Now that the E coli virus has ripped through the UK and has left in its wake widespread illness and plenty of finger pointing, authorities are being questioned on why it took them so long to respond. The 0157 e coli strain, which could lead to fatalities, was the worst outbreak in UK history, and professors from various universities are saying that government regulations regarding petting farms or petting zoos aren’t strong enough to prevent a repeat of the outbreak. With nearly 5 million British visitors to such open-farm operations, the threat of a recurrence is all too real. 

Looking at the UK’s response, US farmers can learn some valuable lessons. Most importantly, the UK government did not designate the outbreak as a medical emergency, which tied the hands of those agencies set up to respond to outbreaks. Then when the emergency was proclaimed, the agencies were slow to assemble their emergency response teams.

Also, the outbreak was discovered on one farm during a bank holiday weekend. Charges that the government could have reduced the number of exposures by closing the establishment on Friday instead of waiting until the following week imply that the 93 cases at that farm could have been much lower.

What can US farmers do to reduce the risk of spreading infectious disease among visitors? If your operations are open to the public, put processes in place that limit the amount of exposures guests have to your livestock. Establish and enforce a hand-washing policy and supply jumpsuits and boots to all visitors to limit any potential virus from leaving your facility.

If your visitors are occasional, take the same precautions. Also, make sure visitor vehicles are not parked near your vehicles or animal enclosures. Your visitors could also be bringing the virus to you, so take extra care to ensure you limit exposure to outside equipment and people.

As for the animals, those that come in direct contact with visitors should be tested regularly for virus and other disease contaminants. If possible, keep those animals separate from your other livestock to prevent widespread outbreaks.

If you suspect or see any signs of illness, close your operations to visitors and quarantine any animals under suspicion.

What ways do you use to protect your livestock and visitors from viruses and disease?

Photo credit: Paul-W

Filed under: Agribusiness by afis blogger