A Systematic Review of zoonotic infections from farm animals and their environment among visitors of multifunctional farms

Abstract

Interacting with farm animals like sheep, cows and goats can have considerable health benefits for people, such as reducing worries, lowering blood pressure, and other mental and physical health benefits. Visiting a farm or a petting zoo allows children and adults to learn about how a farm operates and to help people to connect with farm life. Over the last 20 years, these activities have become more popular and led to an increase in the number of farms opening to the public. These can be called ‘multifunctional agriculture’, ‘multifunctional farming’ or ‘social farming’. The different types of services they offer varies from care farms and educational farms to childcare or out-of-school care (on the farm) and recreational farms. Although there are many benefits, even healthy farm animals can carry harmful microbes that can be passed onto people and cause illness (termed a ‘zoonosis’). These illnesses can be very mild, such as a skin rash but sometimes cause serious illness and even death. Animals can carry microbes in their saliva, manure, and urine, and this can be transferred to their surroundings, such as soil, air, and object (e.g. hay bales, feeding bottles, hand railings). People can get infected through petting, cuddling, or feeding animals, or touching objects that have been contaminated with manure. If they then put their hands in their mouths (e.g. thumb-sucking of nail-biting), or touch and eat food without washing their hands, they may become infected. In this study, we looked for research on people who had become ill after being close to animals on multifunctional farms and identified which germs made them ill. Illnesses occurred rarely but some people, mostly children, became sick. These illnesses were caused by germs that were passed on from animals. However, the studies showed that people who washed their hands after handling animals and before eating, were much less likely to get sick. Therefore, it is important to remember to pay attention to washing your hand after touching animals, their food, and other objects that may have become contaminated with manure.