May 2006

May 31, 2006
Times Daily
Associated Press
Proper and diligent hand-washing is needed in order to curb an outbreak of bacteria-caused diarrhea that has been spreading in Tuscaloosa County, health officials said Tuesday.
A total of 55 cases of shigellosis have been reported in Alabama since March with 43 of those cases occurring in Tuscaloosa County. Shigellosis generally manifests as diarrhea and a fever and lasts between four days and a week.
“This is quite a large number (of cases) we’ve seen in a short period of time,”
Angie Dubose, a nurse supervisor at the Tuscaloosa County Health Department told The Tuscaloosa News for a story Wednesday. “We didn’t want to alarm people with this. It’s just that we’ve seen the growth in the number of cases we’ve seen recently, and the best way to prevent it is by adhering to strict hand-washing practices.”Continue Reading Outbreak of diarrhea-causing bacteria hits Tuscaloosa County

The Idaho Statesman
May 24, 2006
Memorial Day weekend is the first three-day weekend of the summer and many people plan backyard get-togethers, family reunions and campouts.
Food-wise, the weekend kicks off the barbecue/grilling/picnicking season. Hamburgers, hot dogs, potato and macaroni salads; deviled eggs, condiments and sandwiches will hit tables in backyards and parks across the country. They’re not only the makings of an all-American feast, they’re the fixings for a potential trip to the emergency room.
According to University of Idaho Extension educator Beverly Healy, picnics and cookouts can be a real hazard in terms of food-borne illness for three reasons:
1. Picnic foods receive a lot of handling during preparation; for example, potato and macaroni salads, hamburger patties and sandwiches. Handling increases the chance of contamination from people, utensils and preparation surfaces.Continue Reading Picnicking & Grilling: Follow these guidelines for al fresco cooking and dining to keep everybody healthy

May 10, 2006
KFOR-TV
MSNBC
Scott Hines
Oklahoma City — Last February NewsChannel 4 told you about the most dangerous daycares in the metro. Now we take you inside some of the dirtiest. NewsChannel 4’s Scott Hines pulled health inspection reports dating back several years to take you behind the daycare doors.
Hundreds of operating daycares line Oklahoma City streets. Each one’s past carefully documented inspections that are safely filed away inside Oklahoma County’s Health Department.
Their responsibility is enormous. The inspectors have Oklahoma’s children to protect.
Tonya Moore of the Oklahoma County Health Department says, We not only look at the kitchens, but the classrooms for health and safety issues. Each metro daycare is routinely inspected with the strictest of expectations.Continue Reading Behind daycare doors