Editor:

I am concerned that we have no health inspections to date in our Refugio eateries. We have no city or county health office to deal with a pandemic, even within our county.

I have observed an extremely bad habit of people eating with their fingers instead of utensils in eating places where conditions are a lot less than sanitary, as my experience has been as a restaurant owner/operator where unannounced health inspections take place regularly.

The first defense in contracting or spreading the swine flu deals with hand washing and personal contact.

Some people must change their eating habits and use eating utensils, wrap foods to prevent touching food with germ-laden hands.

We have taken steps to help prevent touching our food at the Williamson Senior Center but remember we have no kitchen cops in Refugio County. We have to police ourselves.

I have spent time in foreign countries where conditions are worse, but we can do better. Looking out for number one is your job.