Nursery World - Tighten up farm visits, says E.Coli inquiry

Petting farms need stricter guidelines in place to protect children from E.Coli, following the UK's biggest outbreak of the infection last year, says an expert report.

The independent inquiry by George Griffin, professor of infectious diseases and medicine at St George's, University of London, calls for open farms to educate visitors on the risk of infection from handling animals before and during a visit.

Last summer, 76 children were treated for E.Coli 0157 following a visit to Godstone Farm in Surrey (News, 23 September 2009).

The report, commissioned by the Health Protection Agency, says the outbreak could have been avoided if more attention had been given to preventing visitors being exposed to animal faecal matter.

It warns that there is a low level of understanding among parents and carers of the risk of E.coli infections from contact with farm animals and that handwashing alone is insufficient.

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