Breathe Easier When You Know More About Asthma

Did you know that 1 in 10 Americans has, or has had asthma at some point in their lives?

Most people don’t die from asthma, but there is concern for African Americans because asthma is more likely to cause death. The reason for this disparity is not known. But there are asthma control techniques to help people manage their condition successfully. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers this important advice to everyone with asthma – have an asthma action plan and exercise it. The CDC has a variety of information that patients and health-care providers can use to control asthma.

What is asthma?
Asthma, a disease that affects your lungs, is the most common long-term disease of children, but it also affects adults. Each day, 30,000 people have an asthma attack, 1,000 are admitted to the hospital, and 11 people die. Asthma causes repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and early morning or nighttime coughing.

What is an asthma attack?
An asthma attack happens in your body’s airways, which are the paths that carry air to your lungs. During an asthma attack, the sides of the airways in your lungs swell, and the airways shrink. The attack may include coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, and trouble breathing.

How is asthma diagnosed?
Asthma can be hard to diagnose, but regular physical checkups that include checking lung function and allergies can help your health-care provider make the right diagnosis. During a checkup, your health-care provider will ask whether you cough a lot, especially at night, and whether your breathing problems are worse after physical activity or during a particular time of year. Health-care providers will also ask about other symptoms such as chest tightness, wheezing, and colds that last more than 10 days and if anyone in your family has or has had asthma or other breathing problems.

How is asthma treated?
Your health-care provider will help you make an asthma action plan and stick to it. He or she may recommend a combination of medication, environmental changes and behavior modification. Not everyone with asthma has the same needs, and your needs may change as you get older, so it’s important to get regular check-ups.

What triggers asthma attacks?

It’s important to learn what triggers your asthma attacks so you can avoid the triggers whenever possible and be alert for a possible attack when the triggers cannot be avoided. Below are some of the common triggers:

• Environmental tobacco smoke
• Parents, friends, and relatives of children with asthma should try to stop smoking and avoid smoking near a person with asthma or in their house or car.
• Dust mites are in almost everybody’s home, but they don’t cause everybody to have asthma attacks. Use mattress covers and pillow case covers, avoid down-filled pillows, quilts, or comforters and remove stuffed animals and clutter from your bedroom. Clean blinds and curtains on a regular basis.
• Air pollution: Pay attention to air quality forecasts on radio and television and plan your activities when air pollution levels are lowest.
• Mold: Get rid of mold in all parts of your home. Keep the humidity level in your home between 35 and 50 percent. In hot, humid climates, you may need to use an air conditioner or a dehumidifier or both. Fix water leaks, which allow mold to grow behind walls and under floors.

Other triggers:
Strenuous physical exercise; strong emotional states some medicines; bad weather such as thunderstorms, high humidity, or freezing temperatures; and some foods and food additives can trigger an asthma attack. Allergens such as pet dander, pollen, mold or cockroaches may also trigger attacks.

For More Information:
Call 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) or visit http://www.cdc.gov/asthma.

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Reproduced with the kind permission of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

West Nile Virus

What is West Nile Virus (WNV)?

West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-carried virus that can cause illness ranging from a mild fever to more serious disease like encephalitis or meningitis. It was first identified in the United States in 1999.

How is WNV spread?

WNV is most commonly spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. More information about different types of mosquitoes that can spread WNV can be found on the MDPH website at www.mass.gov/dph, under A for arbovirus in the Health Topics A to Z index.

WNV may also be spread through blood transfusion or organ transplant. In addition, there are rare reports of WNV being passed from pregnant or breastfeeding women, who are infected with WNV, to their babies. Since these reports are rare, the health effects on an unborn or breastfeeding baby are unclear and still being studied.

People do not become infected by having direct contact with other infected people, birds or animals.

Why don’t I need to report dead birds anymore?
From 2000 to 2008, MDPH collected reports and ran tests for WNV on dead birds in Massachusetts as one of several ways to monitor WNV activity across the state. In recent years, this method has become less useful for finding the virus. Many other states have discontinued dead bird reporting and testing. Mosquito collection and testing gives the most reliable indication of current WNV activity and this is where monitoring activities will continue to be focused.

Dead birds are no longer being tested for WNV and do not need to be reported to MDPH. Dead birds can be safely disposed of in the trash. Using gloves, a shovel or plastic bags covering your hands, the dead bird should be double-bagged and placed in the trash. You should then wash your hands.

What are the symptoms of WNV?
The majority of people who are infected with WNV (approximately 80%) will have no symptoms.

A smaller number of people who become infected (~ 20%) will have symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands. They may also develop a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back.

