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Keep food, guests safe over holidays
Health advice
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There are more than 250 food-borne diseases that may infect a person at any time when contaminated foods or beverages have been ingested or when toxins or chemicals have contaminated food.
These diseases have many different symptoms, so there is no one “syndrome” that is recognizable as food-borne illness. But because most of the diseases or toxins enter the body through the gastrointestinal tract, the first symptoms are most often nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Microbes, however, can spread in more than one way, so we cannot always know for sure when a disease is food-borne. This distinction definitely matters though, because the health department needs to know how a particular disease is spreading so it can take steps to stop it.
The four most commonly recognized food-borne infections are:
1. Campylobacter is the most commonly identified bacterial cause of diarrheal illness in the world. It is a bacterial infection that causes symptoms of fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Eating undercooked chicken or turkey, or other food that has been contaminated with juices dripping from raw poultry is the most frequent source of this infection. Campylobacteriosis is estimated to affect more than 1 million people every year, or 0.5 percent of the population.
2. Salmonella can spread to humans from a variety of different foods of animal origin. It is also a bacterium that is widespread in the intestines of birds, reptiles and mammals. The illness it causes typically includes fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. In people with poor underlying health or weakened immune systems, the infections can invade the bloodstream and be life-threatening. A person infected with the salmonella usually has fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea beginning 12 to 72 hours after consuming contaminated food. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without antibiotic treatment.
3. E. coli O157:H7 is a bacterial pathogen that has a reservoir in cattle and other similar animals. Illness typically follows consumption of food or water that has been contaminated with microscopic amounts of cow feces. Symptoms usually include a severe and bloody diarrhea with painful abdominal cramps.
4. Norovirus (or calicivirus) is an extremely common cause of food-borne illness, though it is rarely diagnosed, because laboratory tests are not widely available. Norovirus causes symptoms of acute gastrointestinal illness, usually with more vomiting than diarrhea, that resolves within two days. Unlike many food-borne pathogens that have animal reservoirs, it is believed that noroviruses spread from one infected person to another. Infected kitchen workers can contaminate a salad or sandwich if the virus is on their hands. At least 50 percent of food-borne gastroenteritis cases can be attributed to noroviruses.
Thanksgiving will be here in a couple of weeks and Christmas will be here before we know it. To insure holiday meals are safe, follow these tips:
• Never leave food in the car; take it straight home and put it in the refrigerator.
• Buy frozen meat at least four to five days before your event as it takes several days for it to safely thaw out. The best way to thaw frozen foods is on a tray in its original wrapping, in the refrigerator.
• Cook a turkey before stuffing it. If the turkey is stuffed before cooking, some of the stuffing may never get hot enough to kill the bacteria that is normally killed during routine cooking.
• Put leftovers in small containers so they cool quickly in the refrigerator. Leftover turkey should be used within three to four days; stuffing and gravy within one to two days. Bring leftover gravy to a rolling boil before serving.

Ratcliffe is a consultant to the Coastal Health District. You can call her at 876-6399.
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Visit with children a real eye-opener
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One of my favorite activities as a state senator is when I get to speak to students at our local schools. This year, I spoke to third-grade students at May Howard Elementary and Marshpoint Elementary in Chatham County and Button Gwinnett Elementary in Liberty County.
The students from each of the schools had been studying civics and were familiar with the three branches of government — executive, judicial and legislative. I explained my role as a senator in the legislative process and told the children how the citizen legislature in the state of Georgia works.
Presenting each of the schools with a Georgia state flag, I explained the three principles for which the state flag stands — wisdom, justice and moderation — and had them recite the pledge to the flag with me. 
The students at all three schools were bright, respectful and well-disciplined — a tribute to their families and especially to their teachers, who had prepared the students for my visit with ideas for great questions.
The students in Ms. Hutchinson’s class at Marshpoint Elementary were impressive in singing the preamble to the Constitution during my visit. What a great way to learn such an important part of our nation’s history — another wonderful example of the great job our teachers are doing.
I was delighted last week to receive thank-you letters from some of the students. Here are excerpts from a few of their letters:
 
Dear Mr. Carter,
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come speak to us. I learned so much! I learned that there are two kinds of Pledge of Allegiances. That is pretty cool.
Do you travel all over the world do you? I really like that you taught me more about the three branches of government.
— Megan
 
Dear Sen. Carter,
Thank you for telling us about your job and your favorite thing about your job. I liked the Georgia state flag. I still have more questions. Do you have to work on Saturday and Sunday? Are you the only one who makes the laws?
Yours truly,
Ryleigh 


Dear Sen. Buddy Carter,
Thank you for coming and letting us have a little bit of your time. I want you to know that I learned something new. The Georgia pledge! Justice, wisdom and modesty! Thanks again!
— Liam
 
Dear Sen. Buddy Carter,
Thank you for coming and helping us learn more about the government and some of your job. Thank you for giving us a Georgia flag. It was fun when you came. Thank you for giving us some questions so we could answer them.
P.S. Did you ride in a limousine? I was going to ask you a question but then I forgot. But now I remember. How many rooms are there where you work? You can send me a note if you can.
Your friend,
Erin
 
I’m uncertain whether the students learned as much from me during my visit as I learned from them. One thing that I was reminded of was the honesty that comes from the innocence of childhood. I wasn’t quite sure how to interpret some of the questions, such as the one asked in this letter:
 
Dear Sen. Carter,
I loved your speech. Thanks for coming to our school. I think my favorite part was when we held the flag. It was so fun! I have a question: How many people voted for you?
Sincerely,
Shelly
 
I also was more than a little concerned about a recurring question in the thank-you notes that was posed to me during one of my visits by a beautiful, brown-eyed girl who, with a very serious look on her face, asked “Did you ever get re-elected be-fore?”


What a great group of young people! My faith and hope in our future has been reassured. What an amazing job our families and teachers are doing on a daily basis to support and encourage our next generation. Thank you for your dedication to teaching our leaders of tomor-row.

Sen. Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109

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