Visiting petting zoos and animal agriculture exhibits is a great way to teach kids about animals and how they are raised. However, farm animals can carry germs that make people sick, but some simple precautions can keep us and our families safe.
Yes. See PDF for a list of some previous disease outbreaks people experienced from animal contact.
People can become sick enough to need hospitalization.
Aedin’s Law. 2005: GS 106-520.3A General Assembly of North Carolina Session 2005. Available at: http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/sessions/2005/bills/se...
Beutin, L., Geier, D., Zimmermann, S., & Karch, H. (1995).Virulence markers of Shigalike toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains from healthy domestic animals of different species. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 33(3), 631-635.
CDC, 1988: Human Infection with Swine Influenza Virus-Wisconsin. The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00021592....
CDC, 2011a: Compendium of Measures to Prevent Disease Associated with Animals in Public Settings, 2011: National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc. (NASPHV). The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr6004a1....
CDC, 2011b: E. coli (Escherichia coli). Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/general/index.html#what_s...
CDC, 2012. Notes from the field: Escherichia coli O157:H7 gastroenteritis associated with a state fair-North Carolina, 2011. The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6051a5...
Erdozain, G., KuKanich, K., Chapman, B., & Powell, D. (2013). Observation of public health risk behaviors, risk communication and hand hygiene at Kansas and Missouri petting zoos-2010-2011. Zoonoses and Public Health, 60, 304-310.
Foddai, A. C. G., Grant, I. R., & Dean, M. (2016). Efficacy of instant hand sanitizers against foodborne pathogens compared with handwashing with soap and water in food preparation settings: a systematic review. Journal of Food Protection, 79 (6), 1040-1054.
Goode, B., & O’Reilly, C. (2005). Outbreak of Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) infections associated with a petting zoo at the North Carolina State Fair-Raleigh, North Carolina, November 2004 Final Report. Available at: http://epi.publichealth.nc.gov/cd/ecoli/figures/EC...
Hale, C. R., Scallan, E., Cronquist, A. B., Dunn, J., Smith, K., Robinson, T., Lathrop, S., Tobin-D’Angelo, M., & Clogher, P. (2012). Estimates of enteric illness attributable to contact with animals and their environments in the United States. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 54(Suppl 5), S472-S479.
Jensen, D. A., Danyluk, M. D., Harris, L. J. & Schaffner, D. W. (2015). Quantifying the effect of handwashing duration, soap use, ground beef debris and drying methods on the removal of Enterobacter aerogenes on hands. Journal of Food Protection, 78(4), 685-690.
The Independent Investigation Committee, 2010: Review of the major outbreak of E. coli O157 in Surrey, 2009. Report of the Independent Investigation Committee June 2010. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa...
Whatcom County Health Department, 2015: E.coli O157:H7 outbreak in Whatcom County, Washington Final Investigation Summary. Available at: http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/CivicSend/ViewMessage/...