NYC Health Dept.'s first Grade A bestowed

Congratulations to the Restaurant Owner.

As reported earlier this, New York City has joined Los Angeles in grading restaurants using a letter system of either an A, B or C. (Please see the Crain article below)

Magic Pest Management demands in using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) protocols assist Restaurant Owners in complying.

First, Integrated Pest Management IPM address Sanitation and Structural Issue that are the cause of infestations. These methods help control Rats, Mice, Flies, German & American Cockroaches and other common pest.

Secondly, Integrated Pest Management relays heavily on monitoring and inspecting. This has a two fold effect. During the inspection process small problems like leaking plumbing is noted and can be correct before disaster strikes but even more importantly monitoring allows for the targeting of pest control reducing the application of pest control products.

Lastly, Magic services meet the follow protocols: Green Shield Certified Service, American Institute of Baking (AIB), HASSP & SQF.

Please feel free to contact us for a free estimate.

July 28, 2010 11:04 AM CrainsNewYorkBusiness.com

NYC Health Dept.'s first Grade A bestowed
A small deli in Long Island City, Queens, gets the distinction as the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene rolls out its controversial letter-grade system.

A small deli in Long Island City, Queens, will go down in local history as being the first business to earn a Grade A from the city's health department, which implemented its new restaurant inspection grading system on Tuesday.
The agency is holding a press conference Wednesday morning at Spark's Deli on 2831 Borden Ave., where health commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley will laud the small business's accomplishment.



Co-owner Jose Araujo was low-key about his new fame. “We serve a lot of hard-working people, construction crews and mechanics,” he said. “And now they'll know for sure that I provide good food.” On Tuesday an inspector visited his business, awarding him with a score of 10. According to the new letter grading system, in which restaurants receive either an A, B or C grade (or fail the inspection altogether), a score of 0 to 13 qualifies as an A.



Later that evening, an official from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene called Mr. Araujo to ask whether the agency could hold a press conference at his place of business Wednesday.



Other restaurants were inspected on Tuesday and earned A's, but Spark's was the first, according to health department officials.



The agency will post the results of yesterday's inspection on its website today. Any business that received a grade lower than an A has the opportunity to appeal the inspection findings and will not be subject to public scrutiny—at least initially.



Spark's Deli has been in business for 20 years, and Mr. Araujo has owned it for the past five with his cousin Tony Araujo. It's located in a commercial section of Long Island City.
“We've done well in past inspections,” said Jose Araujo. “There's always something to fix or be done better, but we've never failed an inspection.”



The deli serves hot platters such as chicken marsala and barbecued meats, as well as traditional deli fare like sandwiches and heroes. “We're most well known in this area for our grilled chicken,” Tony Araujo added.



Restaurants like Spark's that receive an A will be inspected once a year, while those receiving a lower grade will get more frequent visits from inspectors.

When do Bed Bug Bites Stop Itching? By Ralph H. Maestre BCE

I recently read an article by Stuart E. Mitchell, DO, PhD, MPH, CMI, BCE on the medical view of bed bug bites. I thought it would be important for all of us to understand what he was trying to say. “As a blood-feeding parasite, the bed bug has re-emerged as a medically significant issue”.

The bed bug is known in the entomological word as Cimex lectularis and the bites as Cimicosis. “These are lesions produced by the repetitive feeding of bed bugs. Reactions to insect bites and stings are common and a frequent cause for a visit to a physician. Bite reactions grouped or in a linear fashion experience after waking up in the morning are more recently suspected to be bed bug bites. Reactions itch intensively and persist over several days”.

We know this already, what we haven’t seen as often is the “bullous or blister or fluid-containing, elevated lesion of the skin”. This has an appearance similar to poison ivy reactions.

It appear the more study in this area is needed. The bed bug bite may indicate a “hypersensitivity reaction”. This indicates a reaction by repetitive bite and the body is over-reacting to the bite.

“It has been identified that a bullous allergic hypersensitivity results from bed bugs bite mediated by Immunoglobulin E (IgE) against bed bug salivary nitrophrin”. OK so we now know that the reaction is from the saliva. What we need to learn is that the “reactions or skin inflammation occurs as an immediate as;

> An immediate reaction (minutes) or
> A late-phase reaction (6-12 hour)

Immediate reactions are from the activity of histamine, prostaglandins, and others that cause an increase in vascular permeability leading to inflammation”.

After the initial reaction a delayed reaction occurs by the release of “leukotrienes and chemokines. Such mediators recruit other leukocytes to the site of the inflammation, causing a late-phase reaction. In bed bugs bites, late-phase reactions are causal for illness due to the development of sustained edema (swelling), vesicles, blisters, and intense pruritus (itching)”

Besides this there is another delayed reaction, type-IV hypersensitivity reactions which take one to three days to manifest. This explains why in several cases, individuals think they are still getting bites days after the pest management treatment has been performed. I suffer from this type of hypersensitivity when I get bitten by mosquitoes. I will rip into my skin days and weeks after the bite. I am not getting new bites, just reacting to the original bite again. Poison ivy acts in a similar fashion by not appearing for days after the exposure making the infected individual think they are spreading the oils all over.

To review and clarify;
> When bed bugs bite the saliva causes an immediate reaction (minutes)
> A late-phase reactions (6-12 hours) and
> A type –IV reactions (one-three days)

This occurs because of our allergic hypersensitivity. A doctor may prescribe medication to alleviate the itching.

Reference: Stuart E. Mitchell. “Cimicosis? I thought these were Bed Bug Bites!” July/August 2010. Pest Word Magazine.

Magic Exterminating specializes in getting rid of bed bugs in New York City. Our pest control professionals can eliminate bed bugs from your NYC apartment or business.