Publisher’s Platform: I wrote this 21 years ago about E. coli and petting zoos

– NOTICE –

2004: There’s nothing more American than the local fair. Countless millions of people visit each year for the rides, delicious treats and, for some, up-close and personal, sometimes even hands-on, time with the farm animals. What visitors discover, however, and often through devastating diseases rather than education, is that the irresistible petting zoos and livestock shows, which attract more children than anything else, are often home to the deadly bacteria E. coli O157:H7. For the sake of children, we must focus our attention on this undeniable health problem.

Most people associate E. Coli O157:H7 only with undercooked hamburgers at fast-food restaurants. As an attorney who has represented thousands of E. coli poisoning victims, I have learned that the problem is not so limited. Infection can occur in a variety of ways, including attending a petting zoo or a stable at the county fair, and the most vulnerable are our children.

Any place where people come into contact with farm animals should be considered at high risk for exposure to E. coli and other poisons. The results speak for themselves. Since 1995, fifteen outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 have been reported at fairs and petting zoos in the United States (see www.fair-safety.com). Hundreds of people fell ill. Many come away with severe cases of diarrhea and cramps; but some, mainly children, suffer permanent kidney damage due to a complication of E. coli infection called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

Some even died.

In 2003, 24 people became ill with E. coli O157:H7 infections after attending the Fort Bend County Fair in Texas. The illness was not food related. Instead, investigators discovered that all of the sick people had visited the animal exhibit areas of the fair. Further investigation revealed that the rodeo and animal show areas were saturated with E. coli O157:H7.

In 2002, during what is considered the largest outbreak of E. coli in Oregon State history, at least 82 people have become ill after attending the Lane County Fair in Eugene, Oregon. Most were young children and 22 were hospitalized. Of those who were hospitalized, more than half suffered kidney failure. Oregon Health Services eventually traced the infections to the goat and sheep showroom, and investigators believe the bacteria may have been transmitted through the ventilation system.

In 1998, at least 781 people became ill after attending a fair in Washington County, near Albany, New York. Of these, 71 were hospitalized and two ultimately died of kidney failure. The cause: water contaminated by a neighboring farm.

The list goes on – Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio – with each outbreak starting in livestock and other farm animals. In 2001, observing this dangerous trend, the CDC warned operators of petting zoos and county fairs to clean up their act.

This warning, however, was not heeded and lessons from previous epidemics were not learned. Now we’re in North Carolina, with over 100 children getting sick at a recent livestock show.

These farm animals may be cute, but they can also carry a deadly pathogen. A recent United States Department of Agriculture study of more than 20 county fairs found the presence of E. coli O157:H7 in 13.8 percent of beef cattle, 5.9 percent of dairy cattle, and slightly lower percentages in sheep, pigs, and goats — almost the same percentages as found in animals in feedlots.

How many of us would take our children to visit and pet animals at a feedlot?

Imagine the government’s reaction if the same number of people had been injured falling from a ride. These wooden horses would stop and the lawyers would have a field day. But when people suffer from E. coli O157:H7 poisoning, outbreaks linked to fairs and petting zoos are overlooked.

For what?

Ignoring the risks of human-animal contact and allowing outbreaks to continue is good business for lawyers like me. But I’ll gladly give up this activity if it means not having to see four-year-olds hooked up to kidney dialysis machines. So what do we do? Ban state and county fairs? Eliminate petting zoos? Of course not. But fair organizers can take some fairly simple and inexpensive precautions.

First, they need to get their act in order. Disinfect walkways and railings and provide ample handwashing areas for employees and visitors.

Second, stop selling or allowing food near areas where animals are exposed.

Third, increase building ventilation to reduce the risk of airborne contamination. Keep breeding areas moist with an approved disinfectant.

Fourth, test all exhibited animals for E. coli O157:H7 – or require exhibitors to prove their animals are pathogen-free.

Finally, educate visitors. Post signs explaining to parents the importance of washing hands before and after visiting animal exhibit areas and petting zoos. Post warnings at entrances, highlighting the risks to young children and the potential for airborne disease transmission.

Perhaps these precautions will not eliminate all public health risks. But for such a small investment, organizers can reduce the risk of sending children to the hospital – or worse. And at the same time, they can avoid lawsuits and put lawyers like me out of business.

Here is a presentation I did in 2005 – https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/2005-washington-fair-assoc/47792419

Twenty-one years and we’ll likely see history repeat itself in Arizona.

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