Advice on petting farm visits

Shropshire Council’s public protection team is reminding anyone planning a visit to an open farm this spring that they can take a few simple precautions to ensure they enjoy the experience to the full, and ensure they don’t become ill as a result of their visit. Officers are also working directly with the farms to raise awareness of the potential risks and how the businesses can help to reduce them.

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 around the farm.

Matthew Aldridge, Shropshire Council’s prevention and early intervention team manager, said:

“A farm visit will be a highlight for many children during spring. 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’d also recommend that children are supervised when washing their hands as they are more at risk of serious disease.”

Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for public protection, said:-

“Officers do carry out checks at open farms to ensure there is adequate hand washing facilities, signage and advice given to customers over these risks. I would urge all families to follow the precautions and advice, and enjoy their visits in safety.”

Matthew Aldridge added:-

“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 handwashing.
• 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.

Precautions after the visit

• Footwear and pushchairs may still have contaminated mud on them. If it was not possible to clean at the visit, hose pushchairs wheels with water and clean footwear. Wash hands thoroughly.
• Wash any muddy clothes on a 60⁰C wash.

The prevention and early intervention team are also contacting petting farms and open farms in Shropshire to give advice on provision of facilities and signage to ensure that visitors wash their hands after coming into contact with animals.

What should I do if I feel unwell after a visit?

If you or anyone else in your group, particularly children, feels unwell with sickness and diarrhoea within two weeks of visiting a farm, you should contact your GP or call NHS Choices on 111 or www.nhs.uk.  A faecal sample may be taken and analysed. If it is positive for food poisoning germs you will be contacted by an officer from the public protection team who will provide further advice and guidance.

If ill, children under five should not attend school/nursery/ group childcare until they have stopped being ill for at least two days. This is also applies to adults who work in those settings or handle food as part of their job. Further advice should be obtained from the prevention and early intervention team on 0345 678 9000 or email food@shropshire.gov.uk.