Five E. coli cases are tied to Brookshire Farms, and three children are seriously ill

If you visited Brookshire Farms in Los Osos in mid-to-late October, here's what to know. County health officials confirmed five cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli linked to the farm, and three of the five are children with serious cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome, the Tribune reported. Eight other people have symptoms consistent with an infection.

The farm closed voluntarily and will stay closed until testing is complete, with results expected in several days. Reports give different exposure windows: Oct. 16 to 18 in one, Oct. 16 to 26 in another. We suggest calling your health care provider if you visited during either window and get symptoms, which the California Post says typically show up 3 to 10 days later.

• Symptoms: bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting
• See a doctor: loose stools over two days, or bloody stool
• Antibiotics and anti-diarrheal medicines can raise kidney-syndrome risk
• Higher risk: children under 5, adults over 65, weakened immunity