Are Petting Zoos Dangerous for Kids?

Written by Blake McSharry on August 21, 2010 – 6:35 am

These hazy days of summer bring with them hot afternoons at the local fair.

For many kids, that means a trip to the petting zoo.

But how safe is it to get touchy-feely with the animals?

“Good Morning America” did an investigation to find out what germs children are exposed to at petting zoos, and how to avoid bringing them home and getting sick.

“There have been some E. coli outbreaks associated with petting zoos,” North Dakota State University food and nutrition expert Julie Garden-Robinson tells “GMA.”

She advises parents to leave their kids’ drink cups and snacks at home so that hungry goats and horses don’t get their mouths on them.

“You don’t want them to share their sippy cups with the animals, because that could certainly introduce contamination, and they could become ill,” she says.

“GMA” visited the Red River Valley Fair in West Fargo, North Dakota, and spent the day at Wally Zerebko’s petting zoo there.

The zoo boasts animals including goats, deer, sheep, donkeys, llamas, a kangaroo and a zebra, all ready to be pet and fed by the toddlers and schoolchildren who visit.

With the help of a lab at North Dakota State, they tested 12 different areas of the zoo, taking swab samples from kids’ hands, railings, feed dispensers and even inside the mouth of a camel named JJ.

Zerebko says he spent nearly $2,000 to make sure his zoo complied with state health and safety regulations, including keeping the animals’ vaccines up-to-date. And he scrubs the grounds every morning, he says.

“We bleach wash all the bars with orange cleaner and bleach — just to get rid of any chance of any E. coli or germs,” he tells “GMA.”

Petting zoos are usually fairly safe, but they are rife with bacteria — and vulnerable visitors like small children and the elderly can be more susceptible to falling ill, says Garden-Robinson.

The results of the “GMA” tests showed few surprises.

“Most of them are environmental contaminants — the kinds of things that you’d expect to see,” Dr. Neil Dyer, director of NDSU’s veterinary diagnostic lab, tells the show.

Watch the GMA segment. Article continues below.

The bacteria detected were the common, low-risk varieties typically found in the air like staphylococcus and streptococcus. The former can cause skin infections; the latter can lead to strep throat and fever.

Two of the children tested didn’t have any bacteria on their hands, but a girl who touched the animals the most was found to be carrying three different kinds. As for JJ the camel? He had E. coli in his mouth, according to “GMA.”

Further lab analysis showed that it wasn’t the dangerous kind, however.

“There was some coliform bacteria identified, but the problem with saying that the E. coli that you find is significant is that there are lots of different strains of E. coli,” says Dyer. “Some of them are just completely benign.”

The good news is this: If you or your kids do get E. coli or another type of bacteria on their hands, it won’t be absorbed by the skin. They’re only at risk of getting sick if you inhale it or ingest it, which is why washing or sanitizing your hands is critical.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has these recommendations for keeping trips to the petting zoo safe and healthy:

— Always wash your hands after petting the animals, especially before and after eating and drinking. Many petting zoos have washing stands and hand sanitizer stations.

— Supervise kids’ hand washing to make sure they’re doing it thoroughly.

— Don’t bring food or drink into the animal enclosures.

— Don’t share food, drink, toys or pacifiers with the animals.

— Don’t put hands or other objects in your mouth after touching the animals.

— Keep a close eye on kids, especially those 5 and younger.

The Parents Zone

Parent's Zone Helping Children Learn Through Play