Girl, 6, dies of complications associated with E.coli

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A 6-year-old girl died Wednesday from a type of kidney failure commonly associated with E. coli 0157, a type of food-borne bacteria.

State health officials are investigating the death of Megan O'Hern, of Jordan, who was hospitalized at the Children's Hospital in Minneapolis. Two younger siblings have developed the same condition, hemolytic uremic syndrome, and are also hospitalized.

E. coli has not been implicated as the cause of the three cases, said state epidemiologist Dr. Harry Hull, but he added the department has begun further tests.

He said a variety of other infections can sometimes lead to HUS.

There are also two more cases of HUS being investigated by state health officials. E. coli has been confirmed as the cause in one, but Hull said evidence does not suggest an outbreak of the bacteria.

"We don't have anything that points to a particular source or points to a danger to the general public," Hull said. "There is not an outbreak occurring where we would need to take control measures ... like removing meat from a commercial producer from the market."

There are typically between 10 and 20 cases of HUS in Minnesota each year.