Bug magnet: Petting zoos

Let’s face it: Kids and germs just go together. Babies put dropped pacifiers in their mouths. Toddlers share sippy cups and juice boxes with each other. Preschoolers use their hands instead of a Kleenex and cough with their mouths wide open. And children of all ages seem to attract bad bugs everywhere they go. Petting zoos are no exception. They’ve been responsible for major outbreaks of E. coli 0157. The microbes invade when traces of animal feces from a pet’s fur or saliva innocently get on your child’s hands and into her mouth. Farm animals have been known to lie in their own droppings or ingest their own poop.

Germ defense: When you’re visiting a petting zoo, a farm or a farm exhibit, remind your child not to put his hand in his mouth after petting the animals. To play it safe, though, don’t bring a child younger than 3. “They’re more likely to suck their thumb or automatically put their hands in their mouths, no matter how much you warn them not to. Warn older children not to touch the animals and then their mouths,” says Andrew Nowalk, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Tempted to use hand sanitizer or disinfecting hand wipes each time your child touches a pet? “That’s overkill,” Dr. Nowalk says. If do you bring your toddler, keep her pacifier or sippy cup in the car; using either have been associated with petting-zoo-instigated illness. Before you leave, make sure your child washes her hands at the petting zoo’s hand-washing station with soap and water or with hand sanitizer for the recommended 20 seconds. For more information, see the CDC's "Stay healthy at animal exhibits this summer."

Comments

[MamaFox]

My 2 year old has had diarrhea for 13 days straight after visiting a petting zoo. His doctor said he's certain the condition is the result of visiting the petting zoo where he was apparently exposed to campylobacter, another germ threat. Just pointing out that E. Coli may be more widely known, but it's not the only bug that can make people sick at the petting zoo. I cleaned my son's hands with Purell after touching the animals but he was still affected.
So I hope my story will help people in 3 ways: (1) wash hands with soap and Purell after petting animals (2) if your child contracts diarrhea 2-7 days after visiting a petting zoo, go the doctor immediately. Don't wait as long as I did (3) tell your doctor you visited a petting zoo and ask that they test your child for E. Coli and Campylobacter.

[Teresa]

E. Coli contamination is a real threat and real kids have died from petting animals at the petting zoo. I think it is better SAFE THAN SORRY! Wash and disinfect everyone's hands after handling/petting any type of farm animal.

[Christina G]

Considering that children who grow up on farms tend to have less allergies, and the fact that I doubt that those families all follow your advice (or that they did in the past, when growing up on a farm was quite common), I think this is overkill. If this blog doesn't stop all the fear-mongering, I won't be reading it anymore.