Tips to Prevent Disease Brought by Animal & Human Wastes
From toxoplasmosis in cat feces to roundworms in human feces, people can get a range of nasty diseases and infections from animal and human waste alike. In fact, according to the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, approximately 1.4 billion people throughout the world have an ascariasis infection, which is transmitted through contaminated human feces. Practicing good hygiene is a key step in preventing these diseases.
Use Proper Hygiene
Most diseases transmitted through animal and human waste cause infections when contaminated feces on your hand get into your mouth. Wash your hands regularly, especially after you use the bathroom or change your child's diaper and before you fix food. Develop the habit of washing your hands at least six times each day. Changing your clothing and bed linens and bathing regularly also reduces your chances of developing these diseases, particularly those caused by human waste.
Wash vegetables thoroughly before you eat them raw, especially if you have your own vegetable garden. Infected animal feces can get into the soil in your garden and coat the vegetables that you eat, especially root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes.
Use Proper Composting Techniques
If you use animal manure in your compost pile, make sure you construct the pile in a way that will help it reach high temperatures (up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit), which will kill most infections in the feces, according to the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. The University of Illinois Cooperative Extension states that in order for your compost pile to reach these temperatures, it must be at least three cubic feet but no more than five cubic feet. Use a composting thermometer to monitor the pile's temperature during composting to ensure that it gets hot. According to the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension, you should never use cat or dog feces in your compost since they contain pathogens that can survive the heat levels home compost piles normally reach.
Wear Shoes
Many children throughout the world contract infections from animal and human waste because they play outside in their bare feet. Contaminated animal and human feces on the ground come in contact with the children's bare skin, causing them to develop these infections. Don't let your children leave the house without shoes on. Use socks and shoes that completely cover your children's feet instead of open-toed shoes or flip-flops.
Teach Your Children
Teach your children good hygiene habits at a young age. Teach them never to pick up or play with animal feces. Encouraging them to wash their hands when they're learning to use the potty also instills the importance of good hygiene at an early age. Similarly, try to keep them from putting their hands in their mouths, especially after they've been playing outside.
Keep Pets Separate
Don't allow your pets to have free access to the areas that your children play in outside. Locating your cat's litter box in a secure area helps keep your children from trying to play in it when they're young. If you live in an area that has free-ranging cats, avoid letting your children use a sandbox, since the cats may use it as a spot to defecate.
Tags: human waste, animal human waste, Cooperative Extension, good hygiene, human feces, your children, your children