Britons were today warned about a horrific diarrhoea-causing parasite after Britain recorded its biggest ever outbreak this year.
More than 770 adults and children have been affected by cryptosporidium, an infection that can pass from animal to human as well as from person to person, and also causes stomach cramps, vomiting and, more rarely, blood in the stool.
Two other separate outbreaks since 2023 have also affected another 700 people with the microscopic bug, health chiefs said.
Dozens suffered from illnesses so serious that they required hospital treatment.
Officials investigating the unusual clusters of cases believe all three were linked to petting zoos that offer cuddly toy lambs.
People can become infected with cryptosporidium through contact with infected feces that they then accidentally ingest by not washing their hands thoroughly.
This could be direct contact from an infected animal or person, or from contaminated surfaces such as farm gates or the bottom of shoes.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), infected people can shed up to 100 million cryptosporidium germs in one bowel movement.
UKHSA warned earlier this month about the risk of cryptosporidium infection from farm visits
Swallowing just ten of these germs is enough to make you sick.
The outbreak involving 775 Britons is believed to be the largest of its kind in England.
According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the two other incidents affected 264 and 482 people respectively.
It mainly affected women aged 18 to 48 and children under 16 who had admitted to cuddling and feeding lambs. At least 75 Britons were hospitalized.
Environmental researchers found inadequate infection prevention and control practices, including concerns about handwashing facilities, animal health, animal handling and feeding, and staff preparedness.
Food was also served in or near where animals were treated.
Authorities did not reveal what month or where the incidents occurred.
The new UKHSA data were presented at the European Scientific Conference on Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology in Stockholm.
Cryptosporidium parasites are protected by a thick shell that allows them to survive even in chlorinated swimming pool water
Earlier this year, Sophie Enright, 14, from Hollywood, near Birmingham, was among those who reported symptoms after her farm visit.
She became ill on April 9 and developed diarrhea, stomach cramps and vomiting six days after her visit to the farm.
Sophie was eventually diagnosed with cryptosporidium and lost a stone during her illness.
Her mother Emma Cleverley, 38, said she feared her daughter’s exam results would suffer because she missed so much school.
According to the UKHSA, people visiting farms should take precautions to protect themselves from infection, including checking that there are good hand washing facilities on farm with hot water, soap and paper towels.
Children and their caregivers should wash their hands carefully after handling the animals and other farm objects and especially before eating or drinking.
Children should not eat or drink or put their fingers in their mouths when they are around animals and before washing their hands.
If possible, visitors should clean shoes and stroller wheels before leaving the farm and wash their hands immediately after cleaning is complete.
Sophie Enright, 14, (pictured) visited a farm with her mother Emma Cleverley, 38, on April 3 and became ill on April 9 with diarrhea, stomach cramps and vomiting
For most people, cryptosporidiosis – the technical name for the infection – is mild.
It usually goes away on its own, without any treatment, within a few days or weeks.
However, it can be more serious for vulnerable people, such as those with weakened immune systems and the elderly or patients undergoing cancer treatment.
Some symptoms, such as abdominal pain and blood in the stool, can be particularly frightening because they mimic the signs of colon cancer, which is known to be on the rise.
Due to the highly contagious nature of the bug, people with symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting are told not to stay at work or school until they have been free of these symptoms for at least 48 hours.
Victims may also experience periods of false hope where their symptoms disappear for a few days, leading them to think they have finally gotten over the infection, only for it to return.
Most people with cryptosporidiosis are not offered treatment and are instead told to drink plenty of fluids and minimize contact with other people while waiting for the symptoms to pass.
People are usually infected through contact with feces containing the parasite, either human or animal, which then enters their mouths.
The risk of water supplies becoming contaminated is also greater after periods of heavy rainfall and when animals are giving birth, such as during lambing season.
Earlier this year, the UKHSA warned about the risk of cryptosporidium infection from farm visits.
In a twist on the classic nursery rhyme, the agency wrote on social media: ‘Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow.
“But wash your hands and dry them too in case there are any cryptocurrencies in them.”