UK: health warning to people planning farm visits

UK health authorities have issued a warning to anyone planning to visit farms this spring. Indeed, rising temperatures could increase the risk of gastrointestinal infections caused by cryptosporidium and E.coli. These bacteria are usually linked to outdoor activities such as visiting a farm. Last year, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) investigated 16 outbreaks of cryptosporidium connected to farm visits, affecting hundreds of people. This parasite can cause nasty and sometimes dangerous infections, especially among children between one and five. It spreads through the excrements of infected humans and animals, often when putting unwashed hands near the mouth. Symptoms of infection include watery diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, fever, and loss of appetite. To prevent getting cryptosporidium, the UKHSA advises washing hands frequently with soap and water, washing and peeling fruits and vegetables, and avoiding drinking untreated water. The agency also says parents and kids should be careful when handwashing after animal contact on farms. Wet wipes or hand gels are not effective against harmful bacteria, and hands should always be washed thoroughly with soap and warm water after touching animals.
According to the UKHSA, the healthiest way to conduct a farm visit is to follow the guidelines provided by local staff, wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water, eat only in picnic areas, avoid open shoes, and wash clothes at a high temperature after returning home. Kissing animals and eating or drinking while petting them should instead be avoided, as well as eating stuff fallen on the ground and using wet wipes to clean hands.