Health

Is there a chicken coop in your future as egg costs rise? Know the health risks first

Published

1 year ago

January 27, 2023

Is there a chicken coop in your future as egg costs rise? Know the health risks first

The hovering value of eggs could also be inspiring some folks so as to add a rooster coop or two to their yard or property.

The feathery pets, nonetheless, include critical well being dangers, based on the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) — so folks ought to go into such an endeavor with eyes large open.

“Elevating any kind of animal or chicken is at all times doubtlessly fraught with communicable illness transmission,” Dr. Aaron Glatt, chief of infectious illnesses at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital on Lengthy Island, New York, informed Fox Information Digital this week.

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“Correct consideration must be given towards sustaining the great well being of those creatures, in addition to stopping the unfold of microbes they might harbor,” added Glatt. He’s additionally a spokesperson for the Infectious Illnesses Society of America.

Final 12 months, there have been 1,230 sicknesses, 225 hospitalizations and two deaths in 49 states and Puerto Rico as a part of a CDC investigation into outbreaks linked to yard poultry, based on its web site.

“Elevating any kind of animal or chicken is at all times doubtlessly fraught with communicable illness transmission,” stated an infectious illness professional.
(iStock)

“In 2022, CDC investigated 13 multi-state outbreaks of salmonella infections linked to yard poultry,” Dr. Kathy Benedict, a veterinarian epidemiologist with the CDC, informed Fox Information Digital.

“Yard poultry could be a reservoir for a lot of illnesses, which might unfold illnesses to poultry and/or people,” added Maurice Pitesky, a cooperative extension specialist with College of California, Davis Faculty of Veterinary Medication in Davis, California.

“Yard poultry could be a reservoir for a lot of illnesses.”

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“It’s our duty to boost the birds in such a way as to scale back the potential for illness transmission,” he added.

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The CDC offers recommendations on easy methods to keep protected from the dangerous germs that chickens can unfold.

Chickens carry germs

“Chickens can carry germs like campylobacter, E. coli and salmonella,” Benedict of the CDC informed Fox Information Digital.

These are all bacterial infections.

Chickens can look "clean and healthy but still spread germs to people."

Chickens can look “clear and wholesome however nonetheless unfold germs to folks.”
(iStock)

Chickens don’t normally get sick from these germs, she stated — so “they’ll look clear and wholesome however nonetheless unfold the germs to folks.”

Individuals utilizing a rooster coop can even get an an infection often called histoplasmosis, stated Benedict.

Histoplasmosis is brought on by a fungus present in soil that is been contaminated with chicken poop.

It is brought on by a fungus present in soil that is contaminated with chicken poop.

Consultants emphasize the significance of figuring out the well being dangers of 1 bacterial an infection particularly — salmonella — related to having a rooster coop.

Know the information about salmonella

“You will get sick from touching your yard poultry or something of their atmosphere after which touching your mouth or meals and swallowing salmonella germs,” the CDC notes on its web site.

Sufferers who’re sick with salmonella usually have a fever and diarrheal signs with abdomen cramps, the CDC says.

The signs usually start as early as six hours as much as six days after swallowing the micro organism, however most individuals get higher on their very own in a single week.

Eggs that stay in the nest for a long time can break or become dirty — so collect freshly laid eggs as often as you can, health experts advise.

Eggs that keep within the nest for a very long time can break or change into soiled — so accumulate freshly laid eggs as usually as you may, well being consultants advise.
(iStock)

Youngsters youthful than 5, adults who’re 65 and older, and people who find themselves immunocompromised usually tend to be in danger for extreme illness from salmonella and will require therapy, together with hospitalization.

Wash your palms

The company emphasizes that folks ought to at all times wash their palms with cleaning soap and water after the next: dealing with any chickens; touching their eggs; and touching something the place chickens stay and roam.

Children must also be supervised any time they’re round yard poultry.

