A PETTING farm in Yorkshire caught up in a nationwide E.coli poisoning scare says visitors are returning to the attraction after it fully reopened.
The Big Sheep Little Cow Farm in Bedale was advised by Hambleton Council nearly a month ago that it could welcome back customers following an investigation.
Yesterday a spokesman said: "We are open for business as normal. We are open all year roun
d and things are slowly picking up again."
The farm attraction part-closed voluntarily on September 25 while the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and partners investigated cases of E. coli O157 possibly connected to the farm.
It followed confirmation three visitors to the farm had the infection. A further five cases were also potentially linked, according to regional HPA director Dr Stephen Morton.
The HPA had worked closely with Hambleton Council and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency.
The farm had been advised about a comprehensive set of measures, including thorough cleaning, to minimise infection risks in areas where investigations identified the bug.
Officials had also recommended that activities that may carry a high risk of contact with E. coli O157 were no longer carried out by visitors.
But it was not possible to fully eliminate any infection risk where children might be exposed to the bacteria through direct contact with particular animals.
Dr Morton added: "This is why it is crucial that both adults and children practice thorough hand washing immediately following any contact with farm animals."
E. coli O157 can infect humans who consume food or water contaminated by faeces from infected animals, usually causing diarrhoea but occasionally serious kidney and blood complications.
Owner Carol Clark, who has run the attraction for 20 years with her husband, told the Yorkshire Post in September the infection could have come from recently purchased calves.
