Petting zoos, pet stores, nature parks, animal swap meets, educational farms, and county fairs are fun places for parents and children to go and learn about animals, as well as have a chance to interact with the animals. What you may have never thought about is that many of these animals carry bacteria and parasites, that have the potential to make you and your child very sick if you do not take appropriate steps for minimizing the risk of infection.
Infections with enteric bacteria and parasites (those found in the gut) pose the highest risk for human disease from animals in public settings. Some examples of these organisms include: Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Cryptosporidium. Some of these organisms cause self-limiting illness (meaning that the illness will clear up on its own after a time); however, others can lead to very serious illness or even death.
The mode of transmission of enteric organisms is through feces-to-mouth contact. These organisms live in the gut of an animal and exit the animal through the animal’s manure. From the manure, the organisms scatter and contaminate anything that they come into contact with including the animal’s skin, coat, saliva, cage or stall bedding, feed and water buckets, and even fences. The bacteria and parasites can also contaminate visitors’ clothing, shoes, diaper bags, and stroller wheels. People can swallow the organisms and become infected if they touch a contaminated surface or item and put their hand in their mouth before washing their hands thoroughly. Transmission can also occur if a child’s pacifier, bottle, sippy cup, or toy gets contaminated.
It is very important to realize that animals that look perfectly healthy can carry these enteric microorganisms. Although cattle, sheep, and goats are common carriers of these microorganisms, poultry, rodents, and reptiles can also be carriers. For this reason, it is important to practice illness prevention methods any time that animals are handled. The most important preventative tool is hand washing with soap and running water and a clean towel or paper towels to dry hands on. It is especially imperative that a person washes his or her hands thoroughly prior to eating or drinking anything, to avoid consuming any of the enteric organisms. Make sure not to dry hands on your potentially contaminated clothes to keep from re-contaminating your washed hands. It is also extremely important to clean contact surfaces such as stroller wheels, shoes, school tables and desks, after activities with animals or animal products to avoid transmission. Parents and teachers should pay special attention to the washing of the hands of all children, and making sure that they do not touch any contaminated surfaces prior to eating anything.
As long a appropriate preventative steps are followed, it is perfectly safe to be around animals and allow your children to hold them. In fact, it can be both an educational and entertaining experience for everyone involved.
