A MUM says her five-year-old son was hospitalised with an animal parasite that “could have killed him” after a visit to a kids’ play farm.
Kelly Roberts and little Eli had been to Gannow Farm in Worcestershire over the Easter weekend, which is under investigation following reports of people falling ill after visiting.
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“We came for a nice family day out and left with a bug that could have killed him,” the mum-of-two from Birmingham tells Sun Health.
Just ten days after visiting the farm, which offers cuddles with lambs and calves, Eli was rushed to Birmingham Children’s Hospital with severe sickness and diarrhoea.
He had picked up a disease called cryptosporidiosis, which can affect both people and farm animals.
“Seeing my son hooked to an IV drip, having blood taken from his arms and not able to drink any water was just horrifying,” Kelly, an NHS admin worker, says.
The mum first realised Eli had “more than just your typical bug” when he woke up one morning covered in bright green vomit.
“The colour was like nothing I had ever seen before,” she explains.
Two days earlier, Eli had been sent home from school after having thrown up.
He had also started suffering from a “funny tummy” and “runny poos”, his mum says.
While in the hospital, Eli’s condition rapidly deteriorated as doctors conducted several tests to find the source of his illness.
He vomited nearly constantly, developed a fever, couldn’t eat or drink anything and became very lethargic.
His runny stools developed into violent diarrhoea, which smelt “absolutely horrendous”, the mum says.
The diarrhoea got so uncontrollable that Eli’s mum had to put her child back in nappies.
Doctors and nurses, who were still unsure what was making Eli so unwell, started taking special infectious disease control measures while treating him, which included wearing gowns and gloves.
“It was so scary at this point,” she says.
“I was in tears everyday. Everytime we though he was turning a corner he would get very ill again.
“I started fearing for his life.”
‘Could take weeks for him to get better’
A stool sample taken from Eli came best testing postive for cryptosporidium, the parasite that causes the infection cryptosporidiosis,
“When I told the doctor we had recently visited Gannow, he told me that was probably where Eli picked up the bug,” she says.
“He told me Eli wasn’t the only child in the hospital with cryptosporidiosis who had been to that particular farm.”
Kelly, who has been taking her Eli and his older brother Adam, eight, to fun farms for years has been “put off” from ever returning.
“We took all precautions, we washed our hands when there, took shoes off in the car, had hot shower when home, ate our own food and he still got ill.
“I don’t want to go through anything like this ever again” she says.
Though anyone can get the bug, it tends to infect children younger than five, causing watery diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pains that can last days or weeks.
After a four-day stint in the hospital, Eli was sent home – but he is still very sick.
“He can’t keep much food down and is on dehydrated tablets,” Kelly says.
“It could take weeks for him to get better.”
‘Too early to confirm source of illness’
Although the outbreak has not been officially linked to the farm, the site admitted in a post on social media, whihc has since been deleted, that it was the “probable source”.
The UK Health Security Agency has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the sickness bug, after recieving reports that 38 vistors were diagnsoed with cryptosporidis after visiting the farm.
Dr Naveed Syed, from UKHSA told the Sun: “UKHSA is working with Worcestershire Regulatory Services to investigate reports of diarrhoea and vomiting in people who visited an open farm in Worcestershire over the Easter weekend.
“Samples have just been collected to send off for analysis, it is therefore too early to confirm the source of illness.”
Then Sun has approached Gannow Farm for comment about Eli’s case.
In a post shared on Facebook last week. the farm said the venue was “deeply saddened” by the reports of people’s sickness and added it had “made every precaution possible” to prevent such an outbreak.
“It seems highly likely that we are the probable source of a bug called Cryptosporidium, which has made a number of our visitors ill with sickness and diarrhoea.”
The spokesperson explained: “We are truly devastated people are poorly and wish them the very best recovery.
“Please be kind to the staff as they have all worked so hard to make this year enjoyable and safe as possible for you all.”
They also stated that Gannow Farm had requested an urgent visit by Environmental Health to assess the attraction and establish a root cause.
The venue annouced it was closing for the remainder of its Farm Experience 2024 season, with refunds issued for tickets bought for the next two weekends.
“We took the decision to close as we are unsure if the infection came from the farm,” a spokesperson said.
“We take visitors health very seriously and want to the best by all.”
The decision to close was taken by Gannow Farm’s team rather than governing bodies, though it shared that it was working with them closely.
How is it spread?
Cryptosporidium is spread directly from another person or animal by touching material that has come into contact with faeces.
One way this can happen is by petting an animal and then putting hands near your mouth without washing them thoroughly.
You can also get the bug from swimming in or drinking contaminated water.
Occasionally, you can be infected by eating contaminated food, including unwashed or unpeeled vegetables or salads or drinking contaminated raw milk.
For most people, cryptosporidiosis is mild.
It typically clears on its own without any treatment within a few days or weeks.
However, for vulnerable people, like those with weakened immune systems and the elderly or patients undergoing cancer treatment, it can be more serious.
Due to its highly infectious nature people with symptoms such as diarrhoea and vomiting are told to stay off work or school until they have been free from these symptoms for at least 48 hours.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
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Symptoms of cryptosporidiosis and how to avoid it
SYMPTOMS of the bug include:
- Profuse watery diarrhoea
- Stomach pains
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Low-grade fever
- Loss of appetite
- Dehydration
- Weight loss
Symptoms usually last for about two weeks but can be longer, especially in people with weak immune systems.
During the illness, you might think that you are getting better and have shaken off the infection but then it returns a couple of days later before you fully recover.
Take the following steps to protect yourself from the illness.
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water:
- Before preparing and eating food
- After handling raw food
- After going to the toilet or changing a baby’s nappy
- After working with, feeding, grooming or playing with pets and other animals
Help young children to wash their hands properly and always wash and/or peel fruits and vegetables before eating them.
Do not drink untreated water.
You should pay special attention to hygiene during farm visits, washing hands after any contact with animals, and eating only in designated areas.
How do I treat the illness?
There is no specific treatment for cryptosporidiosis.
Most people with a healthy immune system will recover within one month.
It’s important to drink plenty of fluids as diarrhoea or vomiting can lead to dehydration and you can lose important sugars and minerals from your body.
Cryptosporidiosis is highly infectious, so you need to be very clean around your home for at least 48 hours after your symptoms stop, so don’t return to work or school until that time has passed, don’t share towels or bedding and don’t prepare food for others.
You are infectious to other people while you are ill and have symptom