Posted: November 8th, 2008 - 1:04pm by Doug Powell

The same strain of E. coli O157:H7 that has sickened eight Colorado children has been found in local elk droppings, leading investigators to conclude the children acquired the E. coli from elk poop.

Illness among the children has??? occurred sporadically throughout the summer and early fall, beginning in ???July and most recently in late October.

"Today's lab results tell us it is very likely the children ???acquired the E. coli infection from exposure to elk droppings in the??? environment," said Alicia Cronquist, epidemiologist at the state??? health department.

Verotoxigenic E. coli like O157:H7 occur in approximately 10 per cent of all ruminants, regardless of diet or farm conditions. They weren’t factory farmed elk.