| Stay Healthy At The Cleveland County Fair |
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The Cleveland County Health Department wants fairgoers to KNOW how to be safe around animals while still enjoying everything the fair has to offer...
As stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), exhibits such as petting zoos and fairs allow children of all ages to have the thrilling experience of coming face-to-face with animals. This interaction allows people to learn more about animals and helps to build an important human-animal bond. However, it is important to remember that even healthy animals sometimes carry germs that can be harmful to humans. When people forget to wash their hands after petting an animal, or bring food or drinks into an area where animals are exhibited, they are at risk for becoming ill.
The CDC offers the following tips to help you prevent illness when visiting animal exhibits:
1. WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN!
Find out where handwashing stations are located and always wash your hands right after petting an animal or touching an animal enclosure.
Here are some more tips for proper handwashing:
Who should wash their hands?
Everyone—especially young children, older adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems.
When should you wash your hands?
• After touching animals, or their living areas
• Immediately after leaving the animal area
• After taking off dirty clothes or shoes
• After going to the bathroom
• Before preparing foods, eating, or drinking
How should you wash your hands?
• Wet your hands with clean, running water.
• Apply soap.
• Rub your hands together to make a lather and scrub well, including backs of hands, between fingers, and under fingernails.
• You do not have to use warm or hot water. The combination of water, soap, and friction is what works to remove germs.
• Rub hands at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice!
• Rinse your hands.
• Dry your hands using a clean paper towel or air dryer. Do not dry your hands on your clothing.
2. EAT AND DRINK SAFELY!
• Keep food and drinks out of animal areas.
• Food should be prepared, served, and eaten only in areas where animals are not permitted (with the exception of service animals).
• Do not share your food with animals.
• Remember—wash your hands before preparing food or drinks and before eating and drinking.
3. KEEP CHILDREN SAFE AROUND ANIMALS!
• Children younger than 5 years old always need adult supervision in animal areas.
• Never allow children to put their thumbs, fingers, or objects (for example: pacifiers) in their mouth while interacting with animals.
• Hand washing should be supervised to make sure it is done properly.
• Do not take or use strollers, bottles, pacifiers, spill-proof cups, or toys in animal areas.
The Cleveland County Health Department will be hosting a Sink Those Germs themed educational booth at this year’s fair. The booth will feature a corn hole game in which participants have an opportunity to “sink” beanbags (germs) to win free prizes. There will also be free educational materials on handwashing and safety around animal exhibits available such as coloring pages for children and brochures for adults. The health department will also be hosting a proper handwashing demonstration through the use of Glo Germ™--a fun and safe product that casts a revealing glow when exposed to U.V. light, turning the invisible into “germs you can see!” Glo Germ™ is a product that uses proven safe ingredients formulated to be the same size as bacteria that, with the use of ultra violet light, imitates the spread of germs, showing how quickly germs can be spread in a short period of time. Glo Germ™ does not contain real germs. Cleveland County Health Department staff and volunteers will be present throughout the fair to remind fairgoers to wash their hands—just look for the lime green “Sink those Germs” tshirts!
The Cleveland County Health Department encourages everyone to KNOW how to be safe around animals at the fair and still have fun! For more information on staying healthy at animal exhibits, visit www.cdc.gov/Features/AnimalExhibits.
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