Herd immunity occurs when a significant portion of a population becomes immune to an infectious disease, limiting disease spread. When there are limits on the spread of the disease, even those not already immune have a reduced risk of exposure. Reducing the risk of disease spread is especially critical in protecting individuals who can’t be vaccinated. These would include newborns, those with compromised immune systems, and those who cannot tolerate the vaccine.
Smallpox was a severely infectious disease caused by the variola virus. It undoubtedly caused millions of deaths and is believed to have existed since the days of ancient Egypt over 3,000 years ago. It was contagious, spreading from one person to another. People who had smallpox typically presented with a fever and a distinctive, distinct skin rash.
STD Awareness Week is April 10-16. Like so many medical concerns, there are myths and inaccurate information concerning sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Regrettably, such misinformation is widespread and can prove harmful to public health. Let's talk about these common myths and learn the truth.
STD Awareness Week is April 10-16. Whether you are sexually active or thinking about becoming sexually active, here’s how you can Talk, Test, and Treat to protect your health.
When we protect our children from lead exposure, we protect them from the adverse effects that can stay with them for a lifetime. Read more here to learn about preventing lead exposure and the availability of lead screening and testing.
The Moultrie County Health Department (MCHD) is proud to support National Public Health Week (April 4-10, 2022). The 2022 theme is “Public Health Is Where You Are.”
Natural and LP gas has a specific odor that alerts you of their presence. This feature is not true of carbon monoxide (CO). CO is a poisonous, flammable gas with no odor and color, making CO especially hazardous. We can breathe in CO with no sense of odor or irritation to our nose or throats. When we inhale CO, our blood cells attach to CO molecules instead of oxygen molecules. This process starves our organs of the oxygen needed for continued survival, resulting in illness and death. Children and the elderly, as well as individuals with heart or respiratory conditions, are especially vulnerable to the effects of CO.
The Center for Disease Control reports that over 400 Americans die from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning every year, typically in their home or car. Many of these deaths occur during the winter months. These are the months when people heat their homes while minimizing outside ventilation. Although CO levels may not prove high enough to be fatal, they can still result in serious illnesses. CO poisonings account for nearly 50,000 visits to hospital emergency departments each year.
The Illinois Poison Center logs over 74,000 calls on poisoning exposures each year. Poison centers across the nation manage over 2.1 million cases each year. It may surprise you that 90% of these incidents occur in the home. Furthermore, some of the most common exposures involve toxic substances we all use or come in contact with relatively often.
National Poison Prevention Week is observed the third week of March every year. Congress established the observance in 1961 to highlight the risks of being poisoned by household products. Although we’ve made substantial progress since the early 1970s, over 2 million poisonings are reported in the U.S. every year. What may surprise you is that over 90% of these occur in the home, and those affected most often are children under the age of 12.