WASH HANDS, Keep Germs Away 

Wash AFTER:

• Eating
• Using the Bathroom
• Blowing your Nose
• Sneezing/Coughing
• Playing Outside
• Returning Home

Wash BEFORE:

• Eating

ALSO:

• Cover coughs with a tissue or sleeve
• Avoid touching your face

Stay HOME if you:

• Have a fever of 100 degrees or above
• Have been vomiting
• Continue to cough after medication
• Have symptoms that don’t allow you to concentrate or learn

Avoid GERMS:

• Don’t share cups or eating utensils
• Use disinfectants when a household member is ill
• Keep common surfaces clean: doorknobs, phones, remote controls, toys and keyboards.

 As children return to school, you may have a note that comes home with your student notifying you that head lice were found on one of your child’s classmates.  While panic may be your first reaction, a review of the facts will give you the information you need to deal with this.

• Head lice (insects) are not due to poor personal hygiene.
• Head lice crawl; they do not hop, jump or fly.  They need human blood to survive and they will not live for more than 24 hours off of its human host.
• They are mainly spread by head-to-head contact, such as sharing clothing, bed linens, combs, brushes, and hats.  Kids are most prone to catching lice because they tend to have close physical contact with each other and often share personal items.
• Nits (the eggs) are small yellowish-white, oval shaped eggs that are “glued” at an angle to the hair shaft.  Nits are laid by live lice close to the scalp where the temperature is perfect for keeping warm until they hatch in 7 – 10 days.

Successful treatment and elimination of head lice includes:

• Check every family member – nits are easier to see than the live louse (single insect).
• Use a product to eliminate the lice for family members over age 2.

Concentrate your time and energy on removing the nits.  Separate hair into sections and  remove nits with your fingernails.

• Wash bedding, towels and recently worn clothing in hot water and dry in a hot dryer.  Vacuum rugs, carpets, upholstered furniture, pillows, mattresses, car interiors and car seats.
• Following the treatment, inspect hair and remove nits daily for the next 14 days.  If lice and/or nits are observed, a second treatment is recommended.

Be sure to let your child know that they haven’t done anything wrong and anyone can get lice.  Patience, daily head checks, nit removal, and discussing prevention will keep the bugs away.   

 Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to plan in advance: how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in   different situations.

 Family Emergency Plan

• Identify an out-of-town contact.  It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.
• Be sure every member of your family knows the phone number and has a cell phone, coins, or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact.  If you have a cell phone, program that person(s) as ICE (In Case of Emergency) in your phone.  If you are in an accident, emergency personnel will often check your ICE listings in order to get a hold of someone you know. 
• Teach family members how to use text messaging.  Text messages can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to get through.

 Planning to stay or go

Depending on your circumstance and the nature of the emergency, the first important decision is whether you stay where you are or evacuate.  You should understand and plan for both possibilities.  Use common sense and available information to determine if there is an immediate danger.

Emergency Information

Find out what kinds of disasters are most likely to occur in your area and how you will be   notified.  You might hear a special siren, get a telephone call, or emergency workers may go door-to-door.  Methods of getting your attention vary from community to community.

 All summer we hear about the benefits of fresh fruit and veggies from our gardens, the Farmers Markets and in season produce from the grocery stores. With food prices as they are, it makes good economic sense that we would preserve some of those raspberries or blueberries, tasty cobs of corn and fresh juicy peaches. So save food for the future. Freezing, canning and root   cellars make for economical food planning.

Freezing may be the easiest food-preservation method. In this, many of us have adequate freezer space. By quickly freezing produce right out of the garden or grocery store container, we capture a higher nutrient content than if you ate them when they were fresh but several days old. Frozen beans contain more vitamin C than fresh beans stored in the refrigerator for two days.

If you’ve been under the illusion that your grandmother just smashed berries into a jar or that pickles grew on exotic trees and you just sealed a jar, maybe you need some information about being a more knowledgeable home-canner. NDSU has great information that will make it easy and safe. Check out your local County Extension Office of go to www.ag.ndsu.edu/food.

