Wallingford Health Department News
It’s Tick Season
The Wallingford Health Dept would like to remind you to that Ticks are everywhere! Ticks can carry several diseases, including Lyme Disease. Not all ticks are infected with disease; the only way to find out is to submit them for further testing. Residents should stop by the Wallingford Health Dept, Town Hall, rm. 215, for a FREE tick removal kit and Tick ID cards.
If you find an engorged tick on your body, you need to monitor yourself for signs and symptoms of Lyme Disease. But don’t be fooled by the absence of the “bull’s eye” rash, only 70% of people develop this symptom. Removed ticks should be placed in a baggie with a blade of grass and submitted for lab testing. Do NOT tape the tick to paper or store in alcohol. The CT Agricultural Center is better able to test live ticks or ticks not stuck to tape.
Don’t forget to ask your veterinarian about protect your pets too. If your doggie Darla likes to play in the grass or wooded areas, they could not only get ticks and Lyme disease, but they could also carry the ticks closer to you.
Test your Knowledge, Take the Lyme Disease Quiz
1. All ticks cause Lyme Disease? T or F
2. If you don't live in a wooded area, you don't have to be concerned about Lyme Disease? T or F
3. Ticks can jump as high as 2 feet and fly 25 yards? T or F
4. Ticks transmit Lyme Disease by attaching to you or embedding into your skin and feeding off your blood. T or F
5. A tick must stay attached for 12-24 hrs to transmit the disease. T or F
6. Ticks have a 4-stage life cycle: egg, larvae, nymph, adult. They are very small, smaller than a sesame seed, especially in the nymph stage and you will see later. T or F
7. The bite of a tick is very painful. T or F
8. Ticks prefer to crawl on the body and find a hairy or dark place to attach, such as the groin, behind the knee, waistband, armpit or scalp. As they feed, their body fills with blood. Once they are finished feeding, they will drop off and wait for another host. T or F
9. Ticks feed on deer, birds, dogs and people. T or F
10. There are different types of ticks but only the deer tick causes Lyme disease. T or F
11. Lyme disease can cause long term debilitating illness. T or F
12. Typically, about 70 percent of people have a bulls eye rash where the infected tick was attached. T or F
13. Other tick borne diseases include Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis, and Babesiosis. T or F
14. If you pull a tick from your dog, most likely it's a "dog tick". T or F
15. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is caused by the American Dog tick T or F
16. The signs and symptoms of lyme ds may feel like the flu: fever, headache, body aches. If Lyme disease goes untreated it can develop into serious health problems like heart related problems, neurological problems (memory loss, tremors, weakness) and arthritis. T or F
17. You can prevent a tick bite by using bug spray that contains DEET. T or F
18. It is possible to get Lyme disease more then once. T or F
19. Ticks should be removed with tweezers, never burn a tick or place petroleum jelly on it to smoother it. Place it in a baggie with grass and take to the HD for identification. T or F
20. You should always do a "tick check" when you come in from outdoors, especially if you were in a grassy or wooded area. T or F
Answers: 1. F 2. F 3. F 4. T 5. T 6. T 7. F 8. T 9. T 10. T
11. T 12. T 13. T 14. F 15. T 16. T 17. T 18. T 19. T 20. T
Rating: 17-20 Correct: You're on your way to a Tick-safe summer
13-16 Correct: Better take precautions!
< 13 Correct: Stop by the Wallingford Health Dept for information. You're at risk of
Lyme Disease!
Temporary Food Service Permits Requirements
Now that spring is finally here many civic groups will be hosting food fund raising events. The Wallingford Health Department would like to remind all organizations that if you are serving or selling food to the general public, you must obtain a Temporary Food Service Permit at least 5 days BEFORE the scheduled event.
The only exceptions are events held at licensed food establishments or stand alone bake sales.
Proper food handling and cooking are essential to good health. The Health Department also has safe food handling videos available for viewing. Or better yet, call and request a Food Safety presentation for your group! Our goal is to make sure that your group and the public leaves your fund raising event with a full and healthy tummy.
We want to help you have a safe and enjoyable event, so stop by the Health Department, located in Town Hall, rm. 215 or call 294-2065.
Meriden Health Department News and Events
Lyme Disease – Know the Facts
With spring time here, the Meriden Health Department would like to remind you to protect yourself from Lyme disease. Lyme disease is an infection caused by bacteria that is spread through the bite of an infected tick.
The tick most responsible for the spread of Lyme disease is the black legged deer tick. Common places for ticks to attach to the skin include legs, arms and the scalp. Ticks also attach onto animal furs.
Symptoms of Lyme disease in humans include:
A red skin rash that appears at the site of the bite;
Fatigue;
Headache;
Chills and fever; and
Muscle and joint pain.
Symptoms in pets include:
Pain in muscles and joints;
Limping; and
Fever and loss of appetite.
Lyme disease can become a serious condition if left untreated. Follow these steps to protect yourself and your pet from getting Lyme disease.
Avoid tick infested areas such as wooded and high grass areas.
Use insect spray when outdoors.
Wear light colored long pants and long sleeves if you are going to be in wooded areas. Ticks are easier to spot when wearing light colored clothing.
Perform tick checks on yourself as well as your pet when you come in from the outdoors.
If you spot a tick on yourself or your pet remove it right away. Grasp the tick mouth parts as close to the skin as possible and pull the tick out with steady pressure. Do not yank the tick out. Do not crush the tick’s body as it may contain infectious fluids.
Contact your physician for recommendations on testing and treatment.
For more information on Lyme disease please call the Meriden Health Department at 630-4226.
Source of information: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/index.htm
MidState Medical Center
Business Advisory Council
May Meeting Friday, May 11, 2007
In the event of a pandemic influenza, businesses will play a key role in protecting employees’ health and safety as well as limiting the negative impact to the economy and society.
Information presented at this meeting: Identify important activities; Assist in developing a preparedness checklist for your business
Employer Pandemic Preparedness
Presented by: Albert L. Geetter, MD, FACS
Section Chief, State of CT Department of Public Health Preparedness
MidState Medical Center’s Emergency Preparedness Program
Presented by: Judy M. Guccione, RHIT
Director, Health Information Management, HIPPA Compliance &
Emergency Management, MidState Medical Center
Appropriate for all levels of Management including:
CEOs, CFOs & Directors of Human Resources & Risk Management
Event information:
Friday, May 11, 2007, 7:30 – 8:30 a.m.
MidState Medical Center
435 Lewis Avenue, 2nd Floor, Meriden
Horwitz Conference Center
Cheshire, Meriden, Southington and Wallingford Rooms Continental Breakfast; Networking Opportunities
RSVP
Contact: Mary Beth Papallo, Senior Development Associate
Phone – 203/694-8743, Fax – 203/694-7650, Email – mpapall@midstatemedical.org
MidState Medical Center, 435 Lewis Avenue, Meriden, CT 06451
MidState Radiation Oncology service rated as best in the nation.
Results released from the most widely used patient satisfaction survey in the country have placed MidState Medical Center’s Radiation Oncology team on top. The survey, which asks patients a variety of questions about the care they’ve received, placed MidState in the top 1% overall among all hospitals surveyed nationwide.
Lucille Janatka, President and CEO of MidState Medical Center, elaborated: “I am very happy to announce that MidState scored in the 99th percentile in both the overall score and for three quarters of the individual questions. We are very, very pleased with these results and the performance of our Radiation Oncology team.”
In addition to its overall high ranking, the hospital earned perfect scores on a number of key questions: overall quality of care, staff courtesy, explanation of treatment, likelihood of recommending our service to others, and more.
Dr. Gary Tansino, Medical Oncologist and Director of the cancer program at MidState, explains the significance of the results: “Patients with cancer, understandably, want the best care they can find. So when they’re diagnosed, they’ll often shop around. Our perfect scores on several questions … but especially the question, “Overall Care Given At This Facility” … send an important message about the quality of care and the quality of the team here at MidState.”
Press Ganey, an independent testing service that ranks hospitals nationwide on a wide range of performance criteria, conducted the patient satisfaction survey. MidState’s high score in the survey represents the second time in a year and a half that the hospital has been rated the best in the nation for radiation oncology. MidState’s cancer program has also been designated as a Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the prestigious American College of Surgeons.
We are very proud of this accomplishment,” says Lucille Janatka. “It speaks to both the quality of our cancer care and the commitment of our team, as well as this hospital’s mission to provide the very best and most comprehensive cancer care possible. To patients in the communities we serve, it also makes it clear that they don’t have to travel great distances to receive first-rate care.”
In uarterly patient satisfaction surveys conducted by Press Ganey, MidState consistently rates among the top hospitals in Connecticut and the nation. Based in South Bend, Indiana, the Press Ganey testing service “has been committed to providing information that allows our more than 7,000 health care client facilities to continuously improve their performance” for more than 20 years.
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