Richard Straub, the CALS Director of Agricultural Programs and Research Stations, reminds users of the CALS livestock facilities of the disease risk to students when classes or laboratories are held in areas where livestock are present or have been present. While E. coli 0157 is the most prominent of these risks, other infectious agents can also pose health problems. To minimize risks to students, please observe the following two important rules when conducting classes in CALS’ or other livestock areas:

1. Do not allow students to bring food or drinks into areas where livestock are or have recently been held, and discourage hand-mouth contacts. Consider possible contamination of clothing, minimizing that risk by changing when contaminated, and laundering separately from other items.
2. Require students to wash their hands with soap and water when leaving the livestock area.

For more information on health considerations associated with animal-use facilities, contact University Health Services Environmental Health Program at (608) 262-1809, or by email at ehp@mail.uhs.wisc.edu.

More information can be obtained by downloading guidelines entitled Policies and Procedures to Reduce Disease Risk.