Veterinary medicine: How to Stay Healthy at Animal Exhibits.

Veterinary medicine: How to Stay Healthy at Animal Exhibits.Interacting with animals at fairs, zoos, and aquariums can be educational and fun, but it’s important to remember that animals sometimes carry harmful germs that can make us sick. Learn how to stay healthy when visiting animal exhibits. There are many ways to explore the animal world, and many people choose to visit animal exhibits to learn about and interact with animals. Animal exhibits like zoos, petting zoos.Every year, many people get sick after visiting an animal exhibit. From 2010-2015, about 100 outbreaks of illness in people linked to animals in public settings like zoos, fairs, and educational farms were reported to public health officials. Some of the most common harmful germs people get from animals at exhibits are E. coli O157:H7, Cryptosporodium, and Salmonella infections, but there are also many other types of germs that can spread between animals and people. If you forget to wash your hands after petting an animal, or bring food or drinks into an area with animals, you increase your chance of getting sick. Even animals that look clean and healthy can carry harmful germs, and areas where animals live or roam can be contaminated – you don’t have to touch an animal to get sick. Steps to ensure safety. 1)Always wash your hands right after petting animals or touching anything in animal areas (where they live, roam, or eat). 2)Wash your hands when you leave animal areas, even if you did not touch the animals. 3)Running water and soap are the best option, if running water and soap are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. 4)Wash your hands with soap and water as soon as a sink is available. Keep food and drinks out of animal areas.Don’t prepare, serve, or eat food in animal areas (with the exception of service animals, or animals that assist people with disabilities).Don’t share your food with animals, to keep yourself and the animals healthy. Animals should eat the food made for them.