that destroys red blood cells and causes irreversible kidney damage. Both STEC infection and HUS disproportionately affect children under five years old, and no vaccine currently exists to prevent infection.
Typical symptoms of STEC infection, including watery or bloody diarrhoea, abdominal cramping, nausea, and vomiting, develop three to four days after initial exposure. Infected children can carry and spread the bacteria for up to three weeks, while adults typically remain contagious for approximately one week. The CDC confirms that direct contact with animals at petting zoos and farms is a well-documented transmission route, but infection can also occur through swallowing contaminated recreational water, or consuming contaminated food or beverages.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Caroline McElnay has issued a public warning urging parents and caregivers to prioritize rigorous hand hygiene to reduce infection risk. “Good 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,” McElnay stated. “While HUS is very rare, young children can become seriously unwell, so it’s important to wash your hands, and help children wash theirs, after using the toilet and after contact with animals.”
The Department of Health’s investigation into the source and scope of the outbreak remains ongoing as of press time.