Florida Health Advisory
An outbreak of E. coli bacteria in Florida has been definitively linked to animals from petting zoos at the Central Florida Fair in Orlando, the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City, and the Florida State Fair in Tampa. Twenty-six people have been confirmed stricken with the E. coli infection, including 23 children. Epidemiologists matched DNA from E. coli bacteria in six animals — two goats, two sheep and two cows — to the DNA in the bacteria contracted by the victims. The six animals were all from the same company, Ag-Venture Farm Shows.
The vast majority of people who casually visit the petting zoo at their state or local fair do not realize that the animals can carry E. coli and other infectious diseases. E. coli infections can and often do result in serious illness and can even be fatal. According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, an E. coli outbreak at last year's state fair led to 15 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening kidney complication brought on by E. coli infections, especially in children. A report issued by the department stated, "HUS has a significant potential for mortality and can leave survivors with lasting kidney damage." The rash of illnesses suffered by fairgoers across the country prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue guidelines for facilities that allow direct or indirect contact with animals. The thousands of people who visit petting zoos every year are exposed to what the CDC terms a significant risk, and children have the highest risk of contracting E. coli or other infections, such as salmonella. For more information, see our "Hazards of Petting Zoos" factsheet.
Unfortunately, guidelines will likely do little to minimize illness. The CDC calls for more hand-washing facilities and a ban on hand-to-mouth contact near animals. There is realistically no way to ensure that hand-washing facilities are used by everyone who visits a petting zoo. Indeed, the petting zoo at the North Carolina State Fair had posted signs and provided facilities to promote hand hygiene. It is simply not possible to prevent children from transmitting bacteria and other pathogens from their hands to their mouths. Nail-biting and the use of pacifiers or sippy cups are all potential transmitters, and many of the children whose illnesses were documented in the CDC report were too young to understand or remember instructions that would have reduced their risk of infection. Even if direct contact with animals were strictly forbidden and could be adequately enforced, indirect contact would still pose a serious threat to guests.
The cruelty associated with petting zoos must also be considered. Animals traipsed around on the fair circuit endure the rigors and stress of tractor-trailer transport, temperature extremes, and cramped travel cages. There's no relief upon unloading—shuttled from one small cage to another (although sometimes the transport cages and exhibiting cages are one and the same), they are subjected to a barrage of handling and human contact, from which they are afforded little reprieve. As soon as one fair is over, animals in traveling shows are packed up like equipment and forced to hit the road again. The cycle continues throughout the fair "season," which typically runs from early spring to late fall.
Some exhibitors, in an effort to justify their displays, make the predictably self-serving claim that the displays are "educational." But setting up second-rate enclosures on a midway does nothing to foster respect for animals. Petting a snake or paying a quarter to see the "world's largest rat" is nothing more than a cheap thrill and exploitation at its worst. Because many of the animals used in traveling shows are relatively inexpensive to purchase, some operators do not even bother spending money on veterinary care because the animals are easily replaced. Animals left in "inventory" at the end of the season are sometimes sold for slaughter.
The only sure way to prevent visitors from becoming ill and to eliminate the cruelty associated with these displays is to remove petting zoos altogether. Fairgoers must make their objections known. When a fair comes to your area, please write to the fair's board of directors, asking them to seriously consider eliminating petting zoos. You can download a free copy of our petting-zoo leaflet at http://www.petaliterature.com/ENT266.pdf or call PETA at 757-622-7382, extension 8350, to have one mailed to you.
Please click here for more information about animals used in entertainment.
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