INSTRUCTIONS: Click a letter below to jump to the topic beginning with that letter. Topics in blue are links to topic pages. Topics in black are referenced on this page. Check the Center of Disease Control A-Z Health Topic Index for additional information. If you are still unable to find what you're looking for or would like some assistance, contact us and a Public Health Specialist will be happy to assist you.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
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Avian Flu
Influenza Pandemic Planning and Preparedness in the City of Manchester
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Bed Bugs
To assist people who may have questions, a Bed Bug Fact Sheet and How to Treat a Dwelling with Bed Bugs are now available. Representatives from the Department's Division of Environmental Health are also available to answer questions and can be reached at (603) 624-6466.
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Chicken Pox
See http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/cdcs/documents/handbook.pdf for complete information.
Chickenpox is a very contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It usually begins with a mild fever and an itchy rash. Chicken pox is considered contagious from 1-2 days before the rash occurs and until all the chicken pox blisters have formed scabs (ww.cdc.gov). Children should be excluded from school after the rash eruption first appears and until the vesicles become dry and scab over. Chickenpox is reportable by New Hampshire law.
Conjunctivitis
See http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/cdcs/documents/handbook.pdf for complete information.
It is recommended that children and staff with purulent conjunctivitis be excluded from childcare until they have consulted a healthcare provider and have been approved for re-admission, with or without treatment. Conjunctivitis is not reportable by New Hampshire law.
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Fifth Disease
Fifth disease is a common childhood viral illness with rash symptoms. The illness typically begins with a slight fever and feeling of tiredness. A red rash usually appears within the next week. The rash has a "slapped cheek" appearance on the face, and a "lacey" pattern on the neck, arms, legs, and trunk of the body. The rash may recur for several weeks brought on by exposure to sunlight, heat, exercise, or stress. Fifth disease is contagious in the time period before the rash appears but the illness is usually diagnosed only after the rash appears. Frequently, the classic rash is not present, and the mild illness resolves without ever being diagnosed. Children are no longer contagious when the rash appears so they do not need to be excluded from school.
Adults can also get fifth disease but most adults already have immunity from previous exposure. Pregnant women who are exposed to fifth disease should consult with their health care provider. Frequent and thorough hand washing and tissue disposal are effective means of minimizing the spread of fifth disease.
Flooded Home Information
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Head Lice
For children and their parents, having head lice is a nuisance! Head lice can live in the heads of children and adults in all climates, cultures and living conditions. They are not a sign of poor hygiene or dirty living conditions. They are not a serious illness or the cause of serious illness. They are an itchy nuisance infestation of bugs and their eggs (nits). Treatment requires a diligent program that can be tedious, time consuming and annoying.
The Lice (live bugs) live in a human hair (only humans - not pets) and feed on the blood from the scalp. The bugs appear grayish or brown or black and the size of a very small ant. they do not fly or jump, only crawl. They spread from head to head primarily by direct contact. Rarely do they spread in any other way, since bugs that leave the head or fall off are sick and/or injured and will not breed.
Lice lay their eggs at the base of the hair in sacs called NITS that are glued to the hair. As the hair grows away from the scalp (about one-half inch per month) the nit grows along with it. The nits are pearly gray and tear-drop shaped. Since they hatch in 7 to 10 days, nits that are further away from the scalp are likely to have already hatched.
Treatment
- Shampoo your child's hair with a lice-killing shampoo or creme-rinse. These are available without prescription from the pharmacy.
- Be sure to use the shampoo as directed. They each have slightly different directions. They all recommend a re-treatment in 7 - 10 days.
- You must remove the nits from the hair. Nits are glued to the scalp. Unlike dandruff, they will not fall away when you flick the hair. In fact that's one way to tell nits from dandruff.
- Nit removal can be done with a fine-tooth nit comb. This may not work if the child's hair is too fine. Use fingernails to pull out the nits (this is the tedious part). It is important to remove nits to prevent re-infestations. Use a good strong light or daylight near a window. It helps to section off parts of the hair with a hair clip.
- Items that touch the child's hair (combs, headbands, hats, linens) should be laundered or placed in a hot dryer cycle.
Other household members should be checked for lice (the most likely source) but do not treat "just in case" only if lice or nits are found.
Hepatitis A
For Hepatitis A information concerning Food Safety refer to CDC. If you have any questions regarding hepatitis A or other food safety topics, please feel free to speak with an Environmental Health Specialist at 603-624-6466.
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Impetigo
See http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/cdcs/documents/handbook.pdf for complete information.
Impetigo is a very common skin infection caused by streptococcal or staphylococcal bacteria. It may start at an injured spot on the skin, such as an insect bite, cut or burn. Bacteria can easily be spread by the person’s hands to other areas of the body. In children, the face is often involved. It is recommended that untreated children be excluded until 24- hours after they have begun treatment. Impetigo is not reportable by New Hampshire law.
Influenza (includes H1N1)
Influenza, commonly called “the flu,” is caused by the influenza virus, which infects the respiratory tract (nose, throat, lungs). Unlike many other viral respiratory infections, such as the common cold, the flu causes severe illness and life-threatening complications in many people. Each year in the U.S., more than 200,000 persons are hospitalized for flu-related complications and about 36,000 die from complications of the flu. The best protection is to get a flu vaccine.
