HSE press release E092:03 - 6 June 2003
With children clambering to go out to the countryside the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is putting a four minute video on its website to ensure parents, teachers and others are well aware of the hidden risks of picking up E-coli from closer encounters with animals.
The video "Open Farms Healthy Children" provides a quick coffee break reminder of the risks from the bacterium, that lives in the gut of animals such as cattle, sheep, deer and goats, but is also carried by pets and wild birds. Carrying the bacterium does not normally cause an animal harm or illness, but if contacted by humans, the toxins it produces can cause illness ranging from diarrhoea to kidney failure. In some case the illness can be fatal and young children and the elderly are at the greatest risk.
E coli 0157 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, direct contact with animals, contact with animal faeces e.g. camping on agricultural land and 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 the hazard from infection resulting from a farm visit is real, the risks are readily controlled by simple everyday measures. Foremost amongst these is the need for good personal hygiene. Infection can result from exposure to bacteria from animals or animal faeces and then eating, drinking or smoking without first thoroughly washing your hands.
A little over 4 minutes long, "Open farms Healthy Children" demonstrates the ease with which the hands can become contaminated and focuses on the importance of thorough hand washing before eating, drinking etc. The video is not intended for distribution and sale but can be accessed via the HSE website at http://www.hse.gov.uk/campaigns/farmsafe/ecoli.htm
The video is being placed on HSE's website to coincide with "VTEC 2003". "VTEC 2003" the 5th International Symposium on 'Shiga Toxin (Verocytotoxin Producing Escherichia coli Infections' is being held at the Edinburgh International Conference centre from 8 - 11 June 2003.
The video supplements the following existing guidance published by the HSE:
1. The video is part of HSE's response to the Scottish Executive/Food Standards Agency Joint Task Force "Report on E coli 0157" published in July 2001. The Task Force was set up to examine the risk to public health in Scotland and the activities to prevent human infection; to assess the effectiveness of arrangements for co-ordination of action at national and local level; and to consider future measures to help protect public health.
2. Amongst other things, the report reinforced the fundamental importance of risk education and communication to key target groups and the public at large. As part of the approach and as part of the joint departmental response to the report, HSE undertook to develop further materials targeted at farmers, teachers and other responsible adults highlighting routes of exposure and the importance of personal hygiene as a primary control measure; particularly with respect of young children (< 8 years old) and to promote guidance on the risks of E coli 0157 from the use of agricultural land for recreational purposes. The video is the outcome of that undertaking.
3. "VTEC 2003" is a major international conference providing a focus for the exchange of information on research into VTEC infections from around the world. Approximately 600 delegates, international experts in a variety of relevant disciplines including paediatricians, nephrologists, haematologists, gastro- enterologists, microbiologists, internists, veterinarians, food scientists, public health experts, biochemists, immunologists and molecular biologists, are expected to attend.
All enquiries from journalists should be directed to the HSE Press Office
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