There was a recent case of 15 people in Florida becoming ill after having visited a petting zoo, but this is fairly rare. Another spate of cases occurred in North Carolina last year. It is important to note that while the petting zoos are suspected in the cases, there is no definitive evidence of causation. Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), the kidney disease that developed in these people, has an annual incidence of one in 10,000. In other words, if 150,000 people visit a petting zoo (or any other location), 15 of them may contract HUS.

Ultimately, it is probably safe enough to visit a petting zoo, but don't allow children to put their fingers in their mouths after contact with the animals or their food without thoroughly washing their hands.

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