Symptoms of flu include fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and muscle aches. Children can also have gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea), but these symptoms are uncommon in adults.
The main way that influenza viruses are spread is from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person are propelled, generally up to 3 feet through, the air and deposited on the mouth or nose of people nearby. The viruses also can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets on another person or object and then touches his or her own mouth or nose before washing their hands.
You can pass the flu to someone even before you know you are sick. Healthy people can infect others one day before symptoms develop and up to 5-7 days after becoming ill. Businesses and workplaces can also help keep people healthy.
The single best way to prevent the flu is to get the flu vaccine each year. For more information, please call the health department at (603) 624-6466.
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Lyme Disease
Lyme Disease Lyme Disease (LD) is an infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a type of bacterium called a spirochete. These spirochetes are transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected deer tick. Lyme disease is now the most common arthropod-borne illness in the United States and is prevalent in the northeast due to the large number of white-footed mice and deer, the deer ticks preferred hosts. Studies have shown that an infected tick normally cannot begin transmitting the spirochete until it has been attached to its host for about 36-48 hours. Therefore if you venture into a tick-infested area, it is very important to examine yourself at least once daily and remove any ticks before they become engorged (swollen) with blood.
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MMR Vaccine Clinics
Students are required to have a second dose of MMR vaccine prior to entry into the seventh grade. The Manchester Health Department provides measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to sixth grade students who attend Manchester schools. Clinics are held during the spring months at elementary and middle schools Schedules will be posted when available.
Reference Immunization Clinic Hours.
"Molly" a.k.a. MDMA
IMPORTANT NEWS FROM:
Nancy Rollins, Associate Commissioner of the NH DHHS' Division of Community Based Care Services and Joseph Harding, Director of the Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services
Recently in the news there have been headlines on the drug "Molly" associated with the 4 deaths within the past week. Two were college students from NH. It is a tragic event and we feel it is important time to reach out and educate as many people as possible about "Molly" a.k.a. MDMA.
Please use the link to the user-friendly fact sheet on "Molly" and distribute through your communication channels.
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Ringworm
See: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ringworm/DS00489
Ringworm of the body is a fungal infection that develops on the top layer of your skin. It's characterized by a red circular rash with clearer skin in the middle. It may or may not itch. Ringworm gets its name because of its appearance. There is no actual worm involved. Also called tinea corporis, ringworm of the body is closely related to athlete's foot (tinea pedis), jock itch (tinea cruris) and ringworm of the scalp (tinea capitis). Ringworm often spreads by direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected person or animal (Contact with lesions or clothes). Antifungal medications are used to treat ringworm. Mild ringworm often responds to antifungal products that you apply to your skin. For more severe infections, you may need to take antifungal pills for several weeks.
The school nurse should refer the student to their primary healthcare provider for specific treatment guidelines. Encourage infected student to cover lesions with clothing, do not share clothes, bathe/shower daily.
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SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)
For the most current information on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) visit the following links. SARS update at World Health Organization SARS update at Center of Disease Control and Prevention SARS update at Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy, University of Minnesota.
If you have questions please call the Manchester Health Department at (603) 624-6466.
Smallpox
Smallpox is an old disease that has been eradicated from the globe since 1977. However, because of the potential use of smallpox as a bioterrorism agent, a great deal of concern has been recently generated. Smallpox disease was caused by the Variola virus. The only known source of this virus is in laboratories at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, and in Russia. Recently, there has been some concern that the virus may also be held in countries such as North Korea and Iraq. Because of this concern, President Bush has recently announced a program to vaccinate a small number of Public Health and medical workers in early 2003. These individuals would be the first to investigate and treat potential smallpox cases should they occur. This vaccination program will be expanded to a larger number of health care workers later next year, and to the general public by 2004.
If you have questions please call the Manchester Health Department at (603) 624-6466
Strep Throat & Scarlet Fever
See http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/cdcs/documents/handbook.pdf for complete information
Group-A Streptococci are bacteria that can cause a variety of illnesses, the most common of which are strep throat, scarlet fever and impetigo. Strep Throat is a sore throat caused by this bacterium. Cold viruses, not strep bacteria, cause the vast majority of sore throats in both children and adults. Strep sore throats tend to be accompanied by fever, tender swollen neck glands, headache and stomach ache, but can also occur with cough, runny nose, or other cold symptoms. Scarlet Fever is a form of strep infection caused by bacteria that produce a substance, which causes a skin rash. The rash is usually red with fine bumps that feel like sand paper and is most noticeable on the neck, chest, groin, or on the inner surface of the knees, thighs and elbows. The rash does not usually involve the face, but cheeks are flushed and there is paleness around the mouth. The tongue may be reddish and look like the surface of a strawberry. The rash may only last a few hours. Scarlet fever is no more serious then strep throat. Children and staff should be excluded until 24 hours after beginning antibiotic therapy and until there is no fever present. This type of streptococcal infection is not reportable by New Hampshire law.
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