E. coli twin boy leaves hospital

Twins Todd [left] and Aaron Furnell both suffered acute kidney failure

A two-year-old boy from Kent who contracted E. coli in an outbreak linked to a petting farm in Surrey has left hospital after weeks of treatment.

Aaron Furnell, from Paddock Wood, spent six weeks in St Thomas's Hospital, in London, with acute kidney failure.

His twin brother Todd also contracted E. coli after a trip to Godstone Farm and was discharged earlier this month.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said the total number of cases linked to the farm stands at 93.

But no-one remains in hospital.

The twins' mother, Tracy Mock, said her sons would return to hospital later this week for further tests, and it could take up to a year to establish if either had suffered long-term kidney damage.

Their immune systems have not had much time to develop so that's why they have been so ill Brian Mock, grandfather

She is part of a group of parents who are considering taking legal action.

The boys' grandfather, Brian Mock, from Ashford, in Kent, said although Todd had made quite good progress, he was anaemic and would be on folic acid for three months.

"Aaron had it worse and was in St Thomas' for six weeks but he was discharged on Monday because he was in a high dependency unit.

"During that time he was on more-or-less continual dialysis initially for four hours or so, which was then later reduced to one hour."

Blood pressure

Mr Mock said Aaron was being fed through a tube as he was not eating or drinking properly.

"He has got high blood pressure and also has high potassium levels so he is not out of the woods yet.

"They can't tell us what the long-term effects will be. With the boys being so young, their immune systems have not had much time to develop so that's why they have been so ill."

Four other farms closed, or partly closed following the outbreak at Godstone Farm in August, including its sister farm, Horton Park in Epsom, Surrey.

An investigation into the outbreak, led by George Griffin, professor of infectious diseases at St George's, University of London, is under way.