South West families urged to take steps to avoid illness when vising farms
The UKHSA says cases of infections such as E.coli rise around this time of year
Last updated 3rd Apr 2025
Health bosses in the South West are urging families planning to visit a farm over the Easter Holidays to take steps to avoid becoming unwell.
The UKHSA (UK Health Security Agency) says it typically sees a rise in gastro-intestinal infections such as Cryptosporidium and E.coli, which are often linked with outdoor activities such as farm visits.
In 2024, UKHSA investigated 16 outbreaks of cryptosporidium nationally linked to farm visits, which resulted in many hundreds of infections.
Anyone visiting a farm is urged to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after contact with animals and before eating.
Professor Dominic Mellon, Deputy Regional Director for UKHSA South West said: “Infections can be picked up from the animal’s body, its poo or from areas where animals have recently been.
"If the germs are on your hands, you could accidentally pass them to your mouth. You can’t see the germs, so your hands may appear clean."
Parents with small children are told to be extra vigilant as they are more likely to pick things up off the floor, suck their thumbs and bite their fingernails.
Professor Mellon added: “It’s also really important to remember to clean boots or shoes that might have become soiled and to also clean pushchair wheels. Then wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, and dry them.”
Anyone who falls ill within two weeks of visiting a farm with sickness or diarrhoea is told to contact their GP or call 111 as soon as possible.
If you or anyone, particularly a young child, has bloody diarrhoea, we should seek immediate emergency medical attention.
We should stay at home until free of sickness or diarrhoea for two days.
Anyone diagnosed with cryptosporidium should also avoid swimming for two weeks after being free of sickness or diarrhoea as the bugs are resistant to chlorine. Tests may be required to confirm that a child is free from some infections.