A Canadian study suggests that petting zoos are not up to par in a number of hygienic areas. Researchers sent people to 36 different petting zoos to observe the quality of hygiene, and what they found was not promising.
Many of the petting zoos included animals that are at a high risk for spreading infections, such as baby chicks and new born calves, and up to one-third of the animals showed signs of health problems such as skin lesions or diarrhea.
Although the majority of petting zoos had a place for hand washing, less than half of them had signs that directed people to use them. Another problem was that parents were bringing in items that could easily transmit infections to children. These items include baby bottles, pacifiers, sippy cups, and teething toys.
Animals at petting zoos can transmit a number of germs that can cause illness, such as salmonella and E. coli. One strand of E. coli (0157:H7) is responsible for outbreaks of intestinal problems in children. The strain of E. coli is very dangerous to children under the age of 5.
The study was not made to scare families away from petting zoos; but they recommend always washing your hands and avoiding run down petting zoos with obviously sick animals if you choose to go. The risk of contracting a disease at a petting zoo is low, but exercising caution is important.