CAC Microbiology Faculty Present at Monthly WIC Meeting

Central Arizona College microbiology faculty, Fotini Sioris and Christine Stevenson, discussed the microbiological effects of foodborne illness on high-risk populations during a recent Pinal County WIC meeting.

Sioris and Stevenson had the honor to join Merissa Mendoza and her staff at their monthly meeting to present on foodborne illness and its implications for the health of infants.  They presented on the importance of breastfeeding and probiotics for infants in order to prevent Cronobacter sakazakii, a bacterium that can be dangerous to infants. They discussed the bacterium’s structure and details about how infection can develop and were educated on several ways to prevent infant exposure and lessen infant risk, including breastfeeding.

The Pinal County WIC staff participated in a hands-on activity wherein the county staff carried out a mock procedure for testing samples for bacterial contamination and had the opportunity to see what bacteria look like under the microscope.