Elk droppings may have sickened kids Elk droppings in the Evergreen area contain the same strain of E. coli bacteria that sickened eight children in three mountain counties, state health officials reported today. Lab testing confirmed a genetic match between the bacteria. Health officials suspected elk droppings as a potential source of the exposure. It's not known how the elk were infected. Elk droppings can be found virtually everywhere around Evergreen, including near homes and schools. For that reason, health officials issued warnings to students to not eat on athletic fields and to wash their hands after being outside. The cases began appearing in July, with the last one reported Oct. 22. The children, ages 4 to 12, do not attend the same school, although all live in or have visited the Evergreen area....