Was I Being a Germaphobe?

[lifesavacation]

When you live and work on a farm, concern about cooties goes right out the window. I'm reminded about the time I had the vet out for one of my horses and needed her to collect a urine sample. I'd washed up and We had the horse tied up and were waiting for him to do his business but he just wouldn't go. So she and I took care of a few other horses while we waited...of course THAT's when he decides to drop trow and pee. So I panicked and ran over to him but the collection cup was nowhere to be found. So what's a girl to do?



yup.

When the vet finished laughing at me, she pulled the sample from my hands. She also called me later to tell me that the sample was tainted because my hands were dirty. So take that folks. Horse pee is cleaner than your hands even after you wash 'em.


And yes...I DID wash my hands afterwards. #farmlife

Isn’t urine supposed to be bacteria free? From the pp, it was probably cleaner than handling your cell phone!

 

[BadgerGirl84]

Unless you want to be seen as "that mom" you're going to have to check inclinations like this.

Does the opinion of others even amount to much in this situation? You did what suited your comfort level without impinging even a little on anyone else.

Live and let live. Maybe #Live and let Live is more appropriate/more meaningful?

Nope, the opinion of other people did not matter to me. I don't care one bit about what the other Little League moms thought about me buying chips--I doubt anyone noticed beyond the person selling them. I'm not in the "in crowd" when it comes to the school and sports moms anyway, so I couldn't care less.

No - it would have bothered me as well - individual bags are not tha expensive - a box of 50 runs at .38 cents each

I would have had a LONG chat with those in charge about it

I never thought about complaining to the guy who ran it, nor will I. He either got the food donated or used Little League money--our town fees for the program are very inexpensive and the food was free. I'm honestly fine with him serving whatever he wants in whatever manner he chooses, and I can choose if my family participates in it or not. No big deal.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

The urine thing wound't have bothered me at all, other than knowing that it's not possible to do a "clean catch sample" required for analysis with your bare hands.

I hosted a birthday party this month at a local diary farm for 5 year olds that involved feeding calves bottles, petting cows and other animals and I'm pretty sure all the kids and myself had cow drool on our hands for a good portion of the farm tour. No big deal--it was lots of fun and we all washed our hands before I served the food. Of course...I served individually packaged snacks in addition to the cake and ice cream! No big bags of chips to be a free for all!

 

[Jennasis]

The urine thing wound't have bothered me at all, other than knowing that it's not possible to do a "clean catch sample" required for analysis with your bare hands.

I hosted a birthday party this month at a local diary farm for 5 year olds that involved feeding calves bottles, petting cows and other animals and I'm pretty sure all the kids and myself had cow drool on our hands for a good portion of the farm tour. No big deal--it was lots of fun and we all washed our hands before I served the food. Of course...I served individually packaged snacks in addition to the cake and ice cream! No big bags of chips to be a free for all!

The urine thing didn't bother me (and is still one of the least "icky" things my line of work involves). The only reason I used my hands is that I couldn't find the sample cup and the pee was getting away. It was an "aww crap what do i do??" moment (like that cartoon bear in the Donald Duck cartoon who panics when he's stuck in the hunter's lodge and pretends to be a bear skin rug LOL).

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Isn’t urine supposed to be bacteria free? From the pp, it was probably cleaner than handling your cell phone!

Urine is generally sterile, unless a UTI is present. (Unless there is something different I don't know about horse urine.)

But coming from a horse, it's HOT (body temperature), probably smells pretty pungent, there's a lot of it, and it splatters! Plus holding it in hands long enough to get it in some kind of container would be quite challenging! Certainly not an experience a germophobe would typically enjoy.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The urine thing wound't have bothered me at all, other than knowing that it's not possible to do a "clean catch sample" required for analysis with your bare hands.

I hosted a birthday party this month at a local diary farm for 5 year olds that involved feeding calves bottles, petting cows and other animals and I'm pretty sure all the kids and myself had cow drool on our hands for a good portion of the farm tour. No big deal--it was lots of fun and we all washed our hands before I served the food. Of course...I served individually packaged snacks in addition to the cake and ice cream! No big bags of chips to be a free for all!

