VISITORS TAKE CARE TO SCRUB UP.

Byline: Tim Christie The Register-Guard

Next to munching cotton candy, screaming on the carnival rides and checking out the animal barns, hand-washing was one of the most popular activities Tuesday on the opening day of the Lane County Fair.

Between the 25 strategically positioned hand-washing stations, the interactive Germ City exhibit and prominent signs everywhere, it was hard to miss the message that washing your hands might help keep you from getting sick.

Many parents coming out of the animal barns with children in tow made a beeline for the hand-washing stations outside each exit.

The boom in personal hygiene follows an outbreak of E. coli O157 at last year's fair, when 82 people fell ill after visiting the animal barns in the biggest such outbreak in state history.

But even with the heightened awareness, paranoia was in short supply.

Tami Trotter of Eugene said she was more concerned that her two girls, 7-year-old Teddi and 6-year-old Nevada, would get lost than get E. coli.

"We live on a farm, so we know about bacteria," she said.

Public health officials couldn't pinpoint how E. coli spread from animal to human last summer, but they determined that the bug became airborne at some point. From there, it could have landed in people's food and drink inside the animal barns.

E. coli is a virulent germ that occurs naturally in farm animals such as cows, sheep, goats and pigs. Those animals, when exhibited at fairs, also happen to be magnets for small children who are most vulnerable to getting severely sick from E. coli.

That's why fair officials have plastered the animal barns, inside and out, with signs advising fairgoers to wash their hands and not pet the animals. They also have banned food and drink (except among exhibitors) inside the animal barns and increased the number of portable hand-washing stations from five to 25.

Exhibitors said they didn't notice any decline in visitors to the barns. And fairgoers also seemed to understand the importance of washing their hands.

Picture-postcard weather didn't hurt in bringing people out to the fair. Highs reached the low 80s, with a slight breeze, and fair officials are hoping for more of the same as the fair continues through Sunday.

Attendance numbers weren't immediately available, but marketing manager Carrie Matsushita said the crowds seemed bigger than on opening day last year, when the high was 104.

"This year, with the milder temperatures, it looks like we have a really, really good crowd," she said.

The Germ City exhibit, set up near the animal barns, was getting a workout. The new display allows people to test their hand-washing skills. First they rub a special glow-in-the-dark lotion on their hands, then they wash with soap and water and walk through the Germ City tunnel. They hold their hands up to black lights to see how many germs have survived.

Patty Tejeda of Springfield watched as her children, Nathan, 12, Zachary, 10, and Sydney, 5, went through the Germ City paces. Knowing what happened last year, she said she made sure her kids washed their hands after leaving the animal barns and before eating.

"I was definitely more aware of the need to wash their hands," she said.

In the animal barns, families with young children wandered among the sheep, goats, pigs and rabbits. Many youngsters couldn't resist reaching in to pet the fuzzy head of a sheep or goat, even though fair officials have tried to discourage petting.

Kim Olson, a 16-year-old sheep exhibitor from Pleasant Hill, said she didn't see a problem with people petting the animals as long as they washed their hands afterward.

"It's very simple procedure," she said.

Kris Sherman of Cheshire said E. coli was in the back of her mind more than before, but that didn't stop her from letting her children, Austin, 6, and Audrey, 4, walk through the animal barns.

"I think if you wash your hands that's good enough," she said.

Michael Wilde of Eugene held the hands of his twin 4-year-old daughters, Blythe and Fianna, as they walked through the pig barn. Wilde said his wife grew up on a farm, so the family knows how to be safe around animals.

The family knew a boy who was hospitalized last year with E. coli and talked about it at home, he said.

"We come each year knowing we have to be cautious," he said.

Cautious or not, the girls were thrilled to see the farm animals up close, with an eye to owning their own some day.

"We're going to have a farm when we grow up," Blythe said.

IF YOU GO TO THE FAIR

Where: County fairgrounds, 196 W. 13th Ave., Eugene

Hours:

11 a.m.-10 p.m., Wed-Thurs

11 a.m.-11 p.m., Fri-Sat

11 a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday

Kids Park 11 a.m.-8 p.m. daily

Admission: $8 general,

$6 for ages 6 to 15, free

for ages 5 and younger

Fair passes: $15 general

Information: 682-4292 or www.atthefair.com

CAPTION(S):

Bryan Wesley, getting a kiss from one of his family goats Tuesday, says he hasn't seen any decrease in the number of visitors to the goat barn. Caden Surrett, 5, washes his hands after visiting the goat barn at the fairgrounds. C o u n t y f a i r Thomas Boyd / The Register-Guard Fairgoers cross a rope bridge on a midway ride on Tuesday evening. The Lane County Fair continues through Sunday.