Happy Holidays!

The Health Department will be closed Tuesday, December 24 and Wednesday, December 25 for our staff to celebrate the holidays.

We celebrate the holidays with gatherings with family and friends. Here are a couple