Most of us have basements and maybe one room that is dark, cool and moist. That could be the root cellar. Storing foods in a root cellar makes it possible to eat fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden well into the winter months. The length of time that fruits and vegetables keep well in root cellars depends on several factors; but carrots, beets, turnips and onions will last well into March. Onion can be braided and hung to dry. Root veggies do well stored in clean containers with dry sand poured over them and you dig them out when you want it. Years ago, winter squash was stored in grain bins. That means winter squash like warm, dry storage versus a root cellar with high humidity. Find root cellar storage information at www.extension.missouri.edu

 The HHS pandemicflu.gov website advises families to stockpile two weeks of food and supplies for the possible fall pandemic wave.   You should know that the actions you take now can help to lessen the impact of an influenza pandemic on you and your family. During a pandemic, if you cannot get to a store, or if stores are out of supplies, it will be important for you to have extra   supplies on hand. This can be useful in other types of emergencies, such as power outages and disasters.

Start with supplies you already have

Your first step should be to look at an emergency stockpiling list. This will help you get an idea if the different things that go into an emergency preparedness kit and help you come up with a plan for building your own kit.

You’ll likely find that you already own a lot of the items you’ll want to include in your kit. Start the process by pulling together items you have on hand at home. For example you may have enough canned goods to start your food stockpile or extra bandages that can go into your emergency first aid kit. Once you’ve pulled together the items you have, check them off the list and start making a plan for the others.

Save on space by storing your supplies in containers you already have. That plastic bin that held your children’s toys when they were young or a laundry basket that is no longer used can become the perfect organizer. Don’t feel you have build your kit all in a day. It will be easier on the budget to spread out the items over several weeks.

Examples of food and non-perishables include:

Ready- to-eat canned meats, fish, beans and soups, protein bars, dry cereal or granola, peanut butter or nuts, dried fruit, crackers, canned juice, bottled water, canned or jar baby food and   formula, pet food and other non-perishable food

Examples of health and medical emergency supplies include:

Prescribed medical supplies, soap and water or alcohol based hand wash, medicines for fever, thermometer, anti-diarrheal medication, vitamins, fluids with electrolytes, cleaning and disinfecting agents, flashlight, batteries, portable radio, manual can opener, garbage bags, tissues, toilet paper and disposable diapers

 We don’t hear too much about what someone needs for vaccinations before starting college in the media anymore. That’s because the student should have received everything they need long before they graduate from high school. There were no “required” vaccinations for middle school until last year so there are students out there who have not been vaccinated with their tetanus booster and the meningitis vaccine. All students entering college will need a booster on their tetanus with a vaccine called “Tdap” or tetanus, diphtheria, accellular pertussis if they have not received a booster since Kindergarten. It is strongly recommended to receive the meningococcal vaccine called “Menactra” before college, also. Meningitis is caused by bacteria that invade the covering around the brain and into the blood stream. Students get sick very rapidly with meningitis and can have very serious lasting side effects. Symptoms of meningitis include high fever, stiff neck, headache, nausea, and vomiting. Within 24 hours of the earliest symptoms, the student could lose hands, arms, feet, or legs. The disease can lead to brain damage and hearing loss in those who survive. Some students will die. Some out of state colleges require this vaccine. And of course, the student will also need to have received 2 doses of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Contact Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health at 355-1540 for an appointment for your student to receive any of these vaccines, or your private health care provider.

 How is WNV contracted? 
The most common cause is by being bitten by an infected mosquito, who was most likely infected by biting an infected bird.

What are the symptoms of WNV? 
This can vary from having no symptoms , West Nile Fever, or severe West Nile disease.  Approximately 20% of the people infected will develop West Nile Fever which includes symptoms of fever, headache, lethargy, aches, rash and swollen lymph glands. These symptoms usually last a few days, but some have been reported to last up to a few weeks. It is estimated that approximately 1 in 150 people will develop the more severe form of the disease.  The symptoms for this include coma, high fever, convulsions, headache, muscle weakness and paralysis. Therefore the remaining 80% of people infected will have no symptoms of illness, however it is impossible to guess which category you will be in.

Who is at the highest risk for getting severely ill?
People over the age of 50 and some immunocompromised persons are at highest risk for becoming  severely ill.

