Public Health Wales has advised farmers holding lamb-feeding events to limit offering close contact with animals.
The advice was issued after a report on a large Cryptosporidium outbreak among people who went to a farm in Wales in spring 2024 for lamb-feeding events, where visitors were encouraged to hold and cuddle lambs. More than 200 people became ill and 18 went to hospital. Children under the age of 10 were four times more likely to become sick.
In May 2025, another outbreak of Cryptosporidium was associated with a lamb-feeding event in Wales, resulting in 89 confirmed cases and 16 people requiring overnight hospital care.
Mostly children sick
In the 2024 outbreak, 57 cases were laboratory-confirmed as Cryptosporidium parvum and 135 were probable cases. People who had closer levels of contact with lambs were much more likely to become ill than those who didn’t touch the animals. The odds of becoming unwell increased with each week the event was open.
The farm voluntarily closed the barn and lamb-feeding experience to the public following reports of illnesses in March 2024, and the owner requested a veterinary visit to assess the lambs. It has since improved procedures in preparation for future lamb-feeding events.
According to the study, published in Epidemiology and Infection, the age range for 67 cases was 1 to 62, with a high proportion of children aged up to 9 and adults aged 30 to 39; the majority of cases were female.
Diarrhea was the most common symptom, followed by abdominal pain, and vomiting. Of the 18 people that attended hospital, 10 were admitted overnight with an average stay of 2.2 nights.
A fecal sample from one of the lambs used for the event matched reported human cases. About 50 lambs were included in the feeding experience. Half of these were brought from two local farms and the rest were from the farm itself.
Close contact risk
Each booking group was given a bottle to feed the lambs. Onsite inspections revealed handwashing facilities to be basic, with one sink at the entrance/exit of the barn, which was supplied by cold water only. There were a small number of visible signs highlighting the importance of handwashing.
The farmer said people held the lambs for prolonged periods, during which time they often urinated or defecated on visitors. Case interviews said the paper towels and soap provided had often run out, and that some lambs seemed unwell.
Washing hands with soap and water was protective against illness, compared to using water only.
Dr. Christopher Williams, consultant epidemiologist for Public Health Wales and one of the authors of the report, said: “It is really important that effective safety provisions are made for these events, as Cryptosporidium is very common in young animals, and this report shows that when young children have close contact with animals like lambs – when they cuddle, kiss or nuzzle their faces – then there is a significant risk of contracting the infection, which can cause serious illness and result in hospitalization.
“This report recommends that lamb or calf feeding is supervised and done with the animals separated from the visitors by their pens. This means that people can still bottle feed the animals but can have greater protection against illness.”
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