Stay safe when you are down on the farm this half-term
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Families are being urged to take some simple steps to make sure they safely enjoy visits to farms and petting zoos this half-term.
To avoid illness and enjoy a fun day out the UK Health Security Agency advises people to:
always wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm running water immediately after contact with animals (including touching pens or fencing) and before eating or drinking – remember, hand gels and wipes do not kill these types of germs
if a dummy drops on the ground, it will need sterilising
when leaving a farm, boots, shoes and pushchair wheels should be washed, remembering to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after cleaning
after holding, or having any physical contact with an animal, wash clothing at 40c or warmer.
Councillor Obaida Ahmed, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Community, said: “As half-term approaches, visiting farms and petting zoos is a fun activity for many of us, especially children and families.
“When enjoying farm visits, it’s important to remember that some animals may carry germs that can be passed on to humans and cause unpleasant infections such as cryptosporidiosis, e-coli and salmonella.
“Bacteria from an animal’s body, environment or droppings can easily get on your hands after petting, cuddling or feeding, or even by simply touching their pens or fences. If you then touch your eyes, nose or mouth, it only takes a small amount to cause an infection.
“These infections can make you unwell with symptoms including diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, nausea and body aches. For young children, pregnant women, elderly or immunocompromised people, these infections can be serious, so please take care when you are out and about.”
Anyone who feels unwell or has any symptoms such as diarrhoea or vomiting within two weeks of visiting a farm is asked to contact their GP or call NHS 111 as soon as possible. Anyone who has bloody diarrhoea should seek immediate emergency medical attention.
Anyone who has experienced sickness or diarrhoea after visiting a farm could pass the illness on to others, so they should not attend work, school or nursery until they have been free of symptoms for at least two days. However, with infections from some bugs, extra tests may be needed to ensure they have fully recovered and will not pass on the infection to others.
