They only look safe

THOSE cute petting zoo animals that your kids love to touch may be harboring another type of critter that isn’t so cuddly -- Escherichia coli O157:H7. Visitors to the zoos are raising their risk of an E. coli infection by failing to take the most basic precautions.

Last week at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases, Tennessee Department of Health researchers reported that of 1,700 visitors at petting zoos in central Tennessee, 62% did not use hand sanitizer stations after visiting the animals. Another report from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control found that 28% of visitors to the 2005 South Carolina State Fair did not use hand-washing facilities. Other risky behaviors were also common in both studies, such as bringing food and drink into the zoo. In the Tennessee study, one in five was observed eating and drinking.

In a third report, a team of researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studied outbreaks at two Florida zoos and identified behaviors that were most likely to cause infection. These included feeding cows and goats, touching a goat or coming into contact with manure. They also confirmed that hand washing can prevent transmission of the bacteria.

Since October 2004, petting zoos in North Carolina, Florida and Arizona have been linked to outbreaks afflicting nearly 200 visitors, mostly children. “We’re seeing increasing outbreaks at petting zoos,” says coauthor Fred Angulo of the CDC. “Unfortunately, the smallest children are the most susceptible.”