Less than 1% of people infected with WNV will develop severe illness, including encephalitis or meningitis. The symptoms of severe illness can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. Persons older than 50 years of age have a higher risk of developing severe illness.

How common is WNV in Massachusetts?
Because most people who are exposed to WNV have no symptoms, it is difficult to know exactly how many people have been infected. People who develop severe illness with WNV are most often reported. Between 2000 and 2008, 60 people were reported with WNV infection in Massachusetts. Six of these people died. Cases have been identified from around the state.

Is there any treatment for WNV?
There is no specific treatment for WNV infections. People with mild WNV infections usually recover on their own. People with severe WNV infections almost always require hospitalization. Their symptoms may last several weeks and neurological effects may be permanent. Approximately 10% of people who develop severe illness will die from the infection.

What can you do to protect yourself from WNV?
Since WNV is most commonly spread by mosquitoes, here are some things you can do to reduce your chances of being bitten:

· Schedule outdoor events to avoid the hours between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.

· When you are outdoors, wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and socks. This may be difficult to do when the weather is hot, but it will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.

· Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), IR3535 (3-[N-butyl-N-acetyl]-aminopropionic acid) or oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-menthane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] according to the instructions on the product label.

DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or less on older children.

Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age.

Permethrin products are intended for use on items such as clothing, shoes, bed nets and camping gear and should not be applied to skin.

More information on choosing and using repellents safely is included in the MDPH Fact Sheet on Mosquito Repellents which can be viewed online at www.mass.gov/dph. If you can’t go online, contact the MDPH at (617) 983-6800 for a hard copy.

· Keep mosquitoes out of your house by repairing any holes in your screens and making sure they are tightly attached to all your doors and windows.

· Remove areas of standing water around your home. Here are some suggestions:

Look around outside your house for containers and other things that might collect water and turn them over, regularly empty them, or dispose of them.

Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers that are left outdoors so that water can drain out.

Clean clogged roof gutters; remove leaves and debris that may prevent drainage of rainwater.

Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use.

Change the water in birdbaths every few days; aerate ornamental ponds or stock them with fish.
Keep swimming pools clean and properly chlorinated; remove standing water from pool covers.

Use landscaping to eliminate standing water that collects on your property.

Did you know?
Mosquitoes can begin to multiply in any puddle or standing water that lasts for more than four days! Mosquito breeding sites can be anywhere. Take action to reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home and neighborhood. Organize a neighborhood clean up day to pick up containers from vacant lots and parks and to encourage people to keep their yards free of standing water. Mosquitoes don't care about fences, so it's important to remove areas of standing water throughout the neighborhood.

Need more information?
· WNV and personal protection: MDPH, Division of Epidemiology and Immunization at 617-983-6800 or online at www.mass.gov/dph. You may also contact your local board of health (listed in the telephone directory under “government”).

· Mosquito control in your city or town: Mosquito control in Massachusetts is conducted through nine mosquito control districts. The State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board (SRMCB) oversees all nine districts. Contact information for each district can be found online at www.mass.gov/agr/mosquito/districts.htm. You may also contact the SRMCB within the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources at 617-626-1777 or your local board of health.

· Health effects of pesticides: MDPH, Center for Environmental Health at 617-624-5757

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This post is taken directly from the MA DPH West Nile Virus Factsheet

H1N1 (Swine Flu) Update for May 26th

Since it's last update on Friday, May 22nd, DPH has confirmed 66 additional H1N1 influenza (swine flu) cases in Massachusetts. This brings the confirmed case count to 350. Seven of the newly confirmed cases were hospitalized. The total number of hospitalizations is 27.

As the number of cases in Massachusetts continues to increase, the focus on individual case counts becomes less important than examining overall trends. Therefore last week, DPH shifted away from listing individual cases of confirmed H1N1, and began listing aggregate cases by county. DPH will also provide data on age distribution of cases and an aggregate count of hospitalizations in the state.

Please note that DPH continues to work closely with health care providers and local public health departments on community level prevention activities.

Flu outbreaks evolve in unpredictable ways; it is impossible to know whether this outbreak will decrease, remain the same, or grow in coming weeks, and whether the illness will remain at its current severity which, on the whole has been relatively mild. Some severe cases may occur in people with underlying risk factors such as young children, the elderly, and people with chronic medical conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and DPH are watching closely for signs of increased severity of the H1N1 influenza (swine flu), and will continue to monitor and report on any developing trends.

Because there is no vaccine for H1N1 influenza, public health officials remind all Massachusetts residents to continue taking simple steps to keep themselves and others healthy.

