Hand Sanitizer

SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church was the first parish in the Catholic Diocese of Lexington to institute special preventive procedures during communion to combat the H1N1 virus, according the church's pastor, the Rev. Thomas Farrell. "We implemented our precautionary measures in September, and they were the first such procedures put in place by a church in our dioceses," he said. "Now, several other parishes have adopted the same or similar measures. " The ball got rolling when members of the church's health ministries committee decided something needed to be done during the communion portion of mass after hearing the news that Junction City Elementary School had to close because of concern over the so-called swine flu, Farrell said.

The staff at Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center is hoping that a simple message about hand washing and disease will be catching for visitors to the hospital and employees alike. "Hand washing is the single best way to stop the spread of infection," said Ginger Elliott, infection control nurse for EMRMC. "We pick up bugs with our hands when we don't sanitize them. Bugs don't jump off surfaces, they are picked up. " The hospital kicked off the first formal hand hygiene campaign with staff members passing out literature and bottles of hand sanitizer in the lobby.

Our featured pets for this week are Pretty Mama and Karen. Pretty Mama is a sweet dilute calico cat. She is 1-year -old and had to come to the shelter because her owner was ill and no longer able to care for her pets. Pretty Mama is friendly toward people and other cats. She's a pleasure to be around and will make a fantastic companion in her new home.   Karen is a darling 11-week-old collie and hound mix puppy. She has flashy white markings on a rich tan-colored coat. Karen is happy and social and loves to have visitors who will give her some play time.

The Jessamine County Board of Education, like others across the state, has dealt with the fears over the recent MRSA cases in many schools. MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcal aureus) is a form of common bacterium that exists on the body, which has developed resistance to certain antibiotics. Although cases of MRSA have been found in some Fayette County schools, there have yet to be any confirmed cases of MRSA in Jessamine County schools. At its work session Monday, Health Service Coordinator Pat Glass updated the board on steps the district has implemented to inform parents about the infection and to protect students in the event the infection occurs in one of the schools.

Outbreaks of resistant forms of staph infections have been making the news around the country in recent weeks. This highly contagious infection comes from the staphylococcus aureus bacteria that are normally found on the skin. The resistant strain recently appeared in schools, daycare centers and other areas where people congregate. The resistant form is known as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, meaning it is resistant to certain antibiotics. Previously it was found primarily in medical facilities, such as nursing homes and hospitals.

Jessamine County schools have had its first confirmed H1N1 case according to district officials. The district announced that a student at Brookside Elementary School was diagnosed with H1N1, or swine flu, on Tuesday. Knowing that cases of the H1N1 had cropped up in other districts across the state, such as Boyle County, where Junction City Elementary School was closed for a week, district officials had been preparing and working with the Jessamine County Health Department for the eventuality of a case in the district, Superintendent Lu Young said.

Kentucky experienced it second H1N1 related death this week, and as cases of the flu continue to increase, it is forcing many organizations such as schools and athletic teams to alter the way they conduct their business. In some places across Kentucky and around the country, even churches are being affected, with many changing the way they conduct worship services and asking worshippers to alter how they greet each other by not shaking hands. The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department last week asked churches and faith communities to evaluate their activities and to identify those such as handshaking and hand holding, which could increase the spread of the flu virus.

Our featured pets for this week are Pretty Mama and Karen. Pretty Mama is a sweet dilute calico cat. She is 1-year -old and had to come to the shelter because her owner was ill and no longer able to care for her pets. Pretty Mama is friendly toward people and other cats. She's a pleasure to be around and will make a fantastic companion in her new home.   Karen is a darling 11-week-old collie and hound mix puppy. She has flashy white markings on a rich tan-colored coat. Karen is happy and social and loves to have visitors who will give her some play time.

SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church was the first parish in the Catholic Diocese of Lexington to institute special preventive procedures during communion to combat the H1N1 virus, according the church's pastor, the Rev. Thomas Farrell. "We implemented our precautionary measures in September, and they were the first such procedures put in place by a church in our dioceses," he said. "Now, several other parishes have adopted the same or similar measures. " The ball got rolling when members of the church's health ministries committee decided something needed to be done during the communion portion of mass after hearing the news that Junction City Elementary School had to close because of concern over the so-called swine flu, Farrell said.

Kentucky experienced it second H1N1 related death this week, and as cases of the flu continue to increase, it is forcing many organizations such as schools and athletic teams to alter the way they conduct their business. In some places across Kentucky and around the country, even churches are being affected, with many changing the way they conduct worship services and asking worshippers to alter how they greet each other by not shaking hands. The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department last week asked churches and faith communities to evaluate their activities and to identify those such as handshaking and hand holding, which could increase the spread of the flu virus.

Jessamine County schools have had its first confirmed H1N1 case according to district officials. The district announced that a student at Brookside Elementary School was diagnosed with H1N1, or swine flu, on Tuesday. Knowing that cases of the H1N1 had cropped up in other districts across the state, such as Boyle County, where Junction City Elementary School was closed for a week, district officials had been preparing and working with the Jessamine County Health Department for the eventuality of a case in the district, Superintendent Lu Young said.

The staff at Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center is hoping that a simple message about hand washing and disease will be catching for visitors to the hospital and employees alike. "Hand washing is the single best way to stop the spread of infection," said Ginger Elliott, infection control nurse for EMRMC. "We pick up bugs with our hands when we don't sanitize them. Bugs don't jump off surfaces, they are picked up. " The hospital kicked off the first formal hand hygiene campaign with staff members passing out literature and bottles of hand sanitizer in the lobby.

The Jessamine County Board of Education, like others across the state, has dealt with the fears over the recent MRSA cases in many schools. MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcal aureus) is a form of common bacterium that exists on the body, which has developed resistance to certain antibiotics. Although cases of MRSA have been found in some Fayette County schools, there have yet to be any confirmed cases of MRSA in Jessamine County schools. At its work session Monday, Health Service Coordinator Pat Glass updated the board on steps the district has implemented to inform parents about the infection and to protect students in the event the infection occurs in one of the schools.

Outbreaks of resistant forms of staph infections have been making the news around the country in recent weeks. This highly contagious infection comes from the staphylococcus aureus bacteria that are normally found on the skin. The resistant strain recently appeared in schools, daycare centers and other areas where people congregate. The resistant form is known as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, meaning it is resistant to certain antibiotics. Previously it was found primarily in medical facilities, such as nursing homes and hospitals.