Petting zoo safety | Health

During the summer, family outings often include a trip to the zoo or the county fair.  Since these outings expose us to different species of animals some precautions to prevent illness include:

• Hand washing is the single most important prevention step for reducing disease transmission after touching animals or animal enclosures.

• Stop to eat and drink before going to visit the animals rather than doing so during or after.  No food or beverages should be allowed in animal areas.  

• Children should be closely supervised during contact with animals to discourage contact with animal droppings and soiled bedding.  Hand to mouth contact (thumb-sucking, nail biting, etc.) should also be discouraged.

• Make sure the animals and petting areas are clean and well kept.  If there are a lot of animal droppings in the petting area or the animals are extremely dirty, its best not to visit.

• Have children change their clothes after petting the animals.  Clothing and shoes can become contaminated when a child leans on a railing or walks through mud.