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Cover your cough with a tissue or cough into your inner elbow and not into your hands.
• If you are sick stay home from work and if your child is sick keep them home from school for 7 days, or 24 hours after your symptoms go away—whichever is longer.
• Stay informed about the latest developments on the H1N1 flu.

For more information on H1N1 flu (swine flu) please visit www.mass.gov/dph.

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This post was originally published on the MA DPH blog, Commonwealth Conversations, and is reproduced here with the kind permission of MA DPH.

Unnatural Causes: Thank You To All!

The Town of Amherst Public Health Department would like to extend a sincere thank you to the community, the Select Board, Town Manager Larry Shaffer, Town Meeting members, Dr. Barbara J. Love, as well as Amherst Cinema and Amherst Coffee for your active support in our May 19th screening of the film, Unnatural Causes.

A special thank you to the members of our community who attended the screening, spoke from their hearts, and shared their ideas and feedback regarding issues of race, socioeconomics, and health disparities in our town.

Our invitation is still open to those that are interested in hosting a Community Dialogue in your neighborhood surrounding the many important issues addressed in Unnatural Causes. Please feel free to contact us at 259-3077, or health@amherstma.gov.

H1N1 Update from DPH

DPH today confirmed 4 additional H1N1 influenza (swine flu) cases in Massachusetts. This brings the confirmed case count to 171. None of the newly confirmed cases were hospitalized.
The total number of hospitalizations remains 13. However, the total number of hospitalizations is likely to fluctuate over the next few days as records are updated to reflect the new CDC definition of “hospitalizations.” The new definition includes only those cases that were hospitalized for longer than 24 hours.

As the number of cases in Massachusetts continues to increase, the focus on individual case counts becomes less important than examining overall trends. Therefore yesterday, DPH shifted away from listing individual cases of confirmed H1N1, and began listing aggregate cases by county. DPH will also provide data on age distribution of cases and an aggregate count of hospitalizations in the state.

Please note that DPH continues to work closely with health care providers and local public health departments on community level prevention activities.

Flu outbreaks evolve in unpredictable ways; it is impossible to know whether this outbreak will decrease, remain the same, or grow in coming weeks, and whether the illness will remain at its current severity which, on the whole has been relatively mild. Some severe cases may occur in people with underlying risk factors such as young children, the elderly, and people with chronic medical conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and DPH are watching closely for signs of increased severity of the H1N1 influenza (swine flu), and will continue to monitor and report on any developing trends.

Because there is no vaccine for H1N1 influenza, public health officials remind all Massachusetts residents to continue taking simple steps to keep themselves and others healthy.

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  
• Cover your cough with a tissue or cough into your inner elbow and not into your hands.
  
• If you are sick stay home from work and if your child is sick keep them home from school for 7 days, or 24 hours after your symptoms go away—whichever is longer.
  
• Stay informed about the latest developments on the H1N1 flu.
  

For more information on H1N1 flu (swine flu) please visit www.mass.gov/dph.
Download information on cases for 5-19-09.

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This post originally published on the MA DPH blog, Commonwealth Conversations.

Unnatural Causes: A Film Screening and Community Dialogue

As part of its work on Social Justice and Health Equity, The Town of Amherst and the
The Town of Amherst Department of Public Health is extending a special invitation to: Town Meeting and Select Board members; Amherst Residents, and all interested people to a screening and discussion of:

UNNATURAL CAUSES: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?

Date: Tuesday, 19 May 2009
Time: 5:00—7:00
Place: Amherst Cinema

The screening will include a forum—Implications of inequality and health for the Amherst community: A dialogue among participants—facilitated by Dr. J. Love and introductions by Amherst Public Health Director, Epi Bodhi.

Light refreshments will we be served at the theater prior to the screening.

The film will be followed by a reception at Amherst Coffee.

For more information, please visit our blog
http://amhersthealth.blogspot.com/.

You can also view the film's PBS website by clicking here.

Our thanks to Amherst Cinema and Amherst Coffee for your community support!

Massachusetts Approves Calorie Labeling Measure for Major Chain Restaurants

PRESS RELEASE BY MA DPH---In a move to provide millions of Massachusetts consumers with important health information, the Massachusetts Public Health Council today approved rules requiring major chain restaurants to provide calorie information for the food that they sell.

Food establishments with 20 or more locations in Massachusetts will be required to provide that information at the point of purchase ― either on the menu board or on the restaurant’s menu.

The new rules, which will take effect in November 2010, will cover approximately 50 chain restaurant companies, representing more than 5,000 locations in Massachusetts.1 An 18-month implementation timeline will allow local health departments and the industry the opportunity to familiarize themselves and prepare for the new regulation.

