New data shows petting zoos crawl with superbugs, potentially putting more kids at risk

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

The E. coli bacteria blamed in the death of a 2-year-old boy and the sickness of three other children who visited animals at a San Diego County Fair in June has shocked and saddened parents.


Kids love to pet animals and new research finds a danger lurking among all that cute fur.

The exact source of the bacteria is still under investigation in California, but all four of the children, ages 2 to 13, visited the "animal areas or the petting zoo," the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency reported. Three children didn't need hospitalization.
The toddler, Jedidiah King Cabezuela, died from E. coli complications that caused damage and inflammation in his kidneys, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

A recent investigation into petting zoos found that the animals could share with children dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including two strains of E-coli. The findings were presented in April at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases in Amsterdam.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/new-data-shows-petting-zoos-crawl-with-superbugs-potentially-putting-more-kids-at-risk/ar-AADJT2R?li=BBnbcA1

[Hoyt]

1. We are going to be living in bubbles and spacesuits soon.

[hlthe2b]

3. No.. we just need to try to teach what was once "common sense"...

[hlthe2b]

2. They need to regulate to disallow carrying anything inside or adjacent to enclosures including

Last edited Tue Jul 2, 2019, 02:20 PM - Edit history (1)

strollers, packages, etc. etc. AND require use of HAND STATION washing facilities (not simply antibacterial wipes) both on entrance to the animal enclosure (to protect the animals) and on exit (to prevent spread to people) and before handling anything. Parents need to be counseled on how to monitor their children and staff need to monitor both animals and people.

Petting zoos are not inherently problematic but populations no longer acquire immunity from low dose exposure to things as they might have in farming type communities and strict personal hygiene lessons seem only to be emphasized during cold/flu season...


Kids benefit from getting to have contact with animals. It can be done safely.


edit: typo in subject line...

[mr_lebowski]

4. You think one kid is giving it to another kid vis-a-vis the animals?

Then why isn't it happening all over the place, kids touch each other directly ALL the time?

"Petting zoos are not inherently problematic but populations no longer acquire immunity from low dose exposure to things as they might have in farming type communities"

Great point. IMHO, that right there is the problem, and we need a lot LESS anti-bacterial crap, and LESS "strict personal hygiene lessons" ...

I think it's safe to assume these bugs are on the animals and kids don't have resistance cause of the overly sterile worlds their parents try to keep them in.

Probably too late for most of 'em now so for SURE these kids better wash up thoroughly after touching the animals. Hell, maybe even wear gloves, sadly.

[hlthe2b]

5. Kids are picking it up from direct contact with the animals-- it is fecal-orally spread--

and immediately infect themselves with unwashed hands touching their face and their mouth. The bacteria live for a short period of time on other contaminated surfaces so a toddler in a stroller brought in and contaminated with little unwashed hands can pick it up that way. So too can they from direct contact with a sibling who was in contact with an infected animal-- and their unwashed hands or from food shared between them.

So yes, the animals are the source but secondary spread among kids is common.

Why isn't it happening all the time? Well, you have to have an infected source to begin with. It isn't as though these animals are ALL carrying it. No more than all humans are colonized with MRSA or are carriers for Salmonella. A few are.

[mr_lebowski]

6. Kay, we do agree then ...

When you said "use of HAND STATION washing facilities (not simply antibacterial wipes) both on entrance to the animal enclosure (to protect the animals)"

I thought you were suggesting the visiting kids are giving these dangerous bugs to the animals in the first place, then other kids pick them up. Didn't make sense to me

[hlthe2b]

7. No... but it is basic good practice as there are human bugs that CAN be transmitted to animals

There are emerging infection control standards for these settings, just as there are for those parts of hospitals that are most at risk for person-to-person transmitted disease. There is shocking disregard in some cases, but giving the attention given to these instances of zoonotic transmission, one might hope such practices would translate across the board.

Just as commercial poultry operations (or even home flocks), swine and other food animal settings are absolutely paranoid about people entering without disinfecting boots or wearing booties, hand washing and coverings. Humans CAN spread disease to animals, even purely animal diseases inadvertly (fomite spread). It isn't always the other way around.

[mr_lebowski]

8. Man, all of us disease-ridden animals on this planet need to just stop TOUCHING one another

Sure would solve a lot of problems

[hlthe2b]

9. Hah. yeah, I suppose. But, I'll never stop cuddling my furry babes.