The farmyard can be a wonderful place for children to grow up, surrounded by wide open spaces, trees, rivers, streams and animals . There is a lot to be said for rural life – but there are a couple of nasty bugs to watch out for.
It’s sometimes difficult to tell whether an animal is infected with such bugs, especially when they look clean and healthy.
Infection can be picked up from the animal’s body, its stools or from areas where an animal has recently been.
If the bugs are on your hands, you could accidentally pass them to your mouth.
The HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) issued an alert on April 20, following a large rise in a potentially serious tummy bug in children.
Since the start of March the number of cases of cryptosporidiosis has more than doubled in comparison to the average rates, especially in small children, said HPSC specialist in public health medicine, Dr Paul McKeown.
Symptoms
Cryptosporidiosis symptoms generally begin a week after swallowing the bug, but can start after a couple of days.
The symptoms last about a week but can last longer.
The most common symptom is watery diarrhoea but this can be accompanied by vomiting, a fever and stomach cramps.
Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (or VTEC) are bacteria that also live in the intestines of animals – mainly cattle and sheep, and can cause either relatively mild or severe gastroenteritis in humans.
VTEC bugs produce a toxin (called verotoxin) that can result in bloody diarrhoea and, in some individuals, a serious complication called haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). This occurs in 5pc to 10pc of VTEC cases.
If HUS develops, it generally does so about a week after diarrhoea starts (occasionally patients have no diarrhoea).
The symptoms of HUS can be very non-specific, and may include tiredness, sleepiness, extensive bruising, unusual bleeding, swollen hands/feet/face, or passing little urine.
How Are People Infected?
These bugs can be spread by direct contact with infected animals on a farm, such as calves and lambs. It is also sometimes seen after children have been handling these animals on a pet farm.
It can be in soil that is infected by farmyard manure which may then be spread on footwear, clothing or unwashed fruit and vegetables, or on toys that are played with outdoors.
Water can be contaminated, particularly private wells if animal manure gets into it.
Raw meat or undercooked meat may be contaminated and may cause illness if meat is not stored properly and cooked thoroughly. Unpasteurised milk or cheese may also be a source of infection.
Infected people can pass infection to others if they fail to wash their hands properly after using the toilet. Infection can also spread if people fail to wash their hands after changing the nappy of a child who is sick.
Prevention Of Spread
Again, the most important message to prevent spread is to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating or drinking, after using the toilet, after changing nappies and after washing soiled bedding or clothes.
Avoid changing nappies near where food is being prepared or eaten and avoid handling or preparing food for other people if possible. Make sure everyone has their own towel. General hygiene should be more vigilant than usual by cleaning toilet seats, flush handles, door handles and taps frequently.
How Long After Infection Can I Go Back To Work Or School?
Most people can return to work or school 48 hours after the last episode of diarrhoea.
With VTEC, there are restrictions for certain groups of people who work in childcare, healthcare or are food handlers. They may be advised by public health to stay home from work until the stool samples are clear of infection. This also applies to young children with VTEC who attend childcare facilities as there is a risk of transmission to vulnerable people in these settings.
Cryptosporidiosis-infected children should avoid swimming pools for up to two weeks after the diarrhoea ends.
How Can I Avoid Infection?
The message is to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after you have touched animals, fences or other surfaces in animal areas.
Remove and clean boots that might have become soiled and clean pushchair wheels. Then wash your hands.
Young children at the stage of crawling and putting everything they come in contact with into their mouth are especially vulnerable to bugs that have been walked or wheeled in from the farmyard.
Supervise children if visiting a farm or pet farm and eat and drink in picnic areas or cafes only. Don’t put hands on faces, or fingers in mouths while petting animals or walking around the farm. Don’t kiss animals or let children put their faces close to animals.
Don’t use gels or wipes instead of washing hands with soap and water.
Raw, unpasteurised milk can contain many harmful infectious diseases – including cryptosporidiosis and VTEC. If you have a private well, ensure that the water is safe.
Farms are great places for kids – but there are nasty bugs lurking that must be avoided.
Dr Catherine Conlon is senior medical officer in the public health department in St Finbarr’s Hospital, Cork, and former director of human health and nutrition at Safefood. Her book, ‘Modern Culture and Wellbeing’, was published by Veritas in 2020
(Source – Irish Independent – Indo Farming – Dr. Catherine Conlon – 03/05/2022)