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| This Week's Titles: |
| Mosquito
Bites Make Several Horses Sick |
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Don't Leave Children Alone
In Hot Cars This Summer |
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| Video
Camera Makes Interesting Discovery In A Central Georgia Well |
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| Be
Safe When Grilling Ground Beef This Summer |
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| Wash
Developed That Kills Large Numbers Of Foodborne Pathogens |
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| Mosquito
Bites Make Several Horses Sick |
1:37 |
Some mosquitoes are on the
buzz that could bite into people and animals, and make them
sick. |
Several horses in South
Georgia were diagnosed with Eastern equine encephalitis in mid
to late June. Once horses get the disease, it is always fatal,
since there is no cure. Elmer Gray, an entomologist with the
University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences say humans can also get the disease from infected mosquitoes.
He adds certain people are at a higher risk. "Children, people
with compromised immune systems, and the elderly are the people
who are most in danger, but anyone can be susceptible, but it's
mostly children and elderly who are the most susceptible." Elmer
Gray with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Most cases of Eastern equine encephalitis occur in Central and
South Georgia, since mosquitoes that transmit the virus breeds
in swamps and bogs. Vaccines are available to protect horses
from the disease, but horse owners must vaccinate their animals
before they get infected, because once they get sick, it's too
late. People can protect themselves from infected mosquitoes
by wearing light-colored, long-sleeve clothing, and applying
insecticides that contain deet. John Harrell, University of
Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,
reporting from Tifton |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Don't
Leave Children Alone In Hot Cars This Summer |
1:39 |
A hot car can become a death
chamber for children during the summer, if they are left inside. |
Since 1998 around 360 children
across the nation have died because they were left alone in
a parked vehicle on a hot, summer day. Most of the victims were
three years of age, and younger. Debbie Wilburn, a county extension
agent in Hall County says temperatures well below the nineties
can be dangerous for children left alone in vehicles. "And when
we're talking about warm, it can be temperatures as low as sixty
or seventy degrees, can rise twenty degrees in ten minutes.
Many of these injuries and fatalities to children can happen
in the shade with the windows cracked." Debbie Wilburn with
the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences. Parents need to take action at home to protect their
children. Keep vehicles and car trunks locked at all times.
Keys to vehicles should be kept out of reach of curious young
children. When going to the store for a quick summer errand,
take that child inside, so they can keep their cool with you.
Anyone who sees a small child left alone in a hot vehicle during
the summer should call 911 at once, because that child could
be about to overheat, and become seriously ill, or die. John
Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences, reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Video
Camera Makes Interesting Discovery In A Central Georgia Well |
1:29 |
Video technology developed
by college scientists made an interesting discovery in a Central
Georgia well. |
In 2006 a homeowner in Putnam
County complained that water coming from his private well smelled
like old bait-shrimp. To see if anything was swimming around
in the water, a submersible video camera was lowered into the
well. Keith Fielder, a county extension agent in Putnam County
says the camera found shrimp-like creatures called isopods had
found a home in the well. "But they were able to get into the
well through groundwater and establish themselves, a really
nice little colony in that well. In reviewing our video tape
from the use of the well cam there, we literally saw hundreds
of them on tape, they were clinging on pretty much every surface
in the well." Keith Fielder with the University of Georgia's
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, who adds
a large crack in the well casing was found, which allowed water
to flow in, and maybe the isopods. Samples were collected from
the well but scientists have been unable to match the creatures
to any known species of isopods. So the video technology may
have discovered a new isopod species in the Putnam County well.
John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Be Safe
When Grilling Ground Beef This Summer |
1:47 |
When grilling hamburgers this
summer, there are safe handling rules that need to be followed. |
Around thirty cases of E-coli
have been reported in Michigan and Ohio, linked to ground beef
sold in certain stores. The latest reports indicate no cases
of E-coli related to ground beef in Georgia. But a food safety
specialist with the University of Georgia's College of Family
and Consumer Sciences says it would be a good idea for all Georgian's
to freshen up on safe handling instructions for ground beef,
especially for summer cook outs. She adds it's extremely important
to cook ground beef thoroughly, to a safe internal temperature
of one-hundred sixty degrees fahrenheit.. "Ground beef is not
like a steak because a steak will have the contamination mainly
on the surface on the cut of meat. But when you have ground
beef, that contamination gets spread all the way through the
product and that's why it's so important to make sure that you're
getting the ground beef thoroughly cooked." That was Judy Harrison
with the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, who adds the
only way to make sure ground beef is cooked to a high enough
temperature is to use a thermometer to measure the internal
temperature. Color is not a reliable indicator that ground beef
or ground beef patties have been cooked to a temperature high
enough to kill harmful bacteria. John Harrell, University of
Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,
reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Wash
Developed That Kills Large Numbers Of Foodborne Pathogens |
1:39 |
A wash developed by college
scientists attacks foodborne pathogens with deadly results. |
Every year we hear about
people getting sick after eating fruit, vegetables, or meat
contaminated with foodborne pathogens. The recent outbreak of
salmonella across the nation is the latest incident. In 2005,
scientists with the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences began working to develop a wash to
kill dangerous bacteria on food. The new wash kills salmonella
and E-coli pathogens on poultry products, meats, fragile lettuce,
and fruits. Once applied, the wash does not leave a foul odor,
or a bad taste in your mouth. "The good news is that this wash
will kill, literally, tens of thousands to up to millions of
harmful bacteria depending on the concentration and how long
it's applied. But not only does it kill the bacteria the produce
that has been treated with this still looks good and smells
good and tastes good." That was Mike Doyle with the College
of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The new wash must
undergo more testing by the Food and Drug Administration, before
it becomes available to the public. But several food processing
facilities, produce companies, and restaurants are already showing
an interest in using this wash to reduce cases of foodborne
illness in Georgia and the nation. John Harrell, University
of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,
reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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