E. coli outbreak - Professor Pennington makes it clear: Children under five should not be allowed to touch animals at petting farms

BBC News reports Professor Hugh Pennington, the microbiologist, as saying that children under five should not be allowed to touch animals at petting farms because they are the "most likely to touch the animals" and "the most difficult part of the population to get to wash their hands".

This is his recommendation following the recent cases of E. coli infections in young children who have visited petting farms (i.e. farms where touching and stroking the animals is allowed). E. coli is a very nasty infection, especially in young children, some of whom have had to be hospitalised. Kidney damage is one of the serious consequences of this illness.

Extract from the BBC report: "Nine children are among those with Godstone Farm-linked infections; one is due to be allowed home later on Saturday, with the others remaining in a stable condition, according to the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

Earlier this week, the HPA apologised for delays in its handling of the Godstone Farm outbreak and announced that an external investigation would be carried out."

Investigation into Health Protection Agency's delay in ordering the closure of Godstone Farm, because of the E.coli outbreak

It is reported in the Telegraph that there will be an investigation into the Health Protection Agency's delay in ordering the closure of Godstone Farm, because of E.coli outbreak.

The Health Protection Agency should have closed down visits to Godstone Farm earlier. E.coli is too serious an illness to take risks with.

BBC News reports on the very serious E.coli outbreak linked to Godstone Farm in Surrey.

The Health Protection Agency doesn't seem to be much good at protecting health, does it? It should have erred on the side of caution. I wonder why it didn't? It's foresight they should be using in that sort of job, not hindsight. In my view, their delay in closing down visits to the farm is indefensible and they bear a heavy share of responsibility for the grave illness of some little children.

Extract from the BBC report:

"Tracy Mock, 39, from Paddock Wood, Kent, said her two-year-old twin boys were taken ill after visiting the farm on 31 August.

"If they had just shut the place down to investigate, my sons would not be in hospital on kidney dialysis machines," she said."