With the Food Ordinance now in effect, residents and visitors to Johnson County should begin to see yellow food permits posted near customer entrances. Food permits are now required for all food establishments in Johnson Co. including restaurants, bars, temporary food booths, groceries and convenience stores.

The purpose of having a county food ordinance is to allow JCCHS authority to act on an imminent health hazards, collect information through permitting, educate persons about food safety, support the proper design of food establishments and encourage compliance with the Missouri Food Code.

Food safety training certification is required for all managers and 25% of food handlers. JCCHS has the authority to charge fees for repeat re-inspections, issue notices of violation and closing orders, and post food inspection results.

Please contact us for more information, (660)747-6121 x258, or find us online at www.johnsoncountyhealth.org.

Swimming is great exercise with many health benefits, but the water you swim in can also spread germs that can make you sick and cause illnesses known as recreational water illnesses (RWIs).

The germs that cause RWIs are spread when you swallow, breathe in the mists from, or have contact with contaminated water from pools, water parks, hot tubs, lakes, oceans, and any other type of water used for recreation.

Since the mid-1980s, the number of reported RWI outbreaks has increased substantially, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The most common recreational water illness is diarrhea, which is often caused by the germs Cryptosporidium (“Crypto”) and Giardia. Other common RWIs include skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurologic, and wound infections.

The best way to prevent illness when swimming is to stop the germs from getting into the water and to make sure that recreational water facilities properly filter and disinfect the water. Although pool inspectors check to make sure these facilities are properly maintained, they can’t be at every pool every day.

To help stay healthy every time you swim, take an active role in stopping the spread of germs by following the Triple A’s of Healthy Swimming: Awareness, Action, and Advocacy.

Awareness

• Visit CDC’s Healthy Swimming website www.cdc.gov/healthywater/ swimming to learn more about staying healthy.
• Follow the Six Steps for Healthy Swimming.
  • Don’t swim when you have diarrhea.
  • Don’t swallow pool water.
  • Practice good hygiene.
  • Shower with soap before swimming and wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers.
  • Take your kids on bathroom breaks or check diapers often.
  • Change diapers in a bathroom or a diaper-changing area and not at poolside. Wash your child thoroughly (especially the rear end) with soap and water before swimming.

Action

• Check pool water yourself using test strips purchased at your local hardware or pool supply store. CDC recommends the following water quality ranges to kill germs: free chlorine levels at 1–3 parts per million (ppm) pH 7.2–7.8
• Ask the pool operator:
  • Are the free chlorine and pH levels checked at least twice a day and more
    often when the pool is heavily used?
  • Has the operator completed specialized training in pool operation?

Advocacy

• Encourage pool operators to take steps known to kill germs.
• Educate others about RWIs and promote healthy swimming behaviors.

The following is a guide to prepare your child for safe fun at summer camp.

Get Vaccinations.
Be sure your kids' vaccinations are up-to-date. Ask what vaccines are recommended for summer camp.

Encourage safe physical activities.
Children should get 60 minutes or more of physical activity on most days of the week. To help prevent injury, pack protective gear, such as helmets and life jackets, if the camp will not be providing them.

 

Teach your kids to stay hydrated.
Explain to your kids that the human body needs fluids on a regular basis. They shouldn't wait until they feel thirsty to drink water. Encourage your kids to drink plenty of non-carbonated, sugar-free fluids throughout the day.

Teach your kids to avoid wild animals.
Teach kids that animals can be dangerous to people. Encourage them to enjoy watching them from a safe distance in their natural surroundings.

Pack protection.
Be sure your kids have plenty of insect repellent and sunscreen to wear to protect themselves from mosquitoes, ticks, and the sun. Pack layers of light-weight, light-colored clothes for hot days and blankets and warm clothes for cool nights.

Be proactive.
Find out how you will be notified if your child becomes ill. Also, tell your kids to notify camp staff if they or someone they come into contact with becomes ill. Keep your kids at home when they are sick.

Packing List

• Adequate bedding/sleeping bag and extra blankets.
• Light-weight, light-colored clothing, including long sleeves and pants.
• Sturdy shoes.
• Insect repellent containing DEET for skin and Permethrin insect repellent for clothing.
• Broad-spectrum sunscreen and lip screen with SPF 15 or higher Wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses
• Healthy on-the-go snacks.
• Water and other sugar-free fluids.
• Life jacket, helmet, and other protective gear
• First-aid kit
• Compass or GPS/Map
• Flashlights/ extra batteries
• Medical record, including vaccinations; insect, food, plant, and other allergies; diseases and conditions; medicines, dosing schedules, and storage instructions; emergency contacts; and activities your doctor or nurse says to avoid.
  Courtesy of CDC

Cooking outdoors was once only a summer activity shared with family and friends. Now more than half of Americans say they are cooking outdoors year round. So whether the snow is blowing or the sun is shining brightly, it's important to follow food safety guidelines to prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying and causing food borne illness. Use these simple guidelines for grilling food safely.

 

Thaw Safely
Completely thaw meat and poultry before grilling so it cooks more evenly. Use the refrigerator for slow, safe thawing or thaw sealed packages in cold running water. You can microwave defrost if the food will be placed immediately on the grill.

