Agritourism, Zoonotic Diseases and Legal Liability
Sponsored by the Agricultural and Food Law Consortium
Topic:
Agritourism operations often bring farm animals and people together, creating an environment that can lead to the transmission of infectious zoonotic diseases such as Salmonella, E. coli and Cryptosporidium. A child harmed by a zoonotic disease from a pumpkin farm in Minnesota recently received a $7.5 million judgment against the farm, a testament to the risks of interaction between farm animals and humans. While some states have enacted laws that protect agritourism providers from legal liability for zoonotic diseases, health experts prefer to focus on the institution of best management practices to reduce disease incidents.
This webinar will examine agritourism and zoonotic diseases from both the scientific and legal perspectives. Epidemiologist Carrie Klumb will explain how zoonotic diseases transfer from animals to humans in an agritourism setting and the role of management practices in reducing disease transmission. Attorney Peggy Hall will discuss legal liability for zoonotics and how different state laws address agritourism and zoonotic diseases. The speakers will conclude with thoughts on how science and the law can optimally protect both agritourism visitors and agritourism operators from the dangers of zoonotic diseases.
Participation:
This webinar was recorded on June 21, 2017. To listen to a recording of the webinar, please click here.
Presenters:
Carrie Klumb
Carrie is a senior epidemiologist in the Zoonotic Diseases Unit at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and is coordinator for MDH’s project with the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (UMASH) at the University of Minnesota. This work focuses on surveillance of zoonotic diseases in agricultural workers, their families, and others exposed to agricultural settings. Carrie plans and puts on MDH’s annual Healthy Fairs and Agritourism Workshops, and other animal contact outreach efforts. In addition, she has led numerous outbreak investigations involving agritourism venues. She received her MPH from the University of Minnesota in Environmental Health. In her spare time she loves to read, garden, and spend time with her husband and 2 year-old-son.
Peggy Kirk Hall
Ohio State University Agricultural Law and Taxation Program
Peggy is an assistant professor and field specialist in agricultural and resource law. Hall is a graduate of The Ohio State University (B.S., M.S., Natural Resource Policy) and the University of Wyoming College of Law (J.D.), where she served on the Land & Water Law Review. She is a Past President and Board Member of the American Agricultural Law Association; Past Chair of the Ohio State Bar Association Agricultural Law Committee and served as an Advisory Board Member for the National Agricultural Law Center. Hall currently teaches Agribusiness Law in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University and directs research and outreach projects for OSU’s Agricultural Law & Taxation Program.
Research & Materials:
Compendium of Measures to Prevent Disease Associated with Animals in Public Settings, 2013
Menu of State Hand Sanitation Laws for Animal Contact Exhibits