Boy dies of mystery E. coli infection, I may never serve my family meat again (VIDEO)

I absolutely hate reading news like the one about little Owen Carrignan who died from an E. coli infection because they really scare the crap out of me--especially when it's a mystery what caused the infection. According to news reports, the boy was infected with the strain most often associated with illnesses tied to ground beef, E. coli O157:H7. But the director of public health in Worcester, Mass., said the first-grader didn't seem to have contact with burgers or other beef before becoming ill.

Apparently he first started complaining that his tummy ached and had diarrhea, but as his symptoms worsened, he was taken to the hospital where he deteriorated fairly quickly and eventually died--leaving his parents and health officials dumbfounded. 

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What scares me the most is that Owen was a healthy and active little boy and that he supposedly didn't eat anything different than the other kids, but he was the only one who got sick. I just don't understand how a healthy boy can die of an infection like this so quickly in this day and age. 

While investigators continue looking for the mystery source of the bacteria, I'm left wondering if the time has come for me to ban beef, especially ground beef, from my home. Like many kids, both my children are huge burger lovers and while we tend to eat steaks more on the medium-to-medium rare range, we always make sure to cook all ground beef well-done. 

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I know this is an isolated case, but it scares me so much that I rather just avoid the possible sources of the bacteria. We're huge meat lovers in this house, but I think it might be time to reconsider. In the meantime, the untimely death of this little boy serves as a reminder to take the necessary precautions to protect ourselve from a possible E. coli infection. 

Would you give up meat to avoid these types of infections or am I being a freak? Please let us know what you think by leaving a comment.  

Image via NECN.com