County Fairs And Petting Zoos
With the Fall se
ason here many people will be attending local agricultural fairs that also host petting zoos. The largest fair in Ontario the Canadian National Exhibition is now closed for the season. However, there are others that will continue on until late November and sometimes further into the winter season.
As we have seen recently, fairs and petting zoos can be dangerous places due to the possible transmission of pathogens that could pose serious health hazards for children and the elderly. This is largely the result of direct contact with animals. Two very common illness could be e-coli and salmonella.
Just recently, two e-coli outbreaks occurred at a British Columba petting zoo and one in the UK.
Over the last few years there have been e-coli outbreaks at a Florida petting zoo, Lane County in Oregon, North Carolina State Fair, County fair, Fort Bend County, Texas, Petting Zoo, Zutphen, The Netherlands, Farm, Wellington, New Zealand, Washington County Fair and the Agricultural Fair, Ontario to name but a few.
Recently, a Microbiologist cautioned parents to ensure their children were practising safe hand hygiene when visiting fairs and petting zoos.
In the United States, in 2003 the Pennsylvania Legislature passed the Senate Bill No. 1325 that was in response to a 2002 e.coli outbreak at a Montgomery County petting zoo. The law was aimed at protecting fair and petting zoo visitors.
In 2005 North Carolina passed the Aedin’s Law in response to an e-coli outbreak in 2004 at the North Carolina State Fair.
Ontario does not have a specific law that addresses such problems. I am not certain whether British Columbia has any such laws but it might consider the option given the recent outbreak.
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