Visiting a Sheep farm at 7 weeks?

[QueenSconetta]

I have been invited to visit friends who have a sheep farm with DD next week, when I should be around 7 weeks.

I am trying not to tell anyone until I am 12 weeks.

I remember there is something to do with a risk to pregnant women from sheep, but from what I can google its only during lambing?

Any ideas?

Don't quote me, but I'm pretty sure I read that you'd pretty much have to lick a lamb as it was being born for it to be a problem!

It's brucellosis that's the concern isn't it?

I don't want to scaremonger, but I would be very careful in this situation. My parents are farmers and I was newly pregnant during the lambing and they both told me not to go up to the lambing sheds at all. At this time there was a lot of still born and aborted lambs in the flock (which happens fairly often when you are dealing with such large numbers of sheep). Stillbirth and abortions are often caused by diseases amongst the sheep and these diseases can be passed to humans through contact with placenta, afterbirth etc. which is much more likely as lambing can be intense and those fluids do fly about and mopping up isn't always thourough on a farm! As far as I'm aware the risk of contracting these diseases are slim however i don't think it is as unlikely as needing to lick the lamb to contract something! Out with lambing season it is less likely again because there are less fluids about so i would ensure you are very vigilant about hand washing, as I'm sure you would be anyway! And don't go touching equipment or animals you don't have to!

Sorry if I've gone on, I hope it helps!

Keep away from the sheep and wash your hands well. Advice here www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/934.aspx?CategoryID=54&SubCategoryID=131. At this time of year the risk is very small.