Keep Cold Food Cold
Keep meat and poultry refrigerated until ready to use. Only take out the meat and poultry that will immediately be placed on the grill. Marinate under refrigeration.

When using a cooler, keep it out of the direct sun by placing it in the shade or shelter. Avoid opening the lid too often, which lets cold air out and warm air in. Pack beverages in one cooler and perishables in a separate cooler.

Keep Everything Clean
If you're eating away from home, find out if there's a source of clean water. If not, bring water for preparation and cleaning. Or pack clean cloths, and wet wipes for cleaning surfaces and hands.

Cook Thoroughly
Use a food thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe minimum internal temperature. Beef, veal, pork and lamb steaks, roasts and chops can be cooked to 145 °F. Hamburgers, sausage and ground meats should reach 155 °F. All poultry should reach a minimum of 165 °F.

Keep Hot Food Hot
After cooking meat and poultry on the grill, keep it hot until served
— at 135 °F or warmer.

Serving the Food
When taking food off the grill, use a clean platter and utensils. Don't put cooked food on the same platter that held raw meat or poultry. Any harmful bacteria present in
the raw meat juices could contaminate safely cooked food. In hot weather (above 90 °F), food should never sit out for more than 1 hour.

Recently several cases of shigellosis have been diagnosed in Johnson County. There have been up to 900 cases diagnosed in the greater Kansas City metro area in the last year. Shigellosis is spread through contact with the stool of infected persons commonly referred to as the fecal-oral route of infection.

Anyone who develops any of these symptoms (diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, nausea, and vomiting) should contact their health care provider and be tested for shigellosis by having a stool specimen examination. Food service and childcare employees who are symptomatic must be excluded from work. Children may not attend day care or school while they have symptoms. Positive cases must have 2 negative stool specimens collected 24 hours apart and no sooner than 48 hours after the last dose of antibiotics prior to returning to school, day care or work as a food service worker.

Many people wrongly assume that the last place they ate caused them to become ill. With shigellosis, the exposure usually occurs one to three days before the symptoms begin to appear. Only a small amount of bacteria can cause disease.

To prevent the spread of this disease, wash your hands: before eating, applying makeup, chewing gum, drinking or using tobacco; before preparing food; after using the bathroom or changing a diaper. Do not allow children or pets to play in lagoons or in sewage runoff.

According to the CDC every year, about 14,000 cases of shigellosis are reported in the United States. Because many milder cases are not diagnosed or reported, the actual number of infections may be twenty times greater.

More information is available at www.cdc.gov

The Johnson County Code of Health Regulations includes an Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS) Ordinance that went into effect on April 9, 2006.

Prior to beginning any construction activity (including soil disturbance) in anticipation of building where people will live, work, or assemble, the property owner or certified OWTS installer shall apply for an OWTS permit. The OWTS Permit Application shall be thoroughly completed to include a soil evaluation report for the proposed area along with drawing of site layout, aerial photo of property, parcel card and warranty deed.

In accordance with the OWTS Ordinance, holding tanks are not a substitute for proper wastewater treatment. If sufficient acreage is available to meet the setbacks distances, a properly designed wastewater treatment system should be installed.

There are many options available for onsite wastewater treatment systems depending on the soil conditions and site layout including below ground absorption systems and above ground wastewater stabilization lagoons. Lagoons require a proper fence be installed prior to use of the lagoon OWTS.

A young child awakens early one morning to a fluttering sound coming from the blinds covering his bedroom window. He gets out of bed and notices what looks like a small bird flopping around on the floor. The child picks up the bird and realizes that it’s not a bird but a bat and releases it out the window. Weeks later, the child develops a fever, headache, and becomes disoriented and is admitted to a hospital. Tragically, he dies two days later from what doctors diagnose as rabies.

This scenario is not uncommon when it comes to humans being infected with rabies. “In recent years, a lot of human cases of rabies have occurred in people who were scratched or bitten by a bat and didn’t realize such contact can cause an infection with rabies,” said Dr. Charles Rupprecht, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) lead researcher for rabies. “Anyone who is bitten or scratched by an animal needs to immediately wash the wound with soap and water, and then consult their doctor to see if further treatment is needed.”

Rabies is a disease caused by a virus which attacks the central nervous system. Early symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, and feeling tired. As the disease progresses, a person may experience difficulty sleeping, anxiety, confusion, paralysis, difficulty swallowing, and a fear of water. Death usually occurs within days of the onset of symptoms. Humans become infected with rabies when they are bitten or scratched by an animal infected with the virus. “Most animals behave oddly when they have rabies,” said Dr. Rupprecht. “They may be really aggressive or they may be out and about in the day when they normally are out at night. Some people may not recognize such behavior as unusual so the bottom line is people need to avoid coming into contact with wild or stray animals, period.”

Thankfully there is a highly effective treatment to prevent rabies in persons who have been exposed to an infected animal. A series of shots given over the course of a month is almost 100 percent effective in preventing the disease. However, for the shots to be most effective, they must be administered as soon as possible in someone who has been exposed. There are other steps people can take to prevent rabies too. “In addition to avoiding wild or stray animals, the most important thing people can do is to make sure their own pets are vaccinated against rabies,” Dr. Rupprecht said.

For more information www.cdc.gov/rabies