Maple Lake Boy Continues To Recover From Serious E. coli Infection

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A Maple Lake boy is making progress on the road to recovery after being infected with a serious strain of E. coli that took the life of his younger sister.

Kade Maresh is being treated at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital in Minneapolis. The boy has been there for more than two weeks, battling shiga toxin-producing E. coli 0157.

On a CaringBridge page, his parents wrote Tuesday that Kade is making progress, with all lab tests continuing to "trend in the right direction."

Tyffani and Joe Maresh say their son is seeing his appetite and strength return, and he's getting up to six-hour breaks from dialysis.

"We are so proud of him," his mother wrote. "He is so brave and so strong."

Kade and his sister, Kallan, became infected with the deadly bacteria earlier this month. Kallan died on July 17.

The Minnesota Department of Health is investigating how the children came to be exposed.

Doctors say E. coli exposure most commonly occurs when someone eats unsanitary meat, produce or dairy. Exposure could also occur during something as simple as a trip to the petting zoo.