This is so ironic to me! (I.e. as the Op being worried about chips, but not this.)

I'm glad none of the children or you got EColi infections.

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/...-e-coli-outbreak-among-children/#.W0z1LtEpChA

 

[gillep]

I would have eaten the chips as served but I am very far from a germaphobe, even though the majority of my life I was on immunosupressant medication. I do serve individual bags of chips when I host parties though, but that's because I feel like I always wasted too much food putting out the larger bags for parties.

 

[Southernmiss]

This is so ironic to me! (I.e. as the Op being worried about chips, but not this.)

I'm glad none of the children or you got EColi infections.

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/...-e-coli-outbreak-among-children/#.W0z1LtEpChA

Yes, a day on the farm with cow slobber on my hands would have bothered me much more than 200 human kids sticking their hands into a chip bag for 3 seconds to pull out salty chips.

I grew up with cows and farmers in the family. I have seen some things!

 

[anniemae]

This is so ironic to me! (I.e. as the Op being worried about chips, but not this.)

I'm glad none of the children or you got EColi infections.

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/...-e-coli-outbreak-among-children/#.W0z1LtEpChA

Yes, a day on the farm with cow slobber on my hands would have bothered me much more than 200 human kids sticking their hands into a chip bag for 3 seconds to pull out salty chips.

I grew up with cows and farmers in the family. I have seen some things!

I think, and i could be wrong as I am not the OP, that the difference was they were not eating with dirty hands after they were all touching cow slobber. She states that they all washed hands before serving and eating food.

In both the baseball scenario, and the cow scenario, they had dirty hands. In baseball scenario, they just dug in and ate, in cow scenario, they all washed hands then ate. That's the difference I think. It wasn't the dirty hands that bothered her, it was the not cleaning up before eating/handling food.

 

[Southernmiss]

I think, and i could be wrong as I am not the OP, that the difference was they were not eating with dirty hands after they were all touching cow slobber. She states that they all washed hands before serving and eating food.

In both the baseball scenario, and the cow scenario, they had dirty hands. In baseball scenario, they just dug in and ate, in cow scenario, they all washed hands then ate. That's the difference I think. It wasn't the dirty hands that bothered her, it was the not cleaning up before eating/handling food.

Yes, but to me going the day without washing hands with cow slobber until you eat is yuckier than dirty kid hands! With the cows, what if you had to sneeze, scratch your face, wipe sweat off your brow,etc. before washing your hands. And then where on your body did your hands touch before washing them-cow cooties, yuck! Blech-that grosses me out more!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I think, and i could be wrong as I am not the OP, that the difference was they were not eating with dirty hands after they were all touching cow slobber. She states that they all washed hands before serving and eating food.

In both the baseball scenario, and the cow scenario, they had dirty hands. In baseball scenario, they just dug in and ate, in cow scenario, they all washed hands then ate. That's the difference I think.

In the petting zoo, it doesn't matter whether they were eating or not. They need to get the animal germs off their hands right away. There is a ton of information out there about this since many children have become sickened at petting zoos. Some have died.

Let's be clear on what causes these infections - ingestion of poop from ruminant animals, such as cows, goats, sheep, deer and others. Young children (classified as under the age of 6), especially, are known to put their hands in their mouths, even in absence of eating. When visiting a petting zoo (and I think children should!) they need to be supervised at all times to make sure they don't put their hands in their mouths, and they need to thoroughly wash hands when leaving the petting area. Poop from these animals is in the petting environment, as well as on the animals themselves, as the animals move around. Some even recommend bringing a change of clothes.

https://www.webmd.com/baby/features/kids-petting-zoos#1

"While the E. coli outbreak has justifiably concerned parents, it needn't scare them away, Jayarao says. Protecting your kids from E. coli 0157:H7, or any other organism found in a farm environment -- such as Salmonella, Cryptosporidia, and Listeria -- is largely a matter of following some simple safety rules, he says:

• 
  
  
  • Wash hands. One of the simplest precautions parents can take is to be sure kids wash their hands with hot, soapy water after touching the animals or animal enclosures. Wet hands, apply soap, lather for at least 20 seconds, paying extra attention to crevices and under fingernails, then rinse. If hand-washing facilities are not immediately available, antibacterial gel hand sanitizers can do the trick.
  • Keep hands out of mouths. If a child is too young to understand this -- younger than six years old -- parents should accompany the child at all times while at the zoo. Very young children should probably be carried as an extra precaution, says Jayarao. Older children can be instructed not to kiss the animals or touch their own eyes, noses, or mouths after petting the animals. And don't forget to warn against nail-biting and thumb-sucking, two other possible ways to become infected.
  • Keep food and animals separate. Jayarao recommends stopping to eat and drink before going to the petting zoo rather than doing so during or after.
  • "Children should definitely not wander around in the pens with ice cream or crackers," he says. And if the children are feeding the animals, make sure they are old enough to understand they should not share the treats.
  • Bring a change of clothes. It's easy to forget that a jacket can become contaminated when a child leans on a railing, or that shoelaces dragging in the mud can transport bacteria back home, says Venso. The safest bet is to have the children change their clothes after petting the animals, not to be worn again until they have been washed in hot, soapy water.
  • Don't be a poo-bearer. It's obvious, but not to be overlooked. Make sure children understand the importance of avoiding animal manure. Because E. coli and other dangerous organisms can be shed in animal feces -- where they can remain active for long periods of time -- it is especially important to avoid contact with these substances, says Venso.
  • Ask about hygiene. Make sure the animals and the petting areas are clean and well kept. If there are a lot of animal droppings in the petting area, or if the animals appear excessively dirty, it's best not to visit. "Even with the best hygiene practices, these organisms may still be present," says Jayarao. But if the situation looks unsafe, don't take chances.
  • Watch for symptoms. If your child does become ill soon after visiting a petting zoo or farm, call a doctor, says Jayarao. This can save valuable time in making a diagnosis. Pay close attention to any possible signs of infection for a week or so after your trip."

- This article is from 2012 - there have been many more cases since then. http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/11/the-petting-zoo-problem/#.W00SNtEpChA

"An epidemiological investigation would put the blame almost squarely on the animals in the petting zoo, some of which were likely carrying the bacteria, and infected visitors by shedding E. coli in their feces. Any infected animal could have left traces of the bacteria on the ground inside its pen, on its coat or on any surface people grasp, such as fence rails.

But the outbreak that sickened Katie and the other fairgoers was far from a rare occurrence. Since 2000, petting zoos and organized farm visits around the U.S. have caused at least 32 publicized outbreaks of E. coli, Salmonella and Cryptosporidium – pathogens traditionally associated with contaminated food. Between 1996 and 2010, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received reports of approximately 150 animal-to-human disease outbreaks in public settings.

Last month, North Carolina saw another petting zoo outbreak, this time at the Cleveland County Fair. At least 106 people fell ill with E. coli O157:H7, including 2-year-old Gage Lefevers, a Gastonia boy who died as a direct result of his infection.

Other children spent weeks in the hospital, some in the intensive care unit with hemolytic uremic syndrome. Jordan McNair, a 12-year-old Cherryville boy, was finally released from Levine Children’s Hospital last week after 35 days in treatment.

The day after McNair’s release, North Carolina state health investigators officially declared the fair’s petting zoo exhibit to be the cause of the outbreak. Runoff from rains during the duration of the fair likely helped spread the bacteria to other areas of the fairgrounds.

“These are just needless deaths and illnesses,” Becky Maness said. “We should be smart enough to figure out a way to see animals without this happening.”

Experts Work to Make Fairs Safer

Of the 106 people sickened at this year’s Cleveland County Fair, 65 were children, as were more than half of the victims at the 2004 state fair outbreak.

Not only are children’s developing immune systems more susceptible to harmful bugs, but young fairgoers often behave in ways that heighten their risk of infection. Kids may bite their nails or suck their thumbs after touching contaminated fur or fence rails. They are also less likely to wash their hands without supervision."

I could go on...

 

[DeniseJH]

I wouldn't have taken any, but I'd have let the kids have them. They're always dirty anyway. I don't think you were being a germaphobe - it just makes sense to stop and think about where all of those hands have been.


Thought some more about this...no, I don't think I would have let the kids have any. Who wants to deal with sick kids? Why chance it over some chips? The main risk would be E.coli, and I don't believe we need to be exposed/build up a resistance to this. They are going to get plenty of exposure to all the other stuff.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I wouldn't have taken any, but I'd have let the kids have them. They're always dirty anyway. I don't think you were being a germaphobe - it just makes sense to stop and think about where all of those hands have been.


Thought some more about this...no, I don't think I would have let the kids have any. Who wants to deal with sick kids? Why chance it over some chips? The main risk would be E.coli, and I don't believe we need to be exposed/build up a resistance to this. They are going to get plenty of exposure to all the other stuff.

No. There is little to no risk of EColi with the chips in the baseball situation, nor is that something you ever build resistance to. It's an adulterant in food sources, or something you pick up from animal poop. (And different types from things like contaminated water.)

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

The chips wouldn't have bothered me. Not even a little bit.

 

[DisneylandDarling]

I didn’t realize you were an actor. Congrats!

....

Edited because I'm a nitwit and didn't catch the joke lol

Well played, sir. Well played!

 

[BadgerGirl84]

This is so ironic to me! (I.e. as the Op being worried about chips, but not this.)

I'm glad none of the children or you got EColi infections.

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/...-e-coli-outbreak-among-children/#.W0z1LtEpChA

Thank you SO much for your concern! Maybe I'll make my kids wear latex gloves next time we feed the goats at the zoo or touch an animal at the fair. Or maybe a hazmat suit? Can't be too careful!

Yes, but to me going the day without washing hands with cow slobber until you eat is yuckier than dirty kid hands! With the cows, what if you had to sneeze, scratch your face, wipe sweat off your brow,etc. before washing your hands. And then where on your body did your hands touch before washing them-cow cooties, yuck! Blech-that grosses me out more!

Who said anything about going "all day" without washing hands? It was a short farm tour, then we all washed our hands in the sink with soap and water before moving on with the party. The farm hosts camps and birthdays all summer--I don't believe anyone was at risk.

 

[DisneylandDarling]

You would be surprised.

Our Medical Lab students do lab tests on all kinds of stuff during one of their classes. They come around the building and do swab tests and then let us know what it says. Most of the time the toilet has the fewest germs. (I am guessing because it’s cleaned a few times a day).

After their tests, the local sale of Clorox wipes goes waaayy up.

Oh, I have no doubt that certain surfaces are absolutely disgusting. We did a lab where we took swabs of different surfaces throughout the campus (community phone, toilet, bathroom door, professor's coffee cup, etc. Grew it for a week and compared the results. The bathroom door and phone handle were by far the most germ-y. Toilet seat wasn't too bad, since it gets cleaned every day. Makes you think!!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Thank you SO much for your concern! Maybe I'll make my kids wear latex gloves next time we feed the goats at the zoo or touch an animal at the fair. Or maybe a hazmat suit? Can't be too careful!

Sorry I offended you! Hopefully it will be helpful to someone who can appreciate the information.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

?

I'm at a loss on which part of what I originally said was offensive? I was giving an opinion that 10 hands touching something is probably going to be dirtier than one person touching something. I obviously (unintentionally) hit a nerve and I do apologize for that. I tried to lighten it by making a joke about always being right (which was not taken well either). Not my intention to cause upset. Again, apologies!

I think he was just trying to make a joke. You said you were on a role when the spelling should have been roll. Don’t be so quick to apologize, girl!

 

[DisneylandDarling]

I think he was just trying to make a joke. You said you were on a role when the spelling should have been roll. Don’t be so quick to apologize, girl!

Oh my goodness... I'm a dummy!!! lol


Thanks for explaining that!!