Latest news with #KateWiejak
Times
12-05-2025
- Health
- Times
Boy, 4, hospitalised after contracting parasite at petting farm
A four-year-old boy was hospitalised for three days after visiting a petting farm in Wales as public health authorities investigated 74 cases of parasitic infections linked to the site. Gareth Carpenter and Kate Wiejak, from Bridgend, said their son Michael started to feel unwell after he visited Cowbridge Farm Shop, at Marlborough Grange Farm in the Vale of Glamorgan on April 11. The family was on holiday in Malaga, Spain, three days after going to the farm, when Michael started getting symptoms of a cryptosporidium infection. He experienced a raised temperature and diarrhoea. Wiejak told the BBC that the boy's grandmother blamed herself for taking him to the farm, but said she wished more information had been given about the potential risks to people attending
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Boy, four, raced to hospital after getting 'nightmare' symptoms on holiday - as 73 others also fall ill following petting farm trip
A four-year-old boy was left hospitalised abroad after an innocent trip to the farm resulted in 'nightmare' symptoms caused by a deadly infection. Michael, from Bridgend, south Wales, visited Cowbridge Farm Shop at Marlborough Grange Farm in Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan, on April 11 with his grandmother, Margaret Carpenter, while his family packed for their long-awaited holiday. The young boy's mother, Kate Wiejak, 39, told BBC News that her son had visited the farm 'every single year' and, as most children do, utterly adored petting the lambs, ensuring to wash his hands afterwards and use hand sanitizer. His father, Gareth Carpenter, said the family were 'looking forward to a nice holiday' with a group of friends and insisted that they 'wouldn't dream' of boarding a flight if there was any sign their young son was feeling unwell. But the tranquility of their holiday was to be short-lived. Just two days after Ms Wiejak, her 16-year-old daughter and Mr Carpenter, boarded their flight to Malaga, Michael began to show symptoms of being significantly unwell. Reporting a raised temperature and diarrhoea by April 14, Mr Carpenter, 46, initially believed his son's sudden illness was due to poor food or too much sun and had full confidence that Michael would soon feel 'right as rain' following a small dosage of Calpol. The reality, however, was to be far worse. After Michael continued to feel unwell throughout the night, his parents were left with no choice but to pay an eye-watering sum of €5,000 (£4,229) to get Michael seen by a nearby private hospital. Describing their terrifying ordeal as an 'absolute nightmare' but quick to praise the 'absolutely amazing' hospital staff, Ms Wiejak added: 'We literally saw a doctor within 10 minutes, I was shocked.' After three days in hospital battling what doctors believed to be a serious infection of sorts, Michael's anxious parents said they were driving themselves 'crazy', questioning what could have caused their son's sudden deterioration. Upon their return to Wales, given that Michael was still reporting a poorly stomach, they eventually took him to see a GP on April 22. Just one day after providing a stool sample, Ms Carpenter received a call from Public Health Wales who confirmed that Michael had been infected with cryptosporidium, also known as crypto. His son, he learnt, had become just one of 73 others thought to have been infected with the deadly parasite after attending a calf and lamb feeding session at the popular farm. While both Ms Wiejak and Mr Carpenter later became unwell with milder symptoms, nobody else in their holiday party contracted the infection, with Michael eventually making a full recovery. The infection, which can be life-threatening for those with vulnerable immune systems, can be caught via contact with infected faeces, either directly from an infected animal or person, or from contaminated surfaces like farm gates or the bottom of shoes. It then spreads through people failing to wash their hands properly, with infected individuals shedding up to 100million cryptosporidium germs in a single bowel movement, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). What is cryptosporidium? - Cryptosporidium is a parasite (a tiny organism) that causes an infection called cryptosporidiosis affecting people and farm animals. - You can get cryptosporidiosis directly from another person or animal by touching faeces, (for example when changing a nappy) and putting your hands near or in your mouth without washing them thoroughly. - You can also get cryptosporidiosis from infected animals or by swimming in, or drinking contaminated water. Occasionally you can be infected by eating and drinking contaminated food, part - While anyone can catch the infection, it is most common in children aged between one and five-years-old. - For most people, the illness is unpleasant but self-limiting. However, it can be a serious illness in people who have immune systems that are not working properly. - Those who catch the infection should not return to work or school until you are free from diarrhoea and/or vomiting for 48 hours. Source: NHS 111 Wales. Swallowing just ten of these germs is enough to get ill, with symptoms, such as abdominal pain and blood in stools, vomiting and diarrhoea, lasting for two weeks before it is clear from one's system. However, bouts of illness can last even longer, particularly for those with weakened immune systems, alongside the elderly. When the outbreak at the Welsh farm was first identified in late April, health chiefs identified just 47 cases of the parasite that can cause gastrointestinal illness—including stomach cramps, vomiting and in rarer cases blood in stools. But just two days ago, Public Health Wales (PHW) reported 16 hospitalisations, with that figure expected to rise over the coming week. Now, following the outbreak, the farm has stopped all feeding and petting sessions and are continuing to cooperate with the ongoing PHW investigation. Su Mably, a consultant in health protection at PHW, said they are continuing to work with the Cardiff and Vale health board and Vale of Glamorgan council to fully understand the wider risk to the public. She said: 'While the infection is usually mild and self-limiting, it can be more serious illness in young children or people with weakened immune systems. 'We urge anyone who visited the farm and is feeling unwell to contact their GP or NHS 111. Practicing good hygiene is the best way to protect yourself and others'. Due to the bug's highly infectious nature people with symptoms of cryptosporidium 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. Treatment is typically not required. Michael's case comes after the UKHSA issued a warning last year about the risk of cryptosporidium infection from farm visits They are also encouraged to take steps to minimise the risk of passing the parasite on to other people in their household, including washing dirty clothes, bedding and towels on the hottest setting, and not preparing food others. It also comes after the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued a warning last year about the risk of cryptosporidium infection from farm visits. In a twist on the classic children's rhyme the agency wrote on social media: 'Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow. 'But wash your hands and dry them too in case it has crypto.'
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Family's 'nightmare' as boy, 4, hit by farm parasite
The parents of a four-year-old boy who became very unwell after a trip to a petting farm have described the "nightmare" of his symptoms developing while on holiday abroad. Public health officials are examining 74 cases of cryptosporidium linked to visits to Cowbridge Farm Shop at Marlborough Grange Farm in Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan, during April. Cryptosporidium is a parasite, often linked to contact with young farm animals, that can infect your bowels and cause an unpleasant and sometimes dangerous illness. Public Health Wales (PHW) said 16 of those affected by the outbreak had been hospitalised for at least one night. The farm shop, which the BBC has approached for comment, has voluntarily suspended its feeding and petting sessions and is cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation, PHW said. Number of people ill due to petting farm hits 74 Dozens ill after farm shop petting sessions Gareth Carpenter and Kate Wiejak, from Bridgend, said their son Michael visited the farm on 11 April with his grandmother, Margaret Carpenter, while they packed for a family holiday. Kate, 39, said: "We go every single year, we love lamb petting, it's an amazing attraction for kids." Kate said Margaret "made sure" Michael washed his hands afterwards, and also used hand sanitiser. The following day, the family - including Kate's 16-year-old daughter and both of Michael's grandmothers - flew to Spain, renting a villa in Malaga with another family. "We were looking forward to a nice holiday," said Gareth, adding they "wouldn't dream" of getting on the flight if there had been any sign of illness beforehand. But by 14 April, Michael had begun to feel unwell, with a raised temperature and diarrhoea. "We put it down to the food, or that he'd had too much sun as we'd been out by the pool for a couple of hours," said Gareth, 46. "We thought, give him some sleep and a bit of Calpol and by the morning he'd be right as rain." But Michael continued to be very unwell throughout the night and so, the following morning, they called the emergency medical services who advised them to take Michael to hospital. They said "luckily" there was a private hospital just a five minutes' drive away. The couple paid an €850 (£719) deposit to get Michael seen - €5,000 (£4,229) in total, later claimed back through their insurance - but said staff were "absolutely amazing" despite significant language barriers. "We literally saw a doctor within 10 minutes, I was shocked," said Kate. Doctors said Michael had a serious infection and he spent three days in hospital. "It was an absolute nightmare," said Kate. Gareth said that he believed Michael came "very close to death". On their return to Wales that weekend, which was a bank holiday, Michael still had a "bad belly" and so they took him to see a GP on 22 April, who requested a stool sample. "We were driving ourselves crazy," said Gareth. "We were thinking, was it a bit of chicken he ate, or an ice cream his Nana gave him - she was feeling terrible about that - or was it something in the water?" Gareth said he received a call from Public Health Wales the following day to say the test result had shown Michael was infected with cryptosporidium, and they asked him if Michael had been around any animals. When Gareth shared the details of the farm visit, he said he was told that there were a number of other cases of the infection linked to the same venue. Both Kate and Gareth later became unwell with similar, but much milder, symptoms and Gareth said he was still experiencing stomach cramps, more than four weeks after Michael's contact with the animals. But they said Michael had now made a full recovery, and no one else in their holiday party had contracted it. Kate said Margaret "blames herself" for taking Michael to the farm, but said she wished "more information" had been given to people attending the petting sessions about the potential risks. "It's only when something happens that you realise how serious it is," said Gareth. "I would hate to see another parent go through the same thing." Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite that can cause an unpleasant and sometimes dangerous illness called cryptosporidiosis. It lives in the intestines of infected humans and animals and is passed out in their poo. It can then spread to water sources like lakes, rivers, and swimming pools, as well as food like raw milk. The illness can affect anyone but is most common in children aged one to five. Symptoms, which can last for around two weeks, include severe watery diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach cramps, nausea, fever, and loss of appetite. There is no specific treatment but most people feel better within a month. Source: UK Health Security Agency Su Mably, consultant in health protection for Public Health Wales, said: "We are continuing to work with our partners to investigate this outbreak. "Although cryptosporidium infection is usually mild and clears up on its own, it can cause more serious illness in young children and people with weakened immune systems. "If you visited the farm and feel unwell, please contact your GP or call NHS 111. "It is possible for this infection to be passed on from one person to another, for example if someone is caring for a family member who is unwell. "It is important to protect yourself by washing your hands well, particularly before preparing food." What is the water parasite making some people ill? Warning of 'massive impact' of farm virus in Wales
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Family's 'nightmare' as boy, 4, hit by farm parasite
The parents of a four-year-old boy who became very unwell after a trip to a petting farm have described the "nightmare" of his symptoms developing while on holiday abroad. Public health officials are examining 74 cases of cryptosporidium linked to visits to Cowbridge Farm Shop at Marlborough Grange Farm in Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan, during April. Cryptosporidium is a parasite, often linked to contact with young farm animals, that can infect your bowels and cause an unpleasant and sometimes dangerous illness. Public Health Wales (PHW) said 16 of those affected by the outbreak had been hospitalised for at least one night. The farm shop, which the BBC has approached for comment, has voluntarily suspended its feeding and petting sessions and is cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation, PHW said. Number of people ill due to petting farm hits 74 Dozens ill after farm shop petting sessions Gareth Carpenter and Kate Wiejak, from Bridgend, said their son Michael visited the farm on 11 April with his grandmother, Margaret Carpenter, while they packed for a family holiday. Kate, 39, said: "We go every single year, we love lamb petting, it's an amazing attraction for kids." Kate said Margaret "made sure" Michael washed his hands afterwards, and also used hand sanitiser. The following day, the family - including Kate's 16-year-old daughter and both of Michael's grandmothers - flew to Spain, renting a villa in Malaga with another family. "We were looking forward to a nice holiday," said Gareth, adding they "wouldn't dream" of getting on the flight if there had been any sign of illness beforehand. But by 14 April, Michael had begun to feel unwell, with a raised temperature and diarrhoea. "We put it down to the food, or that he'd had too much sun as we'd been out by the pool for a couple of hours," said Gareth, 46. "We thought, give him some sleep and a bit of Calpol and by the morning he'd be right as rain." But Michael continued to be very unwell throughout the night and so, the following morning, they called the emergency medical services who advised them to take Michael to hospital. They said "luckily" there was a private hospital just a five minutes' drive away. The couple paid an €850 (£719) deposit to get Michael seen - €5,000 (£4,229) in total, later claimed back through their insurance - but said staff were "absolutely amazing" despite significant language barriers. "We literally saw a doctor within 10 minutes, I was shocked," said Kate. Doctors said Michael had a serious infection and he spent three days in hospital. "It was an absolute nightmare," said Kate. Gareth said that he believed Michael came "very close to death". On their return to Wales that weekend, which was a bank holiday, Michael still had a "bad belly" and so they took him to see a GP on 22 April, who requested a stool sample. "We were driving ourselves crazy," said Gareth. "We were thinking, was it a bit of chicken he ate, or an ice cream his Nana gave him - she was feeling terrible about that - or was it something in the water?" Gareth said he received a call from Public Health Wales the following day to say the test result had shown Michael was infected with cryptosporidium, and they asked him if Michael had been around any animals. When Gareth shared the details of the farm visit, he said he was told that there were a number of other cases of the infection linked to the same venue. Both Kate and Gareth later became unwell with similar, but much milder, symptoms and Gareth said he was still experiencing stomach cramps, more than four weeks after Michael's contact with the animals. But they said Michael had now made a full recovery, and no one else in their holiday party had contracted it. Kate said Margaret "blames herself" for taking Michael to the farm, but said she wished "more information" had been given to people attending the petting sessions about the potential risks. "It's only when something happens that you realise how serious it is," said Gareth. "I would hate to see another parent go through the same thing." Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite that can cause an unpleasant and sometimes dangerous illness called cryptosporidiosis. It lives in the intestines of infected humans and animals and is passed out in their poo. It can then spread to water sources like lakes, rivers, and swimming pools, as well as food like raw milk. The illness can affect anyone but is most common in children aged one to five. Symptoms, which can last for around two weeks, include severe watery diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach cramps, nausea, fever, and loss of appetite. There is no specific treatment but most people feel better within a month. Source: UK Health Security Agency Su Mably, consultant in health protection for Public Health Wales, said: "We are continuing to work with our partners to investigate this outbreak. "Although cryptosporidium infection is usually mild and clears up on its own, it can cause more serious illness in young children and people with weakened immune systems. "If you visited the farm and feel unwell, please contact your GP or call NHS 111. "It is possible for this infection to be passed on from one person to another, for example if someone is caring for a family member who is unwell. "It is important to protect yourself by washing your hands well, particularly before preparing food." What is the water parasite making some people ill? Warning of 'massive impact' of farm virus in Wales
BBC News
10-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Cryptosporidium: Boy, 4, hospitalised after visit to farm in Cowbridge
The parents of a four-year-old boy who became very unwell after a trip to a petting farm have described the "nightmare" of his symptoms developing while on holiday health officials are examining 74 cases of cryptosporidium linked to visits to Cowbridge Farm Shop at Marlborough Grange Farm in Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan, during is a parasite, often linked to contact with young farm animals, that can infect your bowels and cause an unpleasant and sometimes dangerous Health Wales (PHW) said 16 of those affected by the outbreak had been hospitalised for at least one night. The farm shop, which the BBC has approached for comment, has voluntarily suspended its feeding and petting sessions and is cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation, PHW said. Gareth Carpenter and Kate Wiejak, from Bridgend, said their son Michael visited the farm on 11 April with his grandmother, Margaret Carpenter, while they packed for a family 39, said: "We go every single year, we love lamb petting, it's an amazing attraction for kids."Kate said Margaret "made sure" Michael washed his hands afterwards, and also used hand sanitiser. The following day, the family - including Kate's 16-year-old daughter and both of Michael's grandmothers - flew to Spain, renting a villa in Malaga with another family."We were looking forward to a nice holiday," said Gareth, adding they "wouldn't dream" of getting on the flight if there had been any sign of illness by 14 April, Michael had begun to feel unwell, with a raised temperature and diarrhoea."We put it down to the food, or that he'd had too much sun as we'd been out by the pool for a couple of hours," said Gareth, 46."We thought, give him some sleep and a bit of Calpol and by the morning he'd be right as rain."But Michael continued to be very unwell throughout the night and so, the following morning, they called the emergency medical services who advised them to take Michael to hospital. They said "luckily" there was a private hospital just a five minutes' drive couple paid an €850 (£719) deposit to get Michael seen - €5,000 (£4,229) in total, later claimed back through their insurance - but said staff were "absolutely amazing" despite significant language barriers."We literally saw a doctor within 10 minutes, I was shocked," said said Michael had a serious infection and he spent three days in hospital."It was an absolute nightmare," said said that he believed Michael came "very close to death". On their return to Wales that weekend, which was a bank holiday, Michael still had a "bad belly" and so they took him to see a GP on 22 April, who requested a stool sample."We were driving ourselves crazy," said Gareth. "We were thinking, was it a bit of chicken he ate, or an ice cream his Nana gave him - she was feeling terrible about that - or was it something in the water?"Gareth said he received a call from Public Health Wales the following day to say the test result had shown Michael was infected with cryptosporidium, and they asked him if Michael had been around any Gareth shared the details of the farm visit, he said he was told that there were a number of other cases of the infection linked to the same Kate and Gareth later became unwell with similar, but much milder, symptoms and Gareth said he was still experiencing stomach cramps, more than four weeks after Michael's contact with the they said Michael had now made a full recovery, and no one else in their holiday party had contracted it. Kate said Margaret "blames herself" for taking Michael to the farm, but said she wished "more information" had been given to people attending the petting sessions about the potential risks."It's only when something happens that you realise how serious it is," said Gareth."I would hate to see another parent go through the same thing." What is cryptosporidium? Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite that can cause an unpleasant and sometimes dangerous illness called lives in the intestines of infected humans and animals and is passed out in their can then spread to water sources like lakes, rivers, and swimming pools, as well as food like raw illness can affect anyone but is most common in children aged one to which can last for around two weeks, include severe watery diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach cramps, nausea, fever, and loss of is no specific treatment but most people feel better within a UK Health Security Agency Su Mably, consultant in health protection for Public Health Wales, said: "We are continuing to work with our partners to investigate this outbreak. "Although cryptosporidium infection is usually mild and clears up on its own, it can cause more serious illness in young children and people with weakened immune systems. "If you visited the farm and feel unwell, please contact your GP or call NHS 111. "It is possible for this infection to be passed on from one person to another, for example if someone is caring for a family member who is unwell. "It is important to protect yourself by washing your hands well, particularly before preparing food."
