The Green Files > Animals, Environment, Children and Risk : Red, Green, and Blue

[Red, Green, and Blue] One solution could be to provide better systems of hygiene, such as nail brushes that would allow people to ensure that they removed every lurking trace of the bacterium from their hands.  It is impossible to remove E.coli risk entirely from animals or their environment, even though most strains of the disease are very short lived outside the gut which is their natural habitat. So parents must decide whether to give their children the chance to get to meet animals, to improve their knowledge and development and to boost their immune systems through contact with the wider environment, or to reduce the risk of exposure to E.coli by avoiding such experiences as city zoos and agricultural or wild animals, altogether.

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[Peterborough Today - News] Sacrewell Farm: 'Handwashing key to avoiding E.coli ...: It is nonsense to suggest that "handwashing is the key to avoid E.Coli infection". This would mean that children would have to wash their hands IMMEDIATELY every time they touch an animal -NO GOOD LEAVING IT TO THE FARM EXIT - and with children & grandchildren of my own,I cant see that happening;

[E. coli Information] Two Children E. coli Cases Investigated in Tri Cities area | E ...: Running water, soap, and disposable towels should be available so that visitors can wash their hands immediately after contact with the animals. Handwashing facilities should be accessible, sufficient for the maximum anticipated attendance, and configured for use by children and adults.

[bites News] UK: More children at threat from E coli outbreak at Godstone ...: Godstone Farm in Surrey, a popular family attraction where children are encouraged to stroke and touch animals, is closed while the Health Protection Agency (HPA) conducts tests to find out the cause of the outbreak which has left 12 children in hospital, four of them in a serious condition.

[Evening Standard - News] Third farm closes over E.coli outbreak | News: In a statement, she said: "Horton Park Children's Farm has decided that, owing to concerns expressed by us and others, and due to the slight risk to our customers of the chance of the disease, the farm will close as a temporary measure until we and others are satisfied that everything in our power has been done to eliminate or reduce any potential risk to our customers and friends.

[bites News] UK: Answers urged over E coli outbreak | bites: Following a visit by environmental health officers and Health Protection Agency officials on September 3, the farm's managers were told that contact with high-risk animals should cease. Over the next week, more E Coli cases emerged, but none before the non-contact measures were introduced on September 3.

[The Girls Gone Green] The Girls Gone Green: Dr. Oz Promotes Veganism To Cure Diseases: Eating animals that have been given hormones to speed growth (a common practice in the meat industry) means those hormones go into your body. Not only can this disrupt the natural balance of your hormones, but some of the hormones given to animals have shown to cause tumor growth in humans.

[http://www.thefamilygp.com: Health and medical news from Dr Chris Steele] E. coli outbreak in Surrey: coli 0157 is an infection that people can pick up when handling or stroking animals, unless hands are thoroughly washed afterwards to minimise the risk. It can also be spread easily from person to person so good hygiene is vital, especially in young children whose hand washing after using the toilet and before eating should be supervised."

[Evening Standard - News] Twin two-year-old boys victims of E.coli outbreak | News: Neil Wilson, whose nephew contracted the bug after visiting the farm on August 27, said: It's been a living hell, it seems quite surreal going in and seeing him and each day seeing him getting worse and worse, feeding tubes and blood going in. It's just awful, it's been an absolute nightmare.'

[2012info.ca Earth Watch] 2012info.ca Earth Watch - EH : Escherichia coli / Europe / United ...: The Agency's Surrey and Sussex Health Protection Unit (HPU) is working with local environmental health officers, the Veterinary Laboratory Agency and the Godstone Farm in response to 36 cases of gastrointestinal illness, which is believed to have oc curred in early August. Measures to reduce the risk of the infection spreading were put in place by the farm last week but as more cases have been reported, the farm has agreed to close to enable detailed investigations into the source of the infection.

[Terry Etherton Blog on Biotechnology] Terry Etherton Blog on Biotechnology » Disease Outbreak and ...: That’s not to mention a number of smaller ones in which the link was strongly suspected, but patients were unwilling to identify farms that provided the milk. So far we’ve been fortunate that the infections have not been life-threatening, but raw milk is an inherently risky food and it can lead to other, more dangerous illnesses, including E.

[Green Inc.] Ithaca's Pioneers of Dog Waste Composting - Green Inc. Blog ...: Late next year, Cayuga plans to run tests to determine the composition of the dog waste (after all, a dog’s diet is arguably more varied than virtually any other animal’s, in accordance with the whims of their owners). If it matures into nutrient-rich compost, it might be applied to potted plants or landscaping, said Mark Whittig, Cayuga’s operations manager.

[Watching Our Water Ways] Watching Our Water Ways » Blog Archive » Considering the risk of ...: My understanding is that routine testing of commercial shellfish growing areas is designed to identify the presence of fecal bacteria from whatever the source. Shellfish beds immediately downstream from huge numbers of bears would probably be closed based on such tests, though I’ve never heard of this happening in Washington.

[Online Shopping Guide] Weight Loss With Hypnosis? - Online Shopping Guide: Some say that the public is happy with what’s on the supermarket shelves, however various consumer surveys in Europe show many people are worried about pesticides, NPK fertilizers in small organic farming and processed food in general. In the United Kingdom a survey found 44% of all consumers were concerned about pesticides and 43% about the use of food additives (Food Standards Agency, 2003).

[Food Poison Blog] New Cattle Vaccine May Reduce E. coli O157:H7 Infections : Food ...: coli-free) beef. So even with this very important vaccine coming to the market, my hope is for beef slaughter operations to slow down, and to continue improving and testing the adequacy of their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans so that fecal contamination of meat does not occur in the first place. 

[Center for a Livable Future] Public Health & Industrial Farm Animal Production: Setting the ...: “I am dismayed that my professional organization (the AVMA of which I am a member) has chosen to pursue a reckless policy that favors the misuse of critical antibiotic compounds for reasons other than medical necessity. Microbial resistance to loose and repeated antibiotic exposure for non-therapeutic reasons has been proven, and while the AVMA has apparently buckled to pressures from industrial animal agriculture, it is without doubt an unwise investment in the health of our animals and human population to continue to use these valuable compounds to promote industry profits at the expense of societal risk”

[Breaking News] Drilling opponents ask Interior secretary to halt plans for oil ...: “The American public has unequivocally said that Bush’s aggressive plan for oil and gas development has no place in America’s Arctic and Bristol Bay,” said Shogan, whose group helped organize a lunchtime event outside the Interior Department.

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