Keeping Visitors Safe at Your Agritourism Business Fact Sheet

Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention, and Control
625 Robert Street North
P.O. Box 64975
St. Paul, MN 55164-0975
651-201-5414

Keeping Visitors Safe at Your Agritourism Business
Are farm tours safe?
Farm tours give people of all ages an exciting
opportunity to interact with animals face-to-face. This
allows people to learn more about animals and
agriculture, but it can also put people at risk for
becoming ill from farm animals. This fact sheet is
meant to help you understand the risks and then give
you ways to minimize them. We encourage people to
interact with animals while at the same time taking the
appropriate precautions.
What are zoonotic diseases?
Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases that can be
spread between animals and people.
What are some examples of germs from animals
that can cause illness in people?
• Campylobacter
• Salmonella
• E. coli O157:H7
• Yersinia enterocolitica
• Cryptosporidium
Is it common to find these types of germs on a
farm?
Yes, some germs occur naturally in the intestines of
healthy livestock and poultry and are passed in the
animals’ feces. Even if an animal appears healthy, it
could still pass these germs to people. Some of these
germs, like Cryptosporidium, can also make animals
sick.
How do people get sick from these germs?
People get sick from these germs by swallowing
them. They may end up on your hands after contact
with typical farm and petting zoo animals and their
environments. Once the germs are on your hands,
you can accidentally transfer them to your mouth
while eating, drinking, or during other hand-to-mouth
activities such as smoking or thumb sucking.
Young animals are especially likely to have these
germs because they haven’t had a chance to become
immune to them.

How can I reduce my visitors’ risk of getting sick
from animals while at my business?
• Ensure that hand washing stations with running
water and soap are positioned where guests will
use them after visiting the animals. These
should be accessible for children and persons
with disabilities. Also, have a plan in place for
restocking paper towels, soap, and water.
• Hand sanitizer should be used as a supplement
to soap and water, but does not replace soap
and water because it doesn’t kill parasites like
Cryptosporidium.
• Visitors should not be allowed into pens. Petting
of animals should only be allowed over/through
barriers (fences).
• Manure/soiled bedding should not be
transported through public areas.
• Animals showing signs of illness such as
diarrhea, skin lesions, or coughing, should not
be a part of the exhibit.
• Your operation should have transition areas at
the entrance between non-animal and animal
areas. Signage should be at the entrances (i.e.,
animals can carry germs that make people sick,
no food or drink allowed in animal areas). Exit
areas should have hand washing stations so
that visitors can’t miss them.
• Keep food, drinks, baby bottles, pacifiers, toys,
and strollers out of animal areas.
• Children younger than 5 years old should be
supervised while interacting with the animals
and during hand washing and they should not
have any direct contact with calves. Young
children are more likely to get sick because they
often touch surfaces contaminated with manure
and are more likely to put their hands in their
mouth.

What are the symptoms in people?
The most common symptoms are diarrhea and
abdominal pain. Other symptoms may include fever,
vomiting, cramps, and bloody diarrhea. People with
mild symptoms usually recover without treatment.
However, these illnesses can lead to hospitalization
and severe complications also can occur.

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What animals carry which germs?
The tables below outline what animals carry which germs, as well as symptoms to watch out for in both
animals and humans.
Table 1. Types of germs commonly found in farm animals.
Species of Animal
Cattle

Sheep

Goats

Llamas

Pigs

Chickens, ducks,
turkeys
Rabbits

Bacteria
Campylobacter
Salmonella
Escherichia coli O157:H7
Leptospira
Coxiella burnetii (Q fever)
Campylobacter
Salmonella
Escherichia coli O157:H7
Coxiella burnetii (Q Fever)
Campylobacter
Salmonella
Escherichia coli O157:H7
Coxiella burnetii (Q Fever)
Campylobacter
Salmonella
Escherichia coli O157:H7
Campylobacter
Salmonella
Leptospira
Yersinia enterocolitica
Campylobacter
Salmonella

Parasite
Cryptosporidium

Fungus
Dermatophytosis
(Ringworm)

Virus

Dermatophytosis
(Ringworm)

Influenza

Dermatophytosis
(Ringworm)
Dermatophytosis
(Ringworm)

Influenza

Table 2. Common symptoms in animals and humans.
Germ
Campylobacter

Primary Symptoms in Humans
Diarrhea, fever

E. coli O157:H7

Symptoms in Animals
Diarrhea (cattle, sheep, and goats may
have abortions)
Cattle may have fever, diarrhea, and
abortion
None

Cryptosporidium

Calves may have diarrhea and scours

Watery diarrhea, fever, nausea,
vomiting

Salmonella

Diarrhea, fever
Bloody diarrhea, cramps

For more information, please visit the Minnesota Department of Health website at www.health.state.mn.us or
contact Carrie Klumb at 651-201-5414. For more information on the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and
Health (UMASH) Center, please visit the website at www.umash.umn.edu.

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