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Features

Illinoisans urged to take
precautions to avoid rabies

[MAY 27, 2003]  SPRINGFIELD -- Dr. Eric E. Whitaker, state public health director, urges Illinois residents to take precautions to lessen exposure to bats, the most commonly identified rabid animal in the state, as well as to other animals.

"As the weather warms up, bats become more active and the possibility of human contact with these animals increases," Dr. Whitaker said. "Bats may carry rabies. In fact, 5 percent to 10 percent of all bats tested in Illinois are positive for rabies. It is best never to approach a bat. If found in a home, citizens should call their local public health department or animal control agency for removal of the bat and to assess whether rabies treatment is needed. If bitten by an animal, wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical advice immediately."

The Illinois Department of Public Health has recently received two reports of human exposure to bats. In one case, a young girl was bitten while petting a bat and, in another, a boy was exposed to a bat he was keeping in a bucket. One of the two bats was found to be rabid and the affected child received anti-rabies treatment.

Of the nearly 4,000 animals tested in 2002 by the IDPH and Illinois Department of Agriculture diagnostic laboratories, 31 bats tested positive for rabies. No other animals were found to be rabid. A decade ago, skunks were the most commonly identified animals with rabies in Illinois.

Any wild animal -- like a raccoon, skunk, fox, coyote or bat -- can have rabies and transmit it to people. The animal need not be foaming at the mouth or be exhibiting rabies symptoms. Changes in the animal's normal behavior, difficulty with walking or just an overall appearance of illness can be early signs of rabies. For example, skunks, which normally are nocturnal and avoid contact with people, may appear friendly or ill and may approach humans during daylight hours.

A bat that is active by day, is found in a place where bats are not usually seen, such as in your home or on the lawn, or is unable to fly is far more likely than others to be rabid. Such bats are often the most easily approached but should not be handled.

"Adults should teach children not to pet or try to help any wild or unfamiliar animal," Dr. Whitaker said. "Unfamiliar stray and wild animals should be avoided, even if they seem friendly or injured."

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Rabies is an infectious viral disease that affects the nervous system of humans and other mammals. People get rabies from the bite of an infected animal or if infectious material from a rabid animal, such as saliva, gets directly into their eyes, nose, mouth or a wound.

Over the past century, rabies in the United States has changed dramatically. More than 90 percent of all animal cases reported annually now occur in wildlife, while before 1960 the majority were in domestic animals. There is an average of one or two human cases of rabies in the United States each year, but no human case has occurred in Illinois since 1954. Bats are of particular rabies concern because the majority of human cases in the United States since 1990 have been due to strains of the rabies virus associated with bats.

The following tips can help prevent rabies:

--Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly. "Love your own, leave other animals alone" is a good principle for children to learn.

--Wash any bite wound thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical attention immediately.

--Have all dead, sick or easily captured bats tested for rabies if contact with people or pets may have occurred.

--Prevent bats from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, churches, schools and other similar areas where they might contact people or pets.

Be a responsible pet owner by keeping vaccinations current for all dogs, cats and ferrets, by keeping your cats and ferrets inside and your dogs under direct supervision, and by calling animal control to remove stray animals from your neighborhood

[Illinois Department of Public Health
news release]

Health Matters

A monthly feature from  Logan County Health Department

Health officials advise mosquito control and personal protection

[MAY 19, 2003]  As you know, mosquito season is upon us again. Last year, West Nile virus, which can be transmitted by mosquitoes, was prevalent in Illinois. Although we don't know what 2003 will bring, it is always best to be prepared.

First of all, no amount of larvaciding or adult mosquito fogging will kill all mosquito larva or adult mosquitoes. It can have a tremendous impact, but it is only one way to help eliminate the mosquito population. Each person must do his or her part. Since mosquitoes need only a small amount of water for breeding, look to your own back yard.

*Remove or empty water in old tires, tin cans, buckets, drums, flower pots or bird baths

*Empty plastic wading pools at least once a week and store indoors when not in use. Also, swimming pools that are not used should be covered or drained during the mosquito season.

*Change the water in bird baths and plant pots at least once a week.

*Level the ground around your house so water can drain away and not collect in low-lying areas.

*If you have an ornamental water garden, stock it with mosquito-eating fish such as minnows, "mosquito fish" or goldfish. They eat mosquito larva.

*Keep weeds and tall grass cut short; adult mosquitoes look for these shady places to rest during the hot daylight hours.

*Small impoundments of water may be treated with "Bti," a bacterial insecticide. Many hardware stores carry doughnut-shaped Bti briquets (Mosquito Dunks) for this purpose.

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Since we will not eradicate the mosquito, we must also be responsible about personal protection. You can protect yourself by:

*Avoiding places and times when mosquitoes bite. This is usually just before and after sunset and just before dawn. Each species has its own peak period of biting.

*Be sure doors and screens are tight-fitting and in good repair.

*Check to see that your mosquito repellent contains DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide)

Generally, repellents with a concentration of 25 percent to 35 percent DEET work best on adults; use lower concentrations of 10 percent or less for children between the ages of 2 and 12. Do not use on infants.

For more information, go to http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/wnv.htm and http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/
index.htm.

You may also contact the Logan County Health Department at (217) 735-2317.

[Logan County Health Department news release]

Red Cross

West Nile Virus

West Nile virus links

LDN articles

• Local authorities watching WNV

Federal websites

• CDC WNV home page

State websites

• State WNV website

• Protect your home against mosquitoes
• State surveillance site
• Logan County surveillance site

Honors & Awards

• Logan County Health Department presents awards

Announcements

CICBC blood drives monthly at paramedics' building

Blood supplies across the nation are critical. In some areas, there is less than a one-day supply. Fortunately, thanks to the dedicated donors in central Illinois, these tremendous shortages have not yet touched our hospitals. However, the blood supply is a resource that must be renewed. Every three seconds someone needs a blood transfusion of some kind. To accommodate this constant usage, community members must continually help replenish the supply. Since a donor can donate whole blood only every eight weeks, Central Illinois Community Blood Center needs community members to come forward and help with this lifesaving effort.

Central Illinois Community Blood Center provides all of the blood and blood products for 12 area hospitals, including those in Lincoln, Hopedale and Springfield. No other organization provides blood in these hospitals. CICBC is a community-based blood center whose mission is to provide a safe and adequate blood supply for patients in local hospitals in a cost-effective manner.

When you donate blood through CICBC, you help to keep a safe and adequate blood supply for your community. You also help keep local medical costs under control.

Regularly scheduled blood drives are on the first Monday of each month (except Labor Day) at the Logan County Paramedic Association building, 1300 N. Postville Road. (See schedule.) Please help by donating blood.

CICBC also provides other services for the communities served, such as therapeutic phlebotomy at no charge for patients with hereditary hemochromatosis.

For more information, call Terry Bell at 753-1530.

[CICBC press release]

• July 7, noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building

• July 15, hours and location to be announced

• Aug. 4, noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building

• Sept. 8, noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building

• Sept. 24, hours and location to be announced

• Oct. 6, noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building

• Nov. 3, noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building

• Nov. 12, hours and location to be announced

• Dec. 1, noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building

The Rural Health Partnership has announced the schedule for its mobile health unit for 2002.

For more information on the mobile health unit schedule and services, contact Dayle Eldredge at (217) 732-2161, Ext. 409.

Community resource list

This family resource list to save and use is provided by the Healthy Communities Partnership and the Healthy Families Task Force, 732-2161, Ext. 409.         

(updated 2-15-02)

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