The measure is similar to laws passed recently in New York City and in California, and covers many of the same food establishments that have had to comply with calorie labeling requirements in those major restaurant markets.

“This is a major step in the right direction in fighting the obesity epidemic in our state,” said Massachusetts Department of Public Health Commissioner John Auerbach. “With more than half of our adult population and one-third of our middle and high school students either overweight or obese, we need to do more to address this problem. We know that providing this information will help our residents make more informed choices,” Commissioner Auerbach added.

Health regulations like the one passed today are popular with consumers. A study conducted in February 2009, gauging reaction to New York City’s calorie labeling law, showed that of those who visited restaurants with posted information, 89% considered it a positive change — and 82% report that nutritional information on menus had made an impact of their ordering.

The measure adopted today is part of Mass In Motion, a wide-ranging statewide initiative to promote a range of wellness activities for Massachusetts residents, businesses and communities. Last month, the Public Health Council also passed regulations allowing for Body Mass Index measurements for all school children in Massachusetts.

Additionally, health officials will soon announce grants for communities to establish wellness initiatives at the local level. These efforts, combined with an expanded state-sponsored Workplace Wellness program and an interactive web site (www.mass.gov/MassInMotion), represent the most comprehensive effort to date to deal with the serious problem of overweight and obesity in the Commonwealth.

The new regulation underwent a thorough public review process that included two public hearings and the submission of comments from more than 100 individuals and groups. For more information on the new rules, visit www.mass.gov/dph and click on “Regulations and Policies.

To learn more about Mass In Motion, visit www.mass.gov/MassInMotion.

H1N1 Virus Update, 5/12/09

As of today, the MA Department of Public Health reports 107 confirmed cases of H1N1 virus (Swine Flu) in Massachusetts, with 141 in New England and 3,009 in 45 states. The number of reported deaths remains at 3 nationwide.

No other changes have been reported. The CDC, DPH and other agencies worlwide remain vigilant in terms of tracking the situation, and no changes have been made to the recommendations regarding isolation, treatment, testing or surveillance.

As always, please feel free to call the Amherst Health Department at 259-3077 with questions, or visit the CDC or DPH websites.

H1N1 Flu Update, May 11th, 10am

As of this writing, 88 cases of the H1N1 virus have been confirmed in Massachusetts, with no additional cases identified at Amherst College, or within the town itself. The 2 infected students at Amherst College have responded very well to treatment and are expected to recover fully, and health officials at Amherst College report a significant decline in reports of flu-like illness on campus.

Nationwide, there are currently 2532 cases in 44 states, with only 3 reported deaths. Officials do expect the outbreak to continue to expand, and an increase in positive cases and deaths is also expected at this time.

Frequent updates from the MA Department of Public Health are assisting the Amherst Public Health Department in staying abreast of developments within the Commonwealth and beyond.

The Health Department is also in frequent contact with area colleges and the university in order to track developments within the academic community. The nurses and providers at all of the area institutions of higher learning are doing an excellent job of caring for their students and staff while keeping the town up to date on current conditions on campus.

Further updates from MA DPH are expected later today.

Because there is no vaccine for H1N1 influenza, public health officials remind all Massachusetts residents to continue taking simple steps to keep themselves and others healthy.

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Cover your cough with a tissue or cough into your inner elbow and not into your hands.
• If you are sick stay home from work and if your child is sick keep them home from school.
• Stay informed about the latest developments on the H1N1 flu.

Please call the Amherst Public Health Department at 413-259-3077 for more information.

A Message for Concerned Parents

By Lauren Smith, MD: Pediatrician and Medical Director for the MA Department of Public Health.

As parents, we want to do everything we can to protect our kids, especially when we are dealing with something new. As a parent of 3 school-aged kids, I understand your concern. But we don’t think that parents need to keep their kids home from school- even if that school has a confirmed a case of H1N1 Flu.

There are a couple of reasons for this:

1) Whether or not there is a confirmed case in your community or in your school, it is most likely there. You should assume that you could be exposed to this new flu at school, at work or at the grocery store (in other words, anywhere you go). So, it is really important to take common sense precautions to protect yourself. That means washing your hands frequently with soap and warm water, or using an alcohol based hand-sanitizer, and staying away from people who are coughing or sneezing.

You can also help ensure that you don’t spread an illness to others by covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze. Use a tissue, or cough into your sleeve if you don’t have one.

Take this opportunity to reinforce both of these messages with your kids. Teach them how to keep themselves from getting sick, and how not to spread disease to others when they do get sick- whether it’s a cold, the flu or some other illness.

