E. coli O157 is a bacterium that lives in the gut of animals, including cattle, sheep, deer and goats. It can also be carried by pets and wild birds. Simply carrying the bacterium will not normally cause an animal any harm or illness, but contact with contaminated animals or their faeces can cause illness ranging from diarrhoea to kidney failure in humans. In some case the illness can be fatal. Young children and the elderly are at the greatest risk.
E. coli O157 is unusual in that very few individual organisms are needed to infect humans. People can become infected through a number of routes including the consumption of contaminated foods or direct contact with animals. Infection can also occur by contact with animal faeces e.g. by contacting surfaces such as contaminated fences or agricultural land then eating, sucking fingers or smoking and by person-to-person spread both in families and institutions.
A number of outbreaks involving children have been associated with educational and recreational visits to open farms. While there is a hazard from infection resulting from a farm visit the risks are readily controlled by simple everyday measures. The risk of infection by, E. coli O157 can be avoided by the use of good personal hygiene.
Attractions where members of the public including children are encouraged to view, touch or pet animals provide a valuable recreational and educational experience for many people. As with many activities in life, visits to these premises can never be considered free from all risk - such an environment is not attainable - and one of the risks which needs to be understood by farm operators and their staff, regulators and the visiting public alike is that of infection caused by the bacterium, E. coli O157.
As we are approaching the busy holiday season when families are likely to visit attractions, the Health Protection Agency, Health and Safety Executive and Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services jointly published a timely reminder of good practice in reducing the risk of infection to visitors to visitor attractions where contact with animals is possible. It is recognised that the risks cannot be completely eliminated.
This reminder note, which complements existing HSE guidance, was sent to all local authorities who are responsible for regulating visitor attractions, and to members of the National Farm Attractions Network.
The precautions to be taken by farmers and those in control of visitor attractions are set out in the existing HSE guidance, AIS 23 (Revised) ‘Preventing or controlling ill health from animal contact at visitor attractions’. AIS 23 available in Welsh.
Further information can also be found in HSE’s internal operational instruction and guidance SIM 01/2011/02 on Preventing or controlling ill health from animal contact at visitor attractions - Guidance on inspection and enforcement.
Additionally a pilot study concluded that where wild rabbits are in contact with E. coli 0157 positive cattle, it is likely that their faecal pellets will contain E. coli 0157. A copy of the full pilot study report Wild Rabbits as potential carriers of E. coli VTEC – Final Report .
Agricultural workers and those involved in the rural leisure industry should be aware of the risks of acquiring VTEC E. coli infection from the faecal-oral route from rabbit faeces. The usual good personal hygiene practices, particularly hand washing, should be observed.
The attached video clip is aimed at:
It supplements existing guidance published by the Health and Safety Executive and demonstrates the ease with which hands can be contaminated with the bacteria and the need to thoroughly wash and dry your hands before eating, drinking etc.
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