Farming

Farming

Zoonoses

Farm animals can carry a range of diseases and some of these, known as zoonoses, can be passed onto humans. Transmission may result from direct contact with the animal, animal dung or urine or through consumption of farm produce.

To reduce the risk to your own health and that of any visitors a number of precautions should be taken and these are highlighted in the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) information sheet – Common Zoonoses in Agriculture .

The advice sheet provides advice on:

  • legal requirements
  • good husbandry practices
  • occupational hygiene

The HSE also provides guidance for farmers and others responsible for running open days to avoid ill health to visitors – Avoiding ill health at open farms – Advice to farmers (with teacher’s supplement) .

General measures to reduce the incidence of zoonoses

There are around 40 different zoonoses in the UK and a number of these are classified as notifiable.

Any suspected case of a notifiable disease must be reported to your Animal Health Divisional Office. The Health Protection Agency provides a list of all indigenous zoonoses and details which of these are notifiable.

The micro-organisms that cause zoonoses are subject to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2002 . This places a number of obligations on employers and the self employed to manage the risk, exposure and control including:

  • minimise the risk of infection by keeping stock healthy, and vaccinate where appropriate
  • ensure good personal hygiene. Wash before eating, drinking or smoking
  • wear overalls when handling animals, especially if they are sick, and gloves and a waterproof apron if handling products of birth or muck and sewage
  • wash and cover all cuts and grazes

Further information on disease control can be found in the animal health section of the Defra website.

For more information on general farm safety see Farmwise – the essential guide to health and safety in agriculture . A health carry card with notes on good practice for workers can also be downloaded from the Defra website.

Common zoonoses

Common zoonoses include salmonella (Code of Practice for the Control of Salmonella ) and campylobacter which cause food poisoning; E-Coli, which causes violent diarrhoea; and ringworm, a fungal skin infection. Food poisoning can generally be avoided by ensuring food is prepared and cooked properly, and good hygiene will prevent many other types of zoonoses.

The following zoonoses are the most commonly encountered in farm livestock:

  • Orf: Contracted from sheep or goats, in particular when bottle-feeding lambs in the spring or shearing and slaughtering sheep. In animals the disease usually causes pustular dermatitis particularly around the nose, lips, and face of young sheep and also on teats. On humans, it produces painful pustules on hands, arms and face, but usually disappears without treatment. A sheep vaccine is available, and humans can prevent infection by careful hygiene and wearing protective clothing.
  • Leptospirosis : Present in cattle and pig urine, although a more severe form known as Weil’s disease is caught from rats. Animals rarely become ill when carrying the bacteria and more than 60% of cattle herds are thought to be infected. Risk factors are working with cattle and pigs, dealing with rats, or swimming in fresh watercourses. The disease causes a feverish illness with headache and can result in meningitis. Early treatment is vital, usually with antibiotics. Prevention methods include careful hygiene, avoiding being splashed with urine, and covering cuts and abrasions.
  • Ringworm: One of the most common zoonotic infections, ringworm is a fungal skin infection which can be caught from most types of livestock and pets. It is usually passed on through direct contact with an infected animal, or indirect contact with a contaminated environment. In humans, inflamed, swollen, crusty skin lesions form on the hands, forearms, head and neck, but ringworm does respond well to treatment.
  • Enzootic abortion: Caught from sheep and possibly goats, this can cause abortion in pregnant women, or flu-like illnesses. It is normally contracted when handling an infected afterbirth or contaminated clothing. A vaccine is available for sheep. Pregnant women should avoid work with ewes during lambing, and exposure to contaminated clothing.
  • Bovine TB : Present in cattle, badgers and deer, bovine TB can be transmitted to humans through inhalation, hand to mouth contact and drinking unpasteurised milk. Bovine TB causes skin lesions and lung damage, but is rarely found in humans in the UK. Cattle should be tested for the disease, and infected animals should not be handled around the nose.
  • E Coli : Present in a wide range of animals, from poultry to cattle, the E-Coli bacteria can survive for many weeks in faeces or soil. Illness following infection may be severe and even fatal, with symptoms including diarrhoea and kidney failure. Infection is caused by eating contaminated food or contact with faeces. Good personal hygiene is essential in prevention of the disease.

For more details on types of zoonoses, symptoms and prevention see the Health Protection Agency website.

The Health Protection Agency records all incidences of zoonoses that are brought to the attention of a doctor.

For more detailed information on zoonoses and other diseases see the disease surveillance pages within the Defra website.

Useful links

Further information

  • Defra helpline - 08459 33 55 77
  • Health and Safety Executive infoline - 0845 345 0055
  • NHS Direct for medical advice – 0845 4647

Page last modified: 13 September 2007
Page published: 1 July 2006

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs