California beach is closed after nine children come down with E.coli infections

Detailed summary

Capitola Beach in Santa Cruz County, California has shut down after nine children who visited the beach in recent days tested positive for E. coli.

Published: 21:41 GMT, 11 November 2026 | Updated: 21:44 GMT, 11 November 2026

A California beach has shut down after nine children who visited in recent days tested positive for E. coli.

Public health officials are investigating the outbreak of E. coli O157 at Capitola Beach in Santa Cruz County, according to the Public Health Department of Santa Cruz County.

This particular strain of E. coli can produce Shiga toxins, which can cause serious gastrointestinal infection, according to the National Institutes of Health.

These toxins can enter the bloodstream and damage blood vessels in the kidneys leading to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a potentially lifelong condition which can lead to kidney failure if left untreated.

The infected children were all 12 or younger, and two of them had been hospitalized, SCCPH officer Dr Lisa Hernandez told SF Gate.

'It’s completely closed at this point, meaning no foot on the sand is recommended, and of course, no access to the water,' Hernandez told SFGate.

A press release from the City of Capitola stated: 'E. coli O157 can cause severe gastrointestinal illness, including diarrhea that may be bloody, abdominal cramps and vomiting.

Capitola Beach in Santa Cruz County was shut down after nine children who visited were infected with E. coli O157

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