A new study shows that simple guidelines to protect petting zoo patrons from disease-causing germs found in the zoo are frequently not followed, thus allowing the risks of contracting serious intestinal illnesses to persist.
The study is published in the July 1, 2007, Clinical Infectious Diseases (and currently available online).
As we enter summertime, petting zoos open to families, allowing adults and children to learn about and experience animals. Unfortunately, in addition to goats, sheep, and other animals, petting zoos sometimes allow people to meet critters with names like E. coli, Salmonella, Cryptosporidium, and Campylobacter,bacteria that live in the intestinal tracts of some animals and which are shed in the animal's feces. Too often, these organisms make their way into the digestive tracts of the human visitors and cause serious illness.
According to a recent review, between 1991 and 2005 there were at least 55 outbreaks of intestinal disease associated with animals in public settings in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among others, have offered simple guidelines that would help prevent the transmission of these diseases.
Petting zoos are frequently found at agricultural fairs, animal parks, and other public events. "While petting zoos are common and can be an excellent educational and social event, there are potential health risks that are not always being properly addressed," said J. Scott Weese, DVM, DVSc, dipACVIM, lead author of the study. Because the route of disease transmission is usually from animal feces to a human's mouth, guidelines to reduce the risk of disease are designed to interrupt this route. They include recommendations to wash hands after touching animals, to keep food and drinks outside of animal areas, and to prevent children from putting their hands or objects (such as pacifiers or sippy-cups) in their mouths while interacting with the animals.
The authors, from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, sent a trained observer to 36 petting zoos in Ontario between May 25 and October 15, 2006. The observer gathered information about the layout of the petting zoo, the types of animals present and the types of animal contact permitted, manure removal, hand hygiene facilities, and whether food for human consumption was for sale in the petting zoo area.