NH DHHS - Food Safety Tips for the Summer Season

Concord, NH – During this busy summer season of trips to the beach,

vacations, and cookouts, the Department of Health and Human

Services’ (DHHS) Food Protection Section wants to remind everyone to follow

some important food safety practices to avoid foodborne illnesses, such as

Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli, and Campylobacter.



There are an estimated 76 million cases of foodborne disease, 325,000

hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths each year in the United States.



“Food is an important part of vacation and holiday gatherings but it needs

to be handled safely, especially during the warmer weather,” said Dr. José

Montero, Director of Public Health at DHHS. “The basic rule is keep hot

foods hot and cold foods cold. It sounds like common sense, but often we

get busy and forget or think someone else is taking care of something. It

is everyone’s responsibility to be food safe.”



A DHHS video on summer grilling food safety is available on YouTube at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWDyMOUTrfM. There are some simple

precautions everyone should always take to reduce the possibility of

becoming sick when preparing food, which include:

Separate: Use a separate cutting board for cooked foods and raw foods

(especially meat) and always wash them after use. Avoid cross

contamination. Wash any utensil after preparing one food item before

going on to the next item.

Clean: Always wash hands before touching any food. Wash hands and

surfaces often during food preparation and afterward.

Cook: Make sure all meats are thoroughly cooked by using a meat

thermometer: turkey, stuffing, and casseroles to 165ºF; veal, beef,

and lamb roasts to 145ºF; and ham, pork, ground beef, and egg dishes

to 160ºF. When reheating, leftovers should be thoroughly heated to

165ºF.

Chill: Refrigerate or freeze leftovers within two hours. One hour if it

is a hot day over

90ºF. The refrigerator should be maintained at 40ºF or lower and the

freezer should be at 0ºF or lower. Keep hot foods hot, 140ºF or

hotter, and cold foods cold, 40ºF or below. Never defrost food at

room temperature. Thaw food in the refrigerator, in a cold-water

bath, or in the microwave. When using a microwave, meat must be

cooked immediately after. Marinate foods in the refrigerator.

Report: Report suspected foodborne illnesses to the NH Department of

Health and Human Services by calling 603-271-4496. Often calls from

concerned citizens are how outbreaks are first detected. If a public

health official calls you to talk about an outbreak, your cooperation

is important, even if you are not ill.



For more information visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture at

www.usda.gov or http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Education/Grill_It_Safe/index.asp,

the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at www.cdc.gov , the

DHHS website at www.dhhs.nh.gov , or www.befoodsafe.org

Governor Hassan's Public Schedule for Saturday, March 30 - Friday, April 5, 2013

Office of New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan

CONCORD – Below is Governor Maggie Hassan’s schedule of public events for Saturday, March 30 through Friday, April 5, 2013:

Saturday, March 30

11:00 AM        Governor Hassan to Host Annual Easter Egg Hunt

                        Location: Bridges House, 21 Mountain Road, Concord

2:00 PM          Governor Hassan to Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans

                        Location: NHAG AASF Hangar, 26 Regional Drive, Concord

*Note: Last year, the New Hampshire State Legislature passed Senate Bill 398 to acknowledge and commemorate the military service of American men and women in Vietnam. This bill established March 30, 2013 as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.

6:00 PM          Governor Hassan to Attend City Year’s 13^th Annual Starry Starry Night

                        Location: Wentworth by the Sea Hotel, 588 Wentworth Road, New Castle

Monday, April 1

9:40 AM          Governor Hassan to Swear In Jeff Rose as Commissioner of the Department of Resources and Economic Development

                        Location: Executive Council Chamber, State House, Concord

Tuesday, April 2

11:15 AM        Governor Hassan to Speak at Community Development Finance Authority Event to Mark National Community Development Week

                        Location: Smile Building, 49 South Main Street, Concord

Wednesday, April 3

8:00 AM          Governor Hassan to Attend Governor and Executive Council Breakfast

                        Location: Secretary of State, Bureau of Securities Regulation, State House Annex, 3^rd Floor, Room 341, 25 Capitol Street, Concord

10:00 AM        Governor Hassan to Preside Over Governor and Council Meeting

Location: Governor and Council Chamber, State House, Concord

*Note: the Governor will hold a brief media availability immediately following the meeting

Thursday, April 4

9:00 AM          Governor Hassan to Speak at Eggs & Issues

                        Location: North Conway Grand Hotel, 72 Common Court, North Conway

6:00 PM          Governor Hassan to Participate in Fisher Cats Opening Day Ceremonies

                        Location: Northeast Delta Dental Stadium, 1 Line Drive, Manchester

Friday, April 5

8:00 AM          Governor Hassan to Speak at Campaign for Legal Services 2013 Kickoff            

Location: Bedford Village Inn, 2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford

10:00 AM        Governor Hassan to Open YMCA Youth and Government Day    

Location: Representatives Hall, State House, Concord

11:30 AM        Governor Hassan to Sign Proclamation Proclaiming April as Donate Life Month

                        in New Hampshire

                        Location: Executive Council Chamber, State House, Concord

1:00 PM          Governor Hassan to Speak at New Hampshire State Police Promotion Ceremony

                        Location: New Hampshire Police Standards & Training Council, 17 Institute Drive,

                        Concord

4:00 PM          Governor Hassan to Attend Made in NH Expo

                        Location: Radisson Hotel Expo Center, 700 Elm Street, Manchester

Governor Hassan to Speak at McDonough School to Promote Literacy

Office of New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan

MANCHESTER – Governor Maggie Hassan will speak at McDonough School’s Book Character Pageant Assembly to mark Read Across New Hampshire and promote literacy.

The Book Character Pageant Assembly is part of McDonough School’s week-long campaign to promote literacy. Every student has been challenged to read a million words and classrooms are decorating doors to win $100 to spend at the book fair, among other activities. For the Book Character Pageant Assembly, the students have been invited to dress up like their favorite book characters.

March has marked Read Across New Hampshire Month, part of the National Education Association’s Read Across America program. In its 16^th year, Read Across America is the NEA’s signature program, designed to build a nation of readers by motivating children and teens to read by organizing events, creating partnerships, and providing reading resources.

WHAT:          Governor Hassan to Speak at McDonough School’s Promote Literacy Day Assembly to Mark Read Across America Month

WHEN:          Friday, March 29, 1:00 PM

WHERE:       McDonough School, 550 Lowell Street, Manchester

Governor's Easter Egg Hunt

Attached is a flyer for the Governor’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt, which she will be holding at Bridges House this Saturday (March 30) at 11 a.m.

http://www.nhinsider.com/storage/pdf_files/EasterEggHunt.pdf

NH DHHS Recognizes World TB Day

Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

(DHHS), Division of Public Health Services recognizes World Tuberculosis

Day, sponsored by the Stop TB Partnership, which aims to eliminate

tuberculosis worldwide. World TB Day is held on March 24th, commemorating

the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes TB. The goal of World

TB Day is to raise awareness of the disease and work toward elimination of

TB disease and infection.



There were 9 cases of tuberculosis (TB) identified in New Hampshire in

2012, the most recent year data are available. A total of 10,528 TB cases

(which translates to a rate of 3.4 TB cases per 100,000 persons) were

reported in the United States in 2011. Both the number of TB cases reported

and the case rate decreased; compared with 2010, these numbers represent a

5.8% and 6.4% decline, respectively. In 2011, the percentage of TB cases

that were diagnosed in foreign-born persons increased to 62% of the

national case total. Despite the overall decline in numbers, cases of this

treatable disease continue to be diagnosed in the United States and public

health officials are concerned that there is not enough progress being made

toward elimination.



“Although tuberculosis is sometimes a difficult disease to diagnose and can

cause very serious symptoms,” said Dr. José Montero, Director of Public

Health at DHHS, “it is treatable and relatively difficult to catch. About

one-third of the world’s population is infected with the Mycobacterium

tuberculosis bacterium. The fact that case numbers are declining in the

U.S. makes us vulnerable to complacency and neglect, but there is more we

can do to help stop the spread of this disease and one of the most

important steps is education.”



TB is most often spread when an infected person coughs and the bacteria

become airborne. Symptoms of TB can vary but the most common ones include a

cough that lasts longer than 3 weeks and coughing up blood or phlegm.

People may also experience weakness or fatigue, weight loss, loss of

appetite, chills, fever, and/or night sweats. Tuberculosis usually affects

the lungs but can also attack any part of the body.



For more information about TB, visit www.cdc.gov/tb , the NH Department of

Health and Human Services website at www.dhhs.nh.gov , the Stop TB

Partnership at www.stoptb.org , or Breathe New Hampshire at

www.breathenh.org . For questions about tuberculosis and reporting

requirements, call the DHHS Bureau of Infectious Disease Control at

603-271-4496.