Good times await the thousands of people who will visit 4-H fairs this month in more than 80 Indiana counties, but so does the risk of getting sick.
Health officials say remember those common safe hygiene practices when you pick up your favorite fair food and then head to the livestock barns. Pigs especially can be infected with influenza strains that occur in different species.
Influenza A -(SWINE FLU) made its way around Indiana last year with 138 cases in 24 counties. One of the easiest and most important precautions we can take is to wash our hands often with soap and avoid face-to-face contact with animals.
Symptoms of variant influenza A include: fever, cough, sore throat, chills, headache and muscle aches. Diarrhea and nausea can also occur in children.
