The state of Arkansas has 14.5 million acres of farmland, 6.2 million acres of crops, 8.3 million acres of livestock and hay, and 18.8 million acres of forest. Agriculture is Arkansas’ largest industry, accounting for nearly $16 Billion of Arkansas’ economy. Not only is a lot of Arkansas covered in farm land, but most people are farmers or have to associate with them in some way. Even in our schools, Agriculture is very popular and a normal thing to be in. One of the most popular activities in an Agriculture (Ag) class is Animal Showing. An animal show is a form of exhibition featuring the display or performance of one or more breeds of mammal. Students and teachers go on long trips to display their farm animals, such as; cows, goats, horses, pets, chickens, rabbits, sheep, and pigs.

But is this event safe? Farmers and farm workers can easily be injured by livestock. Cattle, pigs, horses, sheep and other farm animals can be unpredictable and should be treated with caution at all times. Attempting to lift or push animals can cause injury, and animals are capable of transmitting certain diseases. Diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans, such as bird flu and tuberculosis, can be very dangerous. Most human infections with zoonoses come from livestock, including pigs, chickens, cattle, goats, sheep and camels. About 60 percent of all human diseases and 75 percent of all emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, according to the researchers. Now researchers have found 13 so-called zoonoses that are responsible for 2.2 million human deaths every year. Out of the 56 zoonoses that are responsible for around 2.5 billion human illnesses, 2.7 million deaths per year, and 13 of them are very deadly. Some of the most common zoonoses are:

• Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which you can get from a tick bite.
• West Nile virus, which you can get from a mosquito bite.
• Dengue, malaria, and chikungunya, which you can get if you travel to areas where these diseases are common, such as the Caribbean, and are bitten by an infected mosquito.
• Salmonella infection, which you can get after handling a baby chick, chicken, duck, turtle, or snake.
• E. coli infection, which you can catch if you touch areas in a petting zoo or animal exhibit where some of the animals are infected. You can also catch E. coli infection if you work at a dairy farm because cows can have E. coli germs on their udders.

Living in an area with a high population of farm animals, and raising a lot of livestock, this town could have more of a chance to get these diseases. Actually a couple weeks ago, an Agriculture teacher ended up in the hospital in Hillsboro for a type of zoonoses. He was hospitalized for 3 weeks and almost died. The doctors say that he could’ve been bitten by a fly that bit a cow, or could’ve just been too close to an infected animal. They still haven’t found out what kind of zoonoses he has, but he seems to be a bit better now. When asked if this illness changed how he was going to handle himself around animals, he said no. Some people can’t change how they act around animals, especially if they had been involved for a long time. There is nothing wrong with that, but a point that could be discussed is taking some extra precautions around animals.

Mr. Barns an agriculture teacher was asked about the precautions that he takes personally around animals and the ones that are required. His response was, “There are not any precautions that they make us do, but I always wash my hands and keep germ-x around.” There are more rules about the animal’s safety than humans. Breeding livestock and all hogs must have health papers showing that they have been examined by a vet in the 3 months prior to the show. Registered cattle all have to have a record of vaccinations. Most livestock exhibitors vaccinate their animals and provide medicated feed because of the fact that they want their animals to be the best and healthiest they can be.

The reason for this article is to try and show you that taking some extra precautions may be “unnecessary” to some people, but it could help out a lot. Even the simple things such as washing your hands after you touch an animal, or using some kind of disinfectant  could save you from getting sick. Getting vaccinations for yourself and your animals is always important. Wear gloves when feeding calves and when treating sick animals. Milking parlors should have splash guards in place to prevent contact. Exposed skin should be protected; pants should be tucked into socks. Examine skin carefully after exposure to certain animals and insects. Treating or disposal of infected animals, adequate disposal of infected tissues, proper cleaning of contaminated sites and proper use of personal protective equipment is very important as well. Over all just be safe and clean around your animals and you should be fine, use whatever precautions you think are necessary to keeping you safe.