2) Another reason we don’t feel it’s necessary to close schools, even with a confirmed case of H1N1, is that it doesn’t seem to be any more severe than a regular seasonal flu. We don’t close schools down for seasonal flu, so we it wouldn’t make sense to close them now.

Having said that, we have been, and will continue to, closely monitor the situation in coordination with schools. If the number of absences starts to grow, we will work with individual school districts to reassess the situation.

And one last important note, some children have significant underlying medical conditions that put them at increased risk for any flu – seasonal or swine. It makes sense for parents in this situation to talk to their child’s doctor about what is best for their child, just as they do when regular flu season starts. I want to reinforce that we think it is safe for kids to go to school just like they would during flu season, but ultimately, it’s a parent’s decision. If you have questions, you should consult your child’s doctor so you can have the information you need to do what you feel is best for your child.

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This post originally appeared on the MA DPH blog, Commonwealth Conversations, and is reproduced here with the kind permission of the MA DPH.

Swine Flu Update, 5/5/09

Last night, it was confirmed that the two Amherst College students whose flu culture samples were sent to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for testing did, in fact, test positive for the H1N1 flu virus. The students, and their classmates who have also been sick, are recovering and doing well.

The Amherst Public Health Department continues to work closely with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) and the CDC in monitoring the situation locally and nationally. “So far, the severity of illness we’re seeing in this country is similar to what we’re seeing with seasonal flu," said Dr. Richard Besser, Acting Director of the CDC. “While we’re not out of the woods, we are seeing some encouraging signs.”

Given the relatively mild course the disease has demonstrated thus far, the CDC is now advising that individuals with mild illness stay at home to recover. However, anyone with concerns is encouraged to contact their healthcare provider for guidance.

Amherst Public Health Director Epi Bodhi advises residents to continue to take the following precautions:

• wash your hands often with soap and water or with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• cough or sneeze into a tissue or into your elbow instead of into your hands;
• if you’re sick, stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to avoid infecting them.

Swine influenza is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses. Outbreaks of swine flu happen regularly in pigs. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. Swine flu is not transmitted by food and you cannot get swine flu by eating pork products.

For general information on swine flu and the status of the nationwide outbreak, visit www.cdc.gov/swineflu. For more information on the Massachusetts response, and how to care for someone at home who has the flu, please visit www.mass.gov/dph/swineflu

For more information, contact Epi Bodhi at 259-3077 or visit the Amherst Health Department blog: amhersthealth.blogspot.com.

Swine Flu Update, Monday May 4th

As of this morning, the influenza cases at Amherst College are still undergoing testing at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. Amherst officials are hoping to receive confirmation of the status of these tests early this week. Please watch this blog or the town's main website for updates. You will also find links to the CDC's downloadable Swine Flu Factsheet on the town website.

So far, there are 7 confirmed cases of H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) in Massachusetts, and 226 cases in the entire United States, with only one confirmed death.

For the time being, please practice basic precautions such as handwashing, covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when sneezing or coughing, and avoiding public places when you are ill. If you have symptoms of flu such as fever, cough, sore throat, body aches or fatigue, please call your medical provider.

If you have general questions about swine flu, please call 211 to reach the MA Department of Public Health's Swine Flu Hotline which operates 24 hours per day. As always, please feel free to call the Amherst Health Department at 259-3077.

Suspected Swine Flu at Amherst College Being Tested by CDC

A number of students at Amherst College have been tested for influenza after demonstrating the symptoms associated with the disease. Two of the test results have been further tested by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH). Those samples have been sent to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for definitive testing for swine flu. The Town of Amherst has been advised by MDPH that the CDC test results are expected by Saturday, May 2, 2009.

Epi Bodhi, Director of the Amherst Public Health Department cautioned, “This development is cause for concern, but not for alarm. Not all flu symptoms are the result of swine flu. However, I would recommend that precautions be taken.”

Those precautions are as follows:

• Avoid hugging, holding, kissing or shaking hands with anyone who has a cold or the flu.
• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water or use an alcohol based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your nose, mouth or eyes.
• Clean items that are touched often such as telephones and door handles.
• If you get sick, stay home and avoid contact with others.
• Severe symptoms should prompt you to contact your health care provider.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when sneezing or coughing, or sneeze into the crook of your elbow if no tissue is available.

For information, please see the Fact Sheet on the Town of Amherst web site www.amherstma.gov, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) web site at www.mass.gov/dph/flu, or the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) web site at www.cdc.gov/swineflu.

Further, general information on this topic may be obtained by calling the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) 24 hours per day by dialing 211.