What is the incubation period?
Usually 2-15 days.

How does mosquito repellent work?
The female mosquitoes are the only mosquitoes that bite. They are collecting the protein in blood to develop their eggs.           Mosquitoes are attracted to skin odors and carbon dioxide from breath. The ingredients in repellents make the person unattractive as a food source, but are only effective for short  distances from the treated area.  DEET, Picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus are all registered with the EPA for use as mosquito repellent.

Fight the Bite Tips: 

• Use mosquito repellent and reapply often
• remove standing water from planters, toys, and other areas around your yard which are a breeding ground for mosquitoes
• replace water in pet bowls and bird baths weekly
• try to avoid areas of tall grasses and trees
• wear long sleeves and pants from dusk to dawn when mosquitoes are most active.

For more information: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm

 Many caring and responsible parents have left their children alone in a car, not realizing the risk involved.  Some parents think it is ok to leave a child alone in a car while they run to an ATM, quickly drop off dry cleaning or while dropping off another child at school.  The results of leaving a child unattended in or around a vehicle can be deadly.

• The temperature inside a car can reach deadly levels in minutes
• Children can set the vehicle in motion
• Your child can be abducted
• Drivers have difficulty seeing small children when they back up

Remember..

     A car is not a toy…

       A car is not a playground…

And…

     A car is certainly not a babysitter.

 For more information: www.kidsandcars.org

 Insomnia is defined as having difficulty falling or staying asleep, which leads to a negative impact on the next day.  It is a medical condition that touches the lives of 60 million adults in the U.S.  So if you are having trouble sleeping it may be comforting to know you are not alone.

WHAT CAUSES INSOMNIA 

• Stress
• Depression, anxiety, or other emotional conditions
• Poor sleep habits, such as watching TV in bed or not having a regular bed time schedule
• Change in your sleep habits or surroundings
• Other health problems, such as pain or restless legs syndrome
• Stimulants such as tobacco, caffeine, certain medicines, alcohol, and drugs
• Lack of regular exercise

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS

Have trouble falling asleep.  This can mean lying in bed for an hour or more, tossing and turning, waiting to fall asleep.  You might wake up during the night and have trouble going back to sleep. This can lead to daytime sleepiness and difficulty concentrating.

HOW IS INSOMNIA TREATED?

You may be able to sleep better if you make some small changes.  Try to go to bed around the same time each night.  Get up around the same time each day.  Avoid caffeine or alcohol several hours before bedtime.  Get regular exercise but try to finish your exercises 3 to 4 hours before you go to bed.  Sleep in a dark, quiet environment.  A warm bath or shower before bedtime may be relaxing and help you fall asleep.  Contact your physician if you are still experiencing insomnia after trying to make some changes in your sleep routine.  Your doctor may ask you to keep a sleep diary for a couple of weeks, which is a record of your sleep patterns.  He or she may recommend a counselor if your symptoms are related to anxiety or depression. Getting a good night sleep is   important because lack of sleep can lead to depression, accidents, problems at work, marital and social problems.

 Immunizations are required before entry into daycare, kindergarten, middle school and college. They are needed to prevent many communicable diseases including measles, mumps, tetanus, whooping cough and chicken pox.  For your convenience, one day most weeks is designated for immunizations at Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health.  The nurse will review your child’s immunization history, recommend and administer vaccines to keep your child current. You will need to call ahead to schedule an appointment for your child.  Always bring your child’s immunization record to each visit. 

Adults also need a tetanus booster every ten years.  Your next booster should include the pertussis (whooping cough) component – Tdap.  For those ages 65 and older, Pneumococcal vaccine is recommended.  And yearly, Influenza vaccine is highly recommended for all, 6 months and older.  The Shingles vaccine is also recommended for those ages 60 and older.  The ND Department of Health has provided local public health units with Tdap vaccine to those who are uninsured or underinsured.

We also have nurses available for consultation regarding vaccines recommended for international travel.  Ideally, set up an appointment 4 to 6 weeks before your trip.  Most vaccines take time to become effective in your body.

Please call to schedule an appointment and visit our website for additional vaccine Information.