CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 04/30/09

Flu outbreak requires preventative measures

By Faith Peppers
University of Georgia

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that an outbreak of H1N1 influenza, otherwise called swine flu, continues to grow in the United States and internationally. Confirmed cases have resulted in a number of hospitalizations and one reported death in the U.S.

Internationally, the situation is serious. The World Health Organization elevated the Pandemic Influenza Alert to Phase 5, which indicates there is now widespread human-to-human transmission of the swine flu.

Preventing the spread of any type of influenza requires a little caution and care, according to Cooperative Extension experts with the Extension Disaster Education Network.

To stay healthy or to limit the flu’s spread, remember to:

  • Avoid close contact with sick people.
  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

    • Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing. If you get sick, stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. For more information, visit the Extension Disaster Education Network http://www.eden.lsu.edu/default.aspx

    Faith Peppers is the director of public affairs with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

    Experts/Sources:
    The holiday season can be a time of anticipation and joy, but balancing multiple commitments and personalities across families and friends can be a source of stress for hosts and visitors alike. Like preparing parts of the meal ahead of time to spend more of the holiday with guests, taking time ahead of the day to set expectations can go a long way to ensuring enjoyable gatherings, said Ted Futris, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of human development and family science in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. CAES News
    Manage holiday stress with kindness, boundaries 11/21/24 Maria M. Lameiras
    The holiday season can be a time of anticipation and joy, but balancing multiple commitments and personalities across families and friends can be a source of stress for hosts and visitors alike. Much like preparing parts of the meal ahead of time allows you to spend more of the holiday with guests, setting expectations ahead of the celebration can go a long way to ensuring enjoyable gatherings, said Ted Futris, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of human development and family science.
    Conner Hall CAES News
    CAES welcomes 2024 cohort of Rural Scholars 11/20/24 Maria M. Lameiras
    The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences welcomed its fourth cohort of students chosen for the CAES Rural Scholars Program this fall just weeks after celebrating the program's first graduation. Georgia Orman, one of four inaugural Rural Scholars in CAES, graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education. The new scholars for 2024, all from Georgia, are Ela Ash of Ocilla, Lauren E. Coley of Cochran, Amelia Housley of Canon, and London O’Steen of Ambrose.
    Women play a vital role in rural American farming, but much of that work is "invisible," like raising children or household chores, according to a new UGA study. (Getty Images) CAES News
    The women and stress behind rural farming in America 11/19/24 Leigh Hataway
    Recent research from the University of Georgia suggests the unique stresses from farm life may be taking a toll on one of the pillars of the families that make your dinners possible: the women who keep farming families running. “If we don’t control our food sources, we don’t control our health and safety,” said Anna Scheyett, lead author of the study and a professor in UGA’s School of Social Work. “It’s a matter of national security that farmers survive in the United States. And one of the big factors in helping farms survive is women.”
    Mergoum at Creature Comforts CAES News
    That's the spirit! 11/18/24 Maria M. Lameiras, Claire Sanders Kinnard
    Wheat breeders spend years meticulously crossing varieties to coax the best traits out of each species, carefully propagating plant varieties that are healthier, heartier and better suited for the environments where they are grown. Professional brewmasters are equally painstaking when choosing the components that will give their beers a specific flavor profile.
    Contest-winning concept becomes viable business for alumnus who developed solar-powered, self-propelled chicken coop as a student. CAES News
    Poultry in motion 11/14/24 Sean Montgomery
    Chris Ayers emerged from his orange and black rough-terrain vehicle with an ear-to-ear grin. “This is Chiktopia,” he said, sweeping his arm wide to indicate the back half of a 3,600-square-foot warehouse on his family’s farm in Ball Ground, Georgia. “This is where I manufacture and assemble the chicken coops. Everything is done entirely from over here.”
    UGA Grand Farm Site Plan web CAES News
    UGA Grand Farm wins stage two of 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund competition 11/13/24 Jordan Powers
    Startups in the agricultural technology sector face significant barriers on the path to establishment, including access to training and capital. These barriers are heightened for underrepresented entrepreneurs seeking to start new companies. The University of Georgia Grand Farm, part of a historic partnership between the University of Georgia and Fargo, North Dakota-based Grand Farm, aims to change that.