Petting Zoo Visits Linked to Fever and Diarrhea in Kids

Petting zoos at agricultural fairs, festivals, and zoos let kids interact with animals like goats, cows, sheep, and llamas. But few regulations exist to ensure that petting zoo animals are free of disease, and several nationwide outbreaks of E. coli infection have been linked to these attractions, say researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia.

During 2004 to 2005, petting zoo problems appeared in three states:

North Carolina: In October 2004, about 800,000 people attended the North Carolina State Fair, which provided two petting zoos for kids. At the end of October, the state health department received reports of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS, a condition that causes severe anemia and kidney damage) in three children who'd visited the petting zoo. Local health departments later reported 108 cases of diarrhea (most in children) close to the time of the state fair, and 78% of the ill people had visited the state fair petting zoo. Almost 20% of them needed hospitalization for their illness, which included symptoms such as bloody diarrhea and fever. Samples taken from the fairgrounds showed that one of the two petting zoos was contaminated with E. coli, bacteria found in the feces (bowel movements) of people and animals that can make both kids and adults sick and is linked to HUS. Illness in kids was associated with:

• touching or stepping in manure
• falling or sitting on the ground by the petting zoo
• thumb-sucking or using a pacifier or sippy cup while in the petting zoo

Although having parents who were aware that animals can cause disease helped to protect kids from illness, using alcohol-based hand sanitizers didn't help reduce E. coli infection.

Florida: In March 2005, 63 people developed E. coli infections (and seven people developed HUS); most cases developed in children after they attended fairs and festivals in Florida that contained a farm animal petting zoo. At least half of those who became sick had touched at least one cow, sheep, or goat; stool (poop) samples from the animals and humans tested positive for E. coli. Having indirect animal contact (such as touching sawdust or shavings or visibly soiled clothes or shoes) was also associated with infection, which caused symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and fever.

Arizona: In July 2005, the Arizona Department of Health Services received reports of two children who'd been hospitalized for E. coli infection. Both kids had visited an Arizona zoo that contained a petting area. Although one child had directly touched the animals, the other had not - but both children played in an area right next to and downhill from the petting zoo facility. Stool samples from some of the petting zoo animals tested positive for E. coli, and health experts suspect that the play area close to the petting zoo became contaminated via drainage.

What This Means to You: The findings in this CDC report suggest that parents should be cautious about taking kids to petting zoos. Often, petting zoos aren't required to check for contamination, and kids may get sick even if they clean up afterward with hand sanitizers. If you do choose to visit a petting zoo with your child: