There are already over 800 cases of dangerous infection. The fight against time continues

• The head of the Silesian Sanitary Inspectorate, Dr. Grzegorz Hudzik - State Provincial Sanitary Inspector in Katowice - informed that the institution has prepared special materials related to the summer holidays of children and youth.
• He informed that the sanitary inspection will be monitoring the organizers of the recreation and in justified cases a decision may be made to end the stay.
• The State Provincial Sanitary Inspector in Katowice reminded how to handle food products to prevent them from harboring dangerous bacteria and ticks, especially since over 800 cases of Lyme disease infection have already been recorded in the Silesian Voivodeship.

The special educational materials mentioned include guides on the principles of safe recreation, leaflets for children, young people and parents, as well as tips on bathing areas and health protection during the holidays.

- We must check as adults and people responsible for our children whether the facility offering recreation to the child is entered on the list of facilities approved by the education authority, whether it has been inspected by the sanitary inspection . We carry out such inspections before the season, as preparation for the services provided, as well as during it, and we also respond to any signals from parents and participants - said Grzegorz Hudzik on Radio Katowice.

If the allegations are confirmed, a decision may be made to end the stay.

He noted that in justified cases a decision may be made to end the stay if the allegations are confirmed.

When a foodborne illness occurs, even if it is caused by salmonella, and it spreads, there is nothing left to do but to end the stay and the children must return home.

- explained Dr. Grzegorz Hudzik.

The list of certified summer camp organizers can be found on the website of the Ministry of National Education and the education boards . There is information there, among other things, who is the organizer of a given camp, whether they are registered and whether everything is in order.

Sanitary and epidemiological stations are taking part in a pan-European campaign called "Safe2EatEu", the aim of which is to increase awareness of food safety.

According to Dr. Hudzik, the most common cause of food poisoning is improper handling of food products.

- One general rule that should guide us is to store and transport food products that we buy in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations, i.e. maintaining the so-called cold chain . If we buy a good product and keep it in a package in a hot car, we are sure that bacteria will multiply there - he noted on Radio Katowice.

He emphasized that there are also bacteria that prefer to multiply in cold stores and refrigerators, such as Listeria monocytogenes . It is much more difficult to remove them from our environment, because they often end up in our refrigeration devices and feel good there. Therefore, it is necessary to strictly maintain the hygiene and cleanliness of refrigerators. He noted that Listeriosis is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, newborns and people with weakened immunity.

As of the end of May this year, 826 new cases of Lyme disease were recorded in the Silesian province . The State Provincial Sanitary Inspector in Katowice reminded on air that if we find a tick feeding on our skin, we should remove it ourselves or see a doctor.

It's a race against time. The sooner we remove such a tick, and it is said that if we remove it before 12 hours after it has attached itself to our skin, we reduce the risk of transmitting the disease from it to almost 90 percent.

- said the head of the Silesian Sanitary Inspectorate.

However, ticks must be removed in a way that is safe for humans.

Dr. Grzegorz Hudzik said that:

• any mechanical method of removing ticks, whether using tick traps or tweezers, is highly recommended,
• you absolutely must not knead it, smear it with gasoline, butter, or fats, because then you provoke the tick to pump the contents of its digestive tract into your skin.