New Release: Comic Book on Zoonotic Diseases

Migrant Clinicians Network, in partnership with The Ohio State University and with support from the United States Department of Agriculture, is excited to announce the release of a new comic book, Working with farm animals: Keeping Yourself, Your Family, and Your Community Healthy. This comic book delves into the causes and symptoms of zoonotic diseases, and depicts ways that workers can protect themselves, their loved ones, and their local community.

Workers who work with animals, be it in a milking parlor on a dairy, at poultry plant or at a meat packing facility, are at risk of exposure to disease-causing bacterium such as E. coli, salmonella, and campylobacter. These germs not only cause disease in the exposed worker, but can also be carried home unknowingly by workers on their skin, or on soiled boots or clothing. This comic book, offered in both Spanish and English, focuses on hygiene as a key strategy for protecting workers and their family members.

MCN has a long history of using comic books as means to educate, because it allows health education messaging to bridge literacy gaps while keeping the interest of a diverse audience of readers. This particular comic book was pilot tested with a group of dairy workers to ensure that the images and language used were culturally appropriate for the target audience.

This newly released comic book is now available for download at the MCN website at https://goo.gl/ZpR0kB. MCN also has a limited number of printed copies available free of charge on a first-come, first serve basis. The order form is on the website on MCN’s Environmental and Occupational Health section. For more information, please contact Juliana Simmons, MSPH, CHES, Environmental and Occupational Health Program Manager for MCN, at jsimmons@migrantclinician.org.

Read this article in the Fall 2016 issue of Streamline here!

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Return to the Streamline Fall 2016 Table of Contents.