Health warning to keep children away from young lambs and calves

ADVICE FOLLOWS CRYPTOSPORIDIUM OUTBREAKS LINKED TO FEEDING EVENTS

- By ANDREW FORGRAVE Rural Affairs Editor [e-mail]

PARENTS in Wales are being advised to keep their children away from baby lambs to avoid infection risks from a parasitic bug. It follows a Public Health Wales assessment of the dangers following several Cryptosporidium outbreaks linked to lamb-feeding events on farms.

Visitors at this week’s Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells were being warned to avoid “cuddles, kisses or close contact” with lambs or calves.

The agricultural show, Europe's largest, typically attracts 8,000 livestock and equine entries.

Public Health Wales (PHW) advised showgoers to wash their clothes “as soon as you get home”.

It said germs like Cryptosporidium can spread easily by touching animals - especially for children.

New advice has also been issued to farmers after PHW evaluated illness evidence among farm visitors. If they run lamb-feeding events for the public, they should avoid offering visitors close contact with the animals, it said.

The health body has published a new report showing that people coming into close contact were much more likely to become ill with cryptosporidium than those who didn’t touch animals.