Safe Family Farms: Mind your health in lambing season

Lambing season is a time to be very careful if you are pregnant and living or working on a farm.

Those seriously ill with compromised immune systems should be very mindful of the disease known as toxoplasmosis also because it can be spread from sheep to humans.

Toxoplasmosis is a sneaky disease. You might think you have flu but that would be a big mistake. About 10% of people who develop it experience a runny nose, aches and pains and swollen glands, but what’s even worse is that some people get no symptoms at all, so you may have no inkling that you have it.

In a healthy individual, toxoplasmosis won’t cause problems, but if you are pregnant or immuno-suppressed (taking anti-cancer drugs or have had a transplant, for example), picking up this disease can have serious consequences.

Blindness or brain damage to a baby can be the tragic result for a woman expecting a child. The earlier the stage of pregnancy, the more dangerous contracting the disease is, so being aware of the dangers that the lambing season can present is vital.

Sheep develop the disease after eating grass or feed that infected cats, rats or mice have defecated on. It can be passed on to humans, then, through contact with the infected sheep’s body fluids, eg when the ewe is lambing or by handling clothes worn by those working in the lambing shed.

Contact with cat faeces can occur when gardening or cleaning out litter trays.

“There are two main ways you can get it – from ingesting raw or partly-cooked meat and from infected animals or cat faeces,” Dr Paul McKeown, specialist in public medicine with the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) says.

“People who have weakened immune systems can experience symptoms such as headaches, confusion, seizures and breathing difficulties. Pregnant women are at risk too because their immune systems function less efficiently in order not to reject their baby,” he says.

“A pregnant woman’s ability to fight off infection is actually anything between a fifth and a 20th of that same woman’s ability when she isn’t pregnant, so that leaves her vulnerable to infection.”

Cats are the main carriers of the toxoplasmosis parasite, he says.

“In Ireland, the main transmission pathway is from contact, and accidental ingestion of, cat faeces. This often occurs after hand to mouth contact with the parasite – through touching your mouth, say, after you’ve been gardening and your hands have touched cat faeces-contaminated soil.”

Should cats be banned from sheep farms then? “No, but care is needed if a person is pregnant,” he says. “We have clear guidelines about how to protect yourself. This involves not handling litter trays or being in contact with lambing ewes or clothing worn by anyone who has been near lambing ewes.”

Wash your hands properly

Dr McKeown stresses the importance of proper hand-washing.

“In the old days, farmers would come in for dinner and might or might not wash their hands before they ate,” he says, “but I think there is more understanding now of the importance of hand washing – a good 20-second wash with warm water and soap is needed, not just a rinse and flick. Also remember that having a cigarette or a snack – all those things can bring your fingertips up to your mouth, too. That’s where the danger can be.”

Lambing precautions

Wearing gloves on both hands is important when lambing in order to protect yourself from contamination from amniotic fluids, he adds.

“Gloves should be tight-fitting to give the best protection. Afterwards, wash your hands, even in cold water, to get rid of most of the contamination before heading into the house to wash your hands properly in warm water and soap. A thorough wash is key.”

“There is treatment if a pregnant woman gets a diagnosis,” Dr McKeown says, “but the diagnosis wouldn’t very often be made. They should see their GP if they develop typical symptoms and mention that they are in contact with animals, but avoiding exposure is what’s important.”

Tips to keep you safe

Outdoor clothing should be removed before coming into the house during lambing time.

Hands, arms and face should be washed thoroughly to eliminate infection.

Protective clothing should be very well-washed.

Toxoplasmosis is caused by a microscopic parasite toxoplasma gondii. Cats are the primary host of toxoplasma gondii and an infected cat can shed millions of oocysts (eggs) that can contaminate feed stores, pasture and water supplies.

Sheep become infected with Toxoplasma by eating these oocysts in their feed environment. If the ewe is pregnant at the time of infection, she may lose her lambs, abort or have stillborn, mummified or weak lambs. Once ewes have been infected they are immune for life.

The control of toxoplasmosis in sheep is based on the prevention of infection by preventing access of cats to feedstuffs and hay, a vet told us.

If Toxoplasma is identified as the cause of abortion in your sheep, there is a vaccine available. The vaccine is a live vaccine and should not be given to pregnant ewes or less than three weeks prior to mating.

Precautions should also be taken by farmers handling the vaccine, as self-injection can result in disease in humans.

See www.hse.ie for its Staying Healthy on the Farm leaflet and www.hpsc.ie

Arthur Byrne, public safety at ESB networks highlights some important electrical safety checks

When it comes to the electricity network, the message is to always watch out for overhead wires and never approach or touch fallen wires. Always keep a safe distance from electricity wires. Remember, anything that is in contact with electricity wires will be ‘dangerous to touch. This could include gates, fences, including electric fences.

Replace damaged tools and equipment and always get a registered electrical contractor to carry out repairs. Pay attention to plug tops and check for any damage. If you have a generator or are planning to get one, make sure it is installed properly with the correct change-over switch.

At this time of year, carry out a proper inspection of the entire electrical installation. Make sure you have a correctly functioning RCD device (trip switch) fitted and test it regularly by pushing the ‘test’ button.

Remember, plan work that may be happening near overhead wires and alert ESB Networks in advance and always keep clear of fallen wires. The number to ring is 1850 372 999.