Lakeshore Advance, 2013-09-04, Page 1716 Lakeshore Advance • Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Rabies vaccine drop blanking eastern Huron County
Gerard Creces
QMI Agency
The Ministry of Natural
Resources will be taking to the
skies next week, dropping
rabies vaccine bait across the
southwest region. On Septem-
ber 9, the MNR will begin
sending out a twin otter air-
craft from the Stratford airport,
loaded with bait to blanket an
area that spans much of
Huron, Perth, Waterloo and
Wellington counties. If weather
permits, the bait drop will be
completed in two to three
days, and locations are chosen
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58 Ontario St., N.
Grand Bend
(519) 238-5383
based on a 50 -kilometre radius
from reported cases of rabies.
It's been more than two
years since the last case of
rabies was reported in Huron
County, and MNR representa-
tive Beverly Stevenson said a
large part of that is because of
the wide -reaching vaccine
program.
In 2012 there was one cat
and one skunk with rabies
found near the junction of
Waterloo and Perth County.
'Ilse black and white nuunmals
are notorious for carrying the
disease.
"Rabies persisted (in
Ontario) because it was in
skunks," Stevenson said.
"Skunks and foxes make up
over 50 per cent of all cases."
Prior to the implementation
of the baiting program in the
1980s, there were about 1,500
cases reported to the Cana-
dian Food Inspection Agency
annually. 'Ihe most cases ever
reported in a single year was
about 3,300.
Stevenson noted rabies has
been reduced by about 99 per
cent in the region since the
program began. Raccoon and
fox rabies have been elimi-
nated from central and eastern
Ontario and it's been almost
four years since the MNR has
seen a rabid fox.
"Our cases are based on
animals submitted to CLIA
and individuals in our office.
We pick them up and test
them at our office in Peterbor-
ough," Stevenson said. "Over
the years there have been
fewer and fewer submissions
but also fewer reports of ani-
mals that have been behaving
abnormally"
Bats, however, still have
higher numbers for rabies. Ste-
venson noted they had one
case of a dog with bat strain
rabies in 2012, though raccoon
rabies is the most common
strain.
Raccoon rabies is less viru-
lent and infectious as other
types.
'the bait itself is like a coffee
creamer, Stevenson said. Each
piece of bait contains the
ONRAB liquid vaccine inside a
scented wax coating. The
vanilla and sugar scent works
well on the three species tar-
geted for vaccination - rac-
coons, foxes and skunks.
ONRAB was developed by
the MNR and researchers in
Guelph, and was the first vac-
cine that was proven to work
on raccoons, foxes and skunks
in North America.
The bait drop flights will
head east of Goderich, north
of Stratford, south of I {allover
and West of Guelph. All told, it
will cover about 10 counties,
though the heaviest concen-
tration will be Perth, Welling-
ton and Waterloo. About half
of Huron County is being
baited - mainly the east.
Pellets are loaded into a
conveyor system in the plane,
which is released through a
camera hatch in the aircraft
floor at a rate based on the
speed of the plane.
The navigator turns the
conveyor on and off as the
plane passes over settled
areas like golf courses or
towns.
Each flight takes two direc-
tions
irecttions so that if weather is had
in one area, the day is not
wasted.
All told, 150,000 pieces of
bait will be dropped in south-
western Ontario at a concen-
tration of 20 pieces per square
kilometre.
If anyone conies across a
piece of bait in a natural area,
the MNR asks that it be left
alone. Should anyone find bait
on their lawn or property, the
best thing to do is move it to a
natural area. However, before)
touching the bait, peopl
should put a plastic bag over
their hand to keep human
scent off the bait.
Healthy meals for healthy kids
Chlara Formant
QMI Agency
'Ihe E leart and Stroke Foun-
dation wants to help Canadian
parents start their kids' school
year with good healthy meals.
A recent poll from the E leart
and Stroke Foundation found
that the majority of Canadian
parents (81 per cent) provide
their children with lunches and
snacks at school that are lxacked
for them at home. However,
with 22 per cent of parents say-
ing their children are picky eat-
ers, the challenge is ensuring
they eat what is packed for
thein. The I leart and Stroke
Foundation's Time to Start
campaign, running fAug. 19 -
Sept. 8, is arming parents with
the tips and tricks they need to
pack healthier options their
kids will love.
"Picky eaters can be a chal-
lenge," says Carol 1)ombrow,
1learth and Stroke Foundation
Registered Dietitian. "Try
engaging your kids by getting
thein more involved in snack
and lunch preparation. Kids
that are included and have a
say in the process are more
likely to want to eat what you've
prepared."
As part of the 'Titre to Start
campaign, the Foundation is
offering weekly meal plans
developed by its registered die-
titians on healthcheckorg.'the
plans come complete with
shopping tips and helpful hints
for parents to get their kids on
the right track this September.
"Our free downloadable
meal plans offer parents three
weeks worth of health snack
and meal ideas," continues
Domborw. "I lealthy eating
options have never been so
easy to find."
To learn more about
informed and balanced food
choices, tips and recipes to help
give your kids a healthy school
year visit healthcheck.org. 'Ihe
website and the foundation's
I'acebook page (facebook.com/
heartandstmke) allows visitors
to have the opportunity to enter
Time to Start and win daily
prizes, or one of 10, $1000 gro-
cery gift cards. You can also
sign-up for the Ileart Sala'
Families newsletter for paren,
to learn more about the I Iealth
Check progrun.
30 T. Sins
GODERICH 524 /811
Fri & Sat
6:45 & 9:15
Sun - Thur
goo 7:30
1a>
RPM c..»,
IN
DIMIGODS
WI
TRUST
a • V
Sept.
06-12
DENZE 1.
WASHINGTON
MARK
WAEILBI:RG
J
Fri & Sat
6:45 & 9:15
Sun - Thur
7:30
a•Te ,
www.itl(avwIinks.ca 1-800-265-3438
"Talking Feet"
If you have Diabetes and would like to learn
how to prevent foot complications, join us in
the Conference Room at the Grand Bend Area
Community Health Centre on Wednesday,
September 18th, 2013 from 1:30 pm to 3:30
pm. Join our Certified Diabetes Educators for
a fun, informal information session. The cost is
free. See what your feet have to say!
GE31
To register, please contact Elaine Clarke,
Diabetes Administrative Assistant at
519-238-1556 Ext. 242.
though the heaviest concen-
tration will be Perth, Welling-
ton and Waterloo. About half
of Huron County is being
baited - mainly the east.
Pellets are loaded into a
conveyor system in the plane,
which is released through a
camera hatch in the aircraft
floor at a rate based on the
speed of the plane.
The navigator turns the
conveyor on and off as the
plane passes over settled
areas like golf courses or
towns.
Each flight takes two direc-
tions
irecttions so that if weather is had
in one area, the day is not
wasted.
All told, 150,000 pieces of
bait will be dropped in south-
western Ontario at a concen-
tration of 20 pieces per square
kilometre.
If anyone conies across a
piece of bait in a natural area,
the MNR asks that it be left
alone. Should anyone find bait
on their lawn or property, the
best thing to do is move it to a
natural area. However, before)
touching the bait, peopl
should put a plastic bag over
their hand to keep human
scent off the bait.
Healthy meals for healthy kids
Chlara Formant
QMI Agency
'Ihe E leart and Stroke Foun-
dation wants to help Canadian
parents start their kids' school
year with good healthy meals.
A recent poll from the E leart
and Stroke Foundation found
that the majority of Canadian
parents (81 per cent) provide
their children with lunches and
snacks at school that are lxacked
for them at home. However,
with 22 per cent of parents say-
ing their children are picky eat-
ers, the challenge is ensuring
they eat what is packed for
thein. The I leart and Stroke
Foundation's Time to Start
campaign, running fAug. 19 -
Sept. 8, is arming parents with
the tips and tricks they need to
pack healthier options their
kids will love.
"Picky eaters can be a chal-
lenge," says Carol 1)ombrow,
1learth and Stroke Foundation
Registered Dietitian. "Try
engaging your kids by getting
thein more involved in snack
and lunch preparation. Kids
that are included and have a
say in the process are more
likely to want to eat what you've
prepared."
As part of the 'Titre to Start
campaign, the Foundation is
offering weekly meal plans
developed by its registered die-
titians on healthcheckorg.'the
plans come complete with
shopping tips and helpful hints
for parents to get their kids on
the right track this September.
"Our free downloadable
meal plans offer parents three
weeks worth of health snack
and meal ideas," continues
Domborw. "I lealthy eating
options have never been so
easy to find."
To learn more about
informed and balanced food
choices, tips and recipes to help
give your kids a healthy school
year visit healthcheck.org. 'Ihe
website and the foundation's
I'acebook page (facebook.com/
heartandstmke) allows visitors
to have the opportunity to enter
Time to Start and win daily
prizes, or one of 10, $1000 gro-
cery gift cards. You can also
sign-up for the Ileart Sala'
Families newsletter for paren,
to learn more about the I Iealth
Check progrun.
30 T. Sins
GODERICH 524 /811
Fri & Sat
6:45 & 9:15
Sun - Thur
goo 7:30
1a>
RPM c..»,
IN
DIMIGODS
WI
TRUST
a • V
Sept.
06-12
DENZE 1.
WASHINGTON
MARK
WAEILBI:RG
J
Fri & Sat
6:45 & 9:15
Sun - Thur
7:30
a•Te ,
www.itl(avwIinks.ca 1-800-265-3438