Page 0 Be -~ + Toracs Standard, ft, Weinstay, ait 22, 1990."

“By DAVID CHERRY:

’ Did you know that —

burger. disease can spoil .
barbecue fun

_. ‘One of the many pleasures of .
. Summer is cooking on the

barbecue. However, there is an
. infectious. disease that could
spoil this summertime fun.
There is a form of food
poisoning call ‘hamburger
disease’, also known as
‘barbecue season syndrome”’,
Which is caused by the E. coli
bacterium. This is often found

most frequently in ground beef.

In British Columbia, as many
as 400 cases’ of - hamburger.
disease are reported annually
and it is believed that many
thousands of other. cases are not
_Teported..

The B. coli bacteria’ produce
_. toxins or poisons which have
~ been found in most animal pro-
ducts. Human infection is caus-
ed by undercooked meat and
poultry and unpasteurized milk.
Ground meat is hazardous
‘because the bacteria, which con-
taminate cut meat surfaces dur-
ing butchering, are . widely
distributed during the grinding
process.

Symptoms of this food
poisoning. include diarrhea,
which in serious cases can
become bloody. Abdominal
cramps, vomiting and mild
‘fever can-also start between two
days and a week after cating

- 5, Courtesy Skeana Health Unit.

now! that... oe

toms may last five to 10 days. .
_The elderly and young
children are particularly at risk.

“Ina small number of ‘cases,
‘Hemolytic Uremic - Syndrome

in undercooked meat, and -“Gao) oom result in kidney

failure, anemia and a bleeding
disorder and this can be fatal.

* The: best protection. against
infection from E. coli and other

‘bacteria is~a combination of

thorough cooking of food and
safe food preparation:

a Refrigerate, or: freeze,
meats as soon as possible after

buying.

- Thaw - meats in the.

refrigerator,
temperature.

- Wash hands thoroughly
before preparing food, after

not at room

‘handling raw meat, or poultry

and after using the toilet,

- Cook hamburger. patties
right away, or put them in the-
refrigerator. Don't let raw meat
sit at room temperature.

- Wash all. utensils, cutting
boards, and counters with hot,

_saapy water to prevent bacteria

from raw meats contaminating
other foods.

contaminated food. ‘The -symp-

- Avoid

meat or poultry. : ae
~“= Cook. all meats: and poultry
thoroughly, The center of him-

burger patties should be brown if

not pink, and juices clear.”

meat thermometer should be us:

“. Serve cooked meat or.
poultry immediately, or keep

them hot, above 140° F (60° C)

The Skeena Health Unit em-.

phasizes that persons experienc-

ing abdominal cramps, and/or

bloody diarrhea should consult
their doctor. Drinking lots of:

clear fluids is important. Do not:
take medication: to ‘stop the
diarrhea unless you first consult , °

your doctor.

For further information, con- -

tact an environmental health of-
ficer at your local health unit.

What are your questions and ;

concerns? Write us at:
“Did You Know That...’
.¢/o Skeena Health Unit
4412 Kalum Steet
Terrace, B.C.
V8G 4T2

Care
director
named

TERRACE — Doris Mitchell
has been named resident care
director at the Terraceview
Lodge intermediate and ex-
tended care facility, —

Mitchell has been the
clinical care coordinator. at -
the lodge for the past six
months, Prior to that, she
was a long term cafe assessor
‘in Prince George.

Mitchell holds a’ B.Sc.N.
concentrating. on geron-
tology from the University of
Victoria.

She ‘has also worked as
public health care nurse, as a
maternity nurse in a
psychiatric assessment unit |
and has experience | ‘in
emergency nursing.

_Not as safe as they look

. 'Asix month old baby girl suf-
focated: and died when she
became wedged between the.
mattress and the bumper pad in
her crib. When police examined
the crib they discovered that the

mattress hanger near the ©

infant's head had beed dislodg-
ed causing the mattress to tilt.

Unfortunately, this is not an -

isolated incident and several

children have died because of —

certain features of crib design.

In 1973 Consumer and Cor-
porate Affairs Canada
established standards for the
design of cribs to cover overall
construction, the allowable
space between bars and locking

devices. In 1983 these standards
were updated to remove from:
the marketplace all ‘cribs that
had knobs or designs that could.
-entrap children.

While cribs in the stores to-
day comply with these new stan-
dards old cribs are still
dangerous. And, they are
available everywhere — in
grandmother’s attic, at
fleamarkets, in second-hand
furniture’ stores, and from
neighbourhood garage sales. If
you are using or planning to use
a second-hand crib write to
Consumer and Corporate Af-

sd tice

. ee fomeee

vo Mead, ag EEN Ue

Sag

SAFE NOT

‘fairs Canada, Communications
Branch. Place du Potage, Hull,

Quebec KIA OC9. They will
supply you with an easy to
follow booklet. ‘Is it Worth The
Risk?’, which outlines how to
modify a second-hand crib.

However, modifying a
second-hand crib or even buy-
ing a new one is no guarantee of
your baby’s safety, As a parent
it is your responsibility to see
that your  child’s crib is
assembled properly and that
each component is securely in
place, that there are no sharp
edges or protruding pieces, that
the surface is in good shape,
and that the mattress is firm and
fits snuggly against the side of
the crib.

* A two year old boy died when
he climbed out of his crib with
the aid of a bag of clothes. He
climbed up and fell out of an
open window four stories to the
ground. As your baby Brows,

MOUNT LAYTON -
HOT SPRINGS
RESORT LTO.

FUN - FUN - FUN
Slides & pools
every Wednesday,
2 for 1,
7 bring a friend.

fo CALL "798- 2214
an After 4:30 p.m. all pools
. and slides are 2 for 1

lower the crib mattress to, the
lowest position. afid ‘remove
bumper pads and large stuffed
toys that can act as steps for
climbing. A crib should never
be placed against a window, or

_near any furniture that can be -
used to help the infant climb out —

of his crib. ;

* Babies should never be tied or
harnessed in a crib because the
cords and straps may strangle

_ them. -
* Do not leave a baby unattend-

ed with a bottle propped to feed
himself.as he may choke.

“®.Make sure the crib does not

contain small toys or objects
that could cause choking.
* Mobiles and toys with strings
and cords which dangle over or
near the crib, can strangle a
child, as can a string holding a
pacifier. Keep strings or cords
well out of reach of your child.
- Check. today to ‘make’ sure

7 your child’s crib is a safe haven

and not a ‘Potential deathtrap!

contaminating”
barbecue sauces or other con-_
diments -by. contact | with Taw:

Cash to Go When
You're on the go!

Watch for the all new
oe CUE/STRATA CASH. MACHINE ‘at
Copperside 1 in conjunction with
Terrace & District Credit Union
and Copperside Stores.. This new
cash machine. inter-conneécts .
with Automated Banking
Machines across ¢ Canada and the
A .

This special service will ‘allow
you to access your. accounts: at
the Terrace &. District Credit
Union and all major: banks, 24
hours of the day, 7 days a week,
Getting to your money will be

easier than ever through new
‘CUE/STRATA CASH MACHINE . at

Copperside Foods.

COPPERSIDE Foops. |
3004 Hwy. 16, Terrace |
635-4050