The Winnebago County Health Department Presents Communicable Disease Bulletin

Winter Edition Be in the “Know” with are a group of usually not serious and most severe dehydration. But that cause acute people get better in 1• to 2 other drinks without gastroenteritis in humans. It is days. However, noroviruses caffeine or alcohol can help spread from person to can be serious in young with mild dehydration. p e r s o n , t h r o u g h children, the elderly, and However, these drinks may contaminated food or water, people with other health not replace important and by touching contaminated conditions; it can lead to nutrients and minerals that surfaces. Norovirus is s e v e r e d e h y d r a t i o n , are lost due to and recognized as the leading diarrhea. cause of foodborne-disease Noroviruses spread easily, outbreaks in the United causing more than 20 States. Norovirus is often million gastroenteritis cases mistakenly called "food each year in the U.S. poisoning" or "stomach flu”. Washing your hands However, it is not related to frequently is the best 401 Division ST the “flu”,which is a m e th o d t o p re ven t Rockford, IL 61104 respiratory illness caused by infection. If you experience Fax: 815-962-5161 . any of the above symptoms, P.O. BOX 4009 The most common symptoms please contact your Rockford, IL 61110-0509 of acute gastroenteritis are doctor. If multiple cases hospitalization and even d i a r r h e a a n d / o r occur in a school or long death. Kara McCluskey, M.S Disease Control vomiting. Additional term health care facility, Supervisor symptoms can include The best way to prevent p l e a s e c o n t a c t t h e Phone: 815-720-4075 low-grade fever, chills, dehydration is to drink plenty Winnebago County Health E-mail: [email protected] headache, muscle aches, and of liquids. Oral rehydration department to report fatigue. Noroviruses are fluids are the most helpful for pertussis at 815-720-4050.

Amanda Mehl, MPH, Epidemiologist Phone: 815-720-4125 Preparing against Pertussis E-mail: [email protected] Pertussis, a respiratory illness they have the disease. the infection is usually less commonly known as whoop- severe. The prevention is Jeanine Rybaski, RN, Public Health Nurse ing , is a very contagious through vaccinations. In the Phone: 815-720-4076 disease caused the Bordetella U.S., the recommended E-mail: [email protected] pertussis . These pertussis vaccine for infants bacteria attach to the cilia of and children is DTaP. The WCHD Mission first three shots are given at the upper Statement: and release toxins, which 2, 4, and 6 months. The damage the cilia and cause fourth shot is given between 15-18 months of To prevent disease, inflammation. Symptoms of pertussis usually age, and a fifth shot is given promote health and Pertussis is very contagious develop within 7 – 10 days before a child enters school. enlist the commu- and is spread persons to per- after being exposed, but Pre-teens should get a Tdap son by coughing or sneezing sometimes not for as long as 6 booster at their regular nity in efforts to im- while in close contact with weeks. If pertussis is circulat- check-up at age 11 or 12. prove the health of others, who then breathe in ing in the community, there is Teens who did not get the all Winnebago the bacteria. Infants who get a chance that a fully vaccinated booster at 11- or 12-year- Pertussis are often infected by person, of any age, can catch old should get vaccinated at County residents. older siblings, parents or care- this very contagious disease. their next visit. Adults givers who are unaware that If you have been vaccinated, should also get the Tdap booster. www.cdc.org W E’ RE ON THE WEB:: HTTP :// WWW. WCHD . ORG /

Flu Fun Facts

Influenza viruses are spread from although cough and malaise can persist received report of 13 rapid positive person to person primarily through for >2 weeks. tests for Influenza, 12 of those tested large-particle respiratory droplet rapid A positive and 1 with strains A . Transmission via large and B present. In the last few weeks particle droplets requires close contact we have seen a slight increase in posi- between source and recipient persons, tive tests being reported as the flu sea- because droplets do not remain son begins to gain a slightly stronger suspended in the air and generally foothold in the community. travel only a short distance. Contact It’s not too late to get your flu shot with respiratory-droplet contaminated and/or remind other to get theirs, es- surfaces is another possible source of pecially since the season is starting transmission. The typical incubation later than usual. Included in the 2010- period for influenza is 1-4 days. Adults 2011 flu vaccine is protection from shed influenza virus from the day H1N1. The CDC recommends that before symptoms begin through 5-10 even if vaccinated against H1N1 in days after illness onset. However, the 2009/2010, people should need the amount of virus shed, and presumably US flu season is usually from fall through most current flu vaccination because infectivity, decreases rapidly by 3-5 early spring. The peak is from late for protection from the newer identi- days after onset in an experimental fied virus strains. Although the World November through March. On average, human infection model. Young children Health Organization (WHO) declared also might shed virus several days each year in the United States 5 to 20% an end to the 2009 H1N1 flu of the population gets the flu, 200,000+ before illness onset, and children can pandemic, the H1N1 flu virus is circu- be infectious for 10 or more days after people are hospitalized from flu-related lating again this flu season + other complications, and deaths from flu- onset of symptoms. Severely seasonal flu viruses. The CDC recom- related causes range anywhere from immunocompromised persons can mends that everyone 6 months and 3,300 to 48,600 (average 23,600). The shed virus for weeks or months. older get a flu shot including pregnant CDC predicted this flu season to be an women. It takes your body approxi- Uncomplicated influenza illness is average flu year, although it's getting a characterized by the abrupt onset of mately 2 weeks for the immune prop- foothold in the United States later than and respiratory signs and symptoms erties of the vaccine to kick in so don’t such as fever, myalgia, headache, in recent years wait any longer. Call our Adult Immu- malaise, nonproductive cough, sore We are more than a third of the way nizations office at 815-720-4264 for a throat, and rhinitis. Children often through our flu season for 2011-2012 flu shot. www.cdc.org experience otitis media, nausea, and and things are as expected. The sea- vomiting in addition to the normal son did start later than normal and adult symptoms. Uncomplicated influ- we are seeing mostly Influenza A enza illness typically resolves after 3—7 circulating up till now. To date in days for the majority of persons, Winnebago County, we have

Communicable Disease Statistics

Disease Type 2010 2011 Disease Type 2010 2011 Chickenpox 23 24 Histoplasmosis 2 0 Cryptosporidiosis 14 5 Influenza A- novel virus 3 17 Ehrlichiosis 5 2 Influenza B 0 2 Enteric e. coli 6 17 Lyme disease 15 23 Giardiasis 23 17 Neisseria Meningitis 0 4 Haemophilus Influenzae, inv. 7 2 Pertussis (whooping cough) 139 35

Hepatitis A 7 5 Potential Human Rabies Exposure 3 20 Hepatitis B-acute 8 5 Rubella 0 1 Hepatitis B-chronic 38 39 Salmonellosis 54 48 Hepatitis C-chronic 264 240 Shigellosis 5 3 Page 2 W E’ RE ON THE WEB:: HTTP :// WWW. WCHD . ORG /