Isle Of Wight Farm Owner Fined After Disease Outbreak Affects More Than 260 Visitors

(c) Health and Safety Executive

An Isle of Wight farm owner has been fined after a major disease outbreak left more than 260 visitors — over half of them children — suffering severe gastrointestinal illness.

Sharon Wheeler, 60, who ran animal bottle-feeding sessions at Hazelgrove Farm in Ryde, admitted breaching health and safety legislation after 264 people were infected with cryptosporidium during April and May 2023.

Many victims described the illness as “the worst diarrhoea and vomiting they had ever experienced”.

Cryptosporidium is a parasite that can be transmitted from animals to humans, causing symptoms including stomach cramps, diarrhoea and nausea.

The outbreak was confirmed after numerous reports of sickness from visitors who had fed lambs and goat kids during the farm’s bottle-feeding activity, which sold around 2,400 tickets over the one-month period.

A joint investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) identified several failings in how the sessions were run, including:

• Lack of a proper risk assessment

• Inadequate hand-washing and drying facilities

• Insufficient information for visitors about zoonotic risks

• Poor supervision, with children seen kissing animals contaminated with faeces

Of the 264 people affected, around 5% required overnight hospital treatment, including children.

More than 1,250 work and school days were lost due to illness or caring responsibilities.

Some victims continue to suffer ongoing health issues and described the psychological toll, with some fearing their children “would not recover”.

District Judge Galloway noted the seriousness of the incident, referring to the “life-threatening” nature of some cases and the long-term impact on families.

Wheeler pleaded guilty at Southampton Magistrates’ Court to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

She was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay £9,528.35 in costs.

HSE inspector Francesca Arnold said the incident was avoidable:

“Farmers must ensure visitors are protected when inviting the public onto their land.

"If zoonotic risks had been properly controlled, this outbreak would not have happened.

"These failures meant a large number of people suffered unnecessary illness, with some experiencing lasting effects.”

The HSE stressed the importance of proper hygiene measures at farm attractions, particularly as animals naturally carry microorganisms that can pose risks to young children and vulnerable people.

Guidance for farm attractions on managing zoonotic risks is available through the Access to Farms website and the industry code of practice “Preventing or Controlling Ill Health from Animal Contact at Visitor Attractions”.