38 | Spring 2022
H E A LT H Y FA M I L I E S
How to Keep Sickness From Ruining Happy Spring Memories 20 SECONDS OF SCRUBBING NOW CAN SAVE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE HOURS IN THE RESTROOM LATER TANNER BURNSIDE
Bear River Health Department
As spring approaches, families, field trip organizers, or youth groups may be planning to visit events with baby animals. There is something profoundly wonderful about holding a baby animal. The last couple of years have been hard on everyone. What could be better than making some new happy memories with some brand-new animals we love to snuggle and cuddle? While they may be cute and cuddly, many of the same animals we visit at a petting zoo, keep around farms, or that live in our homes
play host to germs that make us sick. Every spring, the health department sees an increase in diseases spread by animals. Some of these illnesses are preventable with some basic but easy-to-forget steps. We recommend getting out there this year, visiting those adorable little animals, picking up a few more chickens for your coop, or adopting that new pet, but we also recommend taking a few measures to help keep you and your family safe from disease. Over the last two years, many parents have adopted carrying a bottle of hand sanitizer
with them everywhere they take their kids. We love to see those little bottles! Easily available, hand sanitizer is very effective at killing many of the germs we regularly come in contact with. However, it is important to note that hand sanitizer does not kill every germ that causes sickness. Particularly when we come in contact with animals, hand sanitizer is no substitute for good old-fashioned hand washing with soap and water. Some common germs, like Cryptosporidium that causes mild to serious
