Advice on open farm visits

Shropshire Council’s public protection team is reminding anyone planning a visit to an open farm this Easter that they can take a few simple precautions to ensure they enjoy the experience to the full and avoid becoming ill as a result.

To minimise the risk of illness, the team recommends that both adults and children thoroughly wash their hands using soap and hot water after they have handled animals or touched surfaces at the farm, and always before eating or drinking.

People are advised not to rely on sanitising hand gels or wipes to protect themselves or their children against germs that may be present in animal dirt.

Matthew Aldridge, Shropshire Council’s health protection and prevention team manager, said:

“A farm visit will be a highlight for many children during the Easter break.  And although the risk of becoming unwell is very low, we do investigate outbreaks of illness associated with people having contact with animals in open farms.

“The source of these outbreaks is generally contact with germs from animal droppings which can be picked up by touching animals, fences, footwear or other surfaces.  Illness can occur when the germs from the animals are transferred to the mouth.  Therefore, it is important to avoid direct contact with animal droppings and to be aware of the importance of good hand hygiene.

“As soon as you have had contact with animals we would advise washing your hands using soap and hot water and then drying them thoroughly.  We would also recommend that children are supervised when washing their hands, as they are more at risk of serious disease.  We have been working with open farms in Shropshire to ensure that they have adequate hand washing facilities available for visitors.”

He added that hand gels, while recommended for use in areas which are generally clean, are not effective in killing bugs such as E.coli or Cryptosporidium, which can be found in animal droppings and on contaminated surfaces around farms.

Precautions to take during your visit:

• Do not put hands on faces or fingers in mouths while walking around the farm.  This includes smoking.
• Do not eat anything that may have fallen on the ground.  This includes dummies.
• If touching or feeding animals, you should ensure that children do not put their faces close to the animals mouths or put their fingers in their own or anyone else’s mouths. Keep away from sick animals, manure or slurry.
• Eat and drink in designated eating areas only – never while touching animals or while walking around the farm.  This includes not eating sweets, crisps or chewing gum.
• Ensure hands are washed and dried thoroughly with soap and water immediately after any contact with animals and before eating and drinking.  Supervise children when washing their hands.  Hand gels/wipes are not an acceptable substitute for proper hand washing.
• Everyone should wash and dry their hands thoroughly before leaving.
• Remove mud from pushchairs, footwear etc before loading into the car.
• Pregnant women need to take particular care and specifically avoid direct contact with lambs and their droppings.