Johnson County Health Department - EPI Update Newsletter

"Handwashing is the single most important means of preventing the spread of infection."-- Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The Clean Hands Coalition is a unified alliance of public and private partners working together to create and support coordinated, sustained initiatives to significantly improve health and save lives through clean hands.

Spread the word & encourage others to celebrate National "Clean Hands" Week
September 18–24, 2005.

Please click on the following link for more information: http://www.cleanhandscoalition.org/

August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), which provides opportunities to increase awareness about immunization across the lifespan as parents and children prepare for the return to school, and the medical community begins preparations for the upcoming flu season. NIAM is a vehicle for creating positive messages about the value of vaccines and highlighting local, grassroots immunization initiatives.

The National Partnership for Immunization (NPI) works to improve the effectiveness of efforts to reduce vaccine preventable disease among infants, children, adolescents and adults.

NPI focuses on four primary areas:

Communication & Awareness - Develop and implement projects designed to increase national awareness of the value and importance of infant, child, adolescent and adult immunization.
Educational Initiatives - Improve the knowledge of health care providers, public and private health care organizations, and other public health groups, as well as managed care organizations, policymakers and major employers, about immunization recommendations, practices, programs and beliefs.
Partnership & Outreach - Work to find new ways to bring together and engage diverse partners in order to identify strategies that reduce the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases across the lifespan.
Assessment & Information Exchange - Access and provide reports on immunization issues, concerns and educational needs.

For more information on NIAM, please contact:

National Partnership for Immunization
121 North Washington Street, Suite 300
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: (703) 836-6110
Email: npi@hmhb.org
Website: www.partnersforimmunization.org
Materials available
Contact: NIAM Resource Center

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Swimming, one of the most popular activities in the country, is a fun, active, and healthy way to spend leisure time. Every year, millions of people visit “recreational water” sites, such as swimming pools, water parks, hot tubs, lakes, rivers, or the ocean.

Over the past century, the use of modern disinfection systems in pools and environmental improvements in our lakes, rivers, and oceans has improved the quality of recreational water. Despite this, there has been an increase over the past decade in the number of outbreaks of illness associated with swimming.

This Web site provides information for swimmers, pool operators, and public health professionals to improve the swimming experience by raising awareness about the spread of recreational water illnesses (RWIs). Practicing "Healthy Swimming" behaviors should reduce the risk of getting ill. Click on the links below to learn more about RWIs.

From watching calf roping at the rodeo to petting lambs at the county fair, there are many ways to explore the animal world this spring and summer. Exhibits such as petting zoos and fairs allow children of all ages to have the thrilling experience of coming face to face with animals. This interaction allows people to learn more about animals and helps to build an important human-animal bond.

Unfortunately, many people become sick every year because of a visit to an animal exhibit. It is important to remember that animals sometimes carry germs that are harmful to humans. Click here to find out more.

Let's make this spring and summer healthier seasons! Click here for some tips to help you prevent illness when visiting animal exhibits.

To see upcoming workshops, satellite broadcasts, and more at the Johnson County Health Department, check out the What’s New? page of our website to see our calendar of events.

July Communicable Disease Report:

Disease Category	July 2005	July 5yr Avg	YTD 2005	2004 Total	2003 Total	2002 Total
Enteric Diseases:
Salmonella	12	8.6	55	85	50	38
Shigella	6	2.8	52	11	6	30
Central Nervous System:
Meningitis, Aseptic (including viral and fungal meningitis)	0	1	3	29	14	26
West Nile Encephalitis/Meningitis	0	0	0	2+	5	2
West Nile Fever	0	0	2	1+	0	0
Sexually Transmitted Infections:
Infection Numbers (excluding HIV/AIDS - see below)	64	66	538	981	849	876
Vaccine Preventable Diseases:
Influenza, A&B	0	.2	4	1	7	1
Measles	0	0	0	0	0	0
Pertussis	1	.2	10	19	5	4
Varicella	1*+	n/a	142*+	51*+	*	*
M. tuberculosis:
Confirmed Cases	1!	1	8	7	14	12
Rare Diseases (other than listed):
Brucellosis	0	0	0	2	0	0
HIV and AIDS	Apr-June 2005	June 5yr avg	YTD 2005	2004 Total	2003 Total	2002 Total
HIV	1	3.2	5	18	16	18
AIDS	5	3.8	5	24	15	8

* Became reportable in June 2004
+ Includes probable as well as confirmed cases
! 25 cases under investigation
n/a not applicable

Communicable disease reporting is the cornerstone of public health surveillance and disease control. Please remember to maintain an index of suspicion for bioterrorism and reportable disease, and give us a call if you have any questions or concerns (913-826-1303). On behalf of the Disease Containment Staff, thank you for your continued support.

Johnson County government does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age and handicapped status in employment or the provision of programs and services.