Wales has seen a spike in cases of diarrhoea which experts believe are linked to visits to farm attractions. Public Health Wales confirmed that the unpleasant illness has mainly been reported in young children but also affected some adults.
The cause of the illness is a tiny germ called cryptosporidium, or crypto for short, which can be caught from sheep, cows, goats - but especially lambs, calves and goat kids - and from other livestock to humans through contact with infected faeces and other body fluids. You can also catch germs from animal bedding and fencing or by stroking their fur.
Public Health Wales added that it is also possible that infection can be picked up from other contaminated surfaces in a farm park, such as bouncy castles or sand pits, as well as the wider countryside.
