Editor:
The recent petting zoo at the Linn County Fair should have been a reminder about the very real health hazards of petting zoos (“Fairly sizzling,” July 26).
Petting zoos are hotbeds of E. coli bacteria, and numerous children have been infected with the potentially deadly diseases after visiting such displays; some have died. Infections can spread through direct animal contact or simply by touching the surroundings near an animal exhibit.
Twenty-two people were hospitalized,…