Tim Nelson of Channel 11 News in Raleigh reports that when people go to the North Carolina State Fair this year, they’ll find some changes. The top concern for many officials is the petting zoo.
Last year, more than 100 people, most of them children, got sick from E. coli bacteria traced to the animals at one of the petting zoos.
Brian Long of the N.C. Department of Agriculture says several steps have been taken to insure a safer, healthier State Fair this October.
In addition to metal fencing to prevent visitors from entering the pens where animals are kept, more hand-washing stations have been added and there will be hundreds of signs urging fairgoers to use them.
Another change is that visitors will not be allowed to bring certain items near the animals such as pacifiers, sippy cups, and baby bottles, in addition to food and drink.