However hand sanitizer is an efficient second-line possibility if cleaning soap and water will not be available.

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The company suggests folks have a prepared provide of hand sanitizer close to the rooster coop.

Don’t kiss chickens or snuggle with them

Kissing or snuggling chickens can unfold germs to the mouth — which is why the CDC recommends in opposition to doing this.

Additionally, do not eat or drink when round chickens, the CDC says.

It's best not to eat or drink anything when you're around chickens.

It is best to not eat or drink something if you’re round chickens.
(iStock)

Maintain chickens, their care provides similar to feed containers, and the particular sneakers you put on to look after chickens outdoors the house.

“You must also clear the provides outdoors the home,” the CDC provides on its web site.

Supervise the children

Children must also be supervised any time they’re round yard poultry.

Dad and mom and caregivers ought to remind them to additionally wash their palms after dealing with chickens.

Youngsters below 5 years outdated mustn’t contact chickens. That is as a result of they’re at increased threat of getting sick from germs like salmonella.

Deal with eggs properly

Whereas “eggs are certainly one of nature’s most nutritious and economical meals,” the CDC factors out, “eggs could make you sick if you don’t deal with and cook dinner them correctly.”

Eggs that keep within the nest for a very long time can break or change into soiled — so accumulate eggs as usually as you may.

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Damaged eggs permit germs to enter the egg extra simply via the cracked shell. Any eggs with damaged shells ought to be thrown away.

For unbroken eggs, “rub off grime on [these] eggs with effective sandpaper, a brush or a fabric,” the CDC notes on its web site.

Once you've cleaned the eggs, it's wisest to refrigerate them to keep them fresh and to slow bacterial growth, the CDC says.

As soon as you’ve got cleaned the eggs, it is wisest to refrigerate them to maintain them contemporary and to gradual bacterial development, the CDC says.
(iStock)

For heat, contemporary eggs, keep away from washing them with water, “as a result of colder water can pull germs into the egg.”

As soon as you’ve got cleaned the eggs, it is wisest to refrigerate them to maintain them contemporary and to gradual bacterial development.

Whereas some folks consider that contemporary, unwashed eggs might be saved safely at room temperature, refrigerating them will assist them last more.

The CDC provides, “Prepare dinner eggs till each the yolk and white are agency, and cook dinner egg dishes to an inner temperature of 160°F to kill all germs.”

Benedict informed Fox Information Digital, “CDC’s web site has details about easy methods to keep wholesome round yard chickens and easy methods to hold your chickens wholesome.”

She famous that the company additionally contains FAQs and “a printable infographic for individuals who have rooster coops.”

Health

fatty15 has the essential nutrient to ease stress and well-being

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2 hours ago

May 18, 2024

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fatty15 has the essential nutrient to ease stress and well-being

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Health

Summer is tick season, but these tips can help you avoid the bloodsucking bugs

Published

2 hours ago

May 18, 2024

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Summer is tick season, but these tips can help you avoid the bloodsucking bugs

Tick season is starting across the U.S., and experts are warning the bloodsuckers may be as plentiful as ever.

Another mild winter and other favorable factors likely means the 2024 tick population will be equal to last year or larger, some researchers say.

“It’s very bad and has only been getting worse,” said Susanna Visser of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

TICK BITES AND LYME DISEASE: WHAT TO DO IF A TICK BITES YOU OR YOUR PET

An increasing variety of ticks are pushing into new geographical areas, bringing unusual diseases. Exotic southern species like the Gulf Coast tick and the lone star tick are being detected in New York and other northern states, for example.

But the tick that experts warn of the most is a common blacklegged tick, which is found mainly in forests and spreads Lyme disease. Infection rates begin to peak in May, and U.S. health officials estimate nearly half a million Lyme disease infections happen annually.

Here’s a look at what’s expected this year and how you can protect yourself.

An adult deer tick, also known as the blacklegged tick, crawls on a fingernail at Connetquot State Park in Oakdale, New York on Dec. 27, 2011. (Bill Davis/Newsday RM via Getty Images)

TICK FACTS

Ticks are small, eight-legged bloodsucking parasites — arachnids, not insects — that feed on animals and sometimes people. Some ticks are infected with germs that can cause illness, and they spread those germs when they bite.

There is no widely accepted estimate of how many ticks there are from one year to the next, but there is a scientific consensus that they are an increasingly common health hazard in large portions of the United States.

Blacklegged ticks — also known as deer ticks, since they feed on deer — are among the most common ticks in the eastern half of the U.S. They were plentiful centuries ago, then diminished when forests were cut down and deer were hunted, and rebounded alongside deer and wooded suburbs. The ticks have spread out from pockets in New England and the Midwest over a wider range.

Tick populations cycle throughout the year and their numbers depend on a few factors. They like warm, humid weather, and more can be seen after a mild winter. The more deer and mice available to feed matters, too.

Overall, the blacklegged tick population has been expanding for at least four decades, researchers say.

“This is an epidemic in slow motion,” said Rebecca Eisen, a CDC research biologist and tick expert.

2024 TICK SEASON FORECAST

Weather can play a role in the severity of a tick season.

Very cold, dry winters can whittle down tick populations, but recent winters have been mild — a trend some attribute to climate change.

As Scott Williams, a tick researcher at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, said: “Winters are no longer limiting the tick population.”

Ticks can withstand the heat but tend to almost hibernate when it’s a dry summer. That happened in Maine in 2020 through 2022, said Chuck Lubelczyk, a vector ecologist at the MaineHealth Institute for Research.

But last year was a very wet year, and tick activity multiplied in Maine — the state with the highest incidence of Lyme disease in the country. Weather service predictions call for higher temperatures and precipitation, so “on paper, at least, it could be a very good year for the ticks,” Lubelczyk said.

In Wisconsin, adult ticks were out longer than usual due to a mild winter. The tick nymphs are starting to emerge, and a wet spring is setting the stage for the possibility that the population will be robust, said Xia Lee, an entomologist at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

Ditto New York.

“It will be as bad as last year, or worse,” said Saravanan Thangamani, who studies ticks and tickborne diseases at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse.

WHAT IS LYME DISEASE?

Not all ticks are infected with disease-causing germs — about 20% to 30% of the blacklegged tick nymphs that emerge in the Northeast and Midwest this spring and into summer will be carrying the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, experts estimate.

Lyme disease symptoms tend to start between three and 30 days after a bite occurs and can include fever, headache, fatigue and a bull’s-eye-like rash. If you get bitten and develop symptoms, see a doctor to get treated with antibiotics.

HOW TO KEEP TICKS OFF OF YOU

Experts say the best thing to do is take steps to avoid a tick bite in the first place.

If you go outdoors, make note of wooded areas and where grassy properties start bleeding into wooded areas. Ticks tend to perch on ankle-level vegetation with their upper legs outstretched, waiting to latch on to an unsuspecting dog or human.

Try to walk in the middle of paths, wear light-colored and permethrin-treated clothing and use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents.

HOW TO CHECK FOR TICKS

When you come inside, check for ticks. They can be found anywhere on the human body, but common spots include around the waist, behind the knees, between fingers and toes, on underarms, in the belly button and around the neck or hairline.

They are harder to see when they are young, so look carefully and immediately pull them off with tweezers.

The CDC does not recommend sending individual ticks to testing services for analysis, because a person might get more than one tick bite and the results from the tested tick may not be sufficient information.

Health

Pizza for Weight Loss? Top MD Says This Dough Makes It Possible

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9 hours ago

May 17, 2024

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Pizza for Weight Loss? Top MD Says This Dough Makes It Possible

Fathead Pizza Dough: How It Can Help Boost Weight Loss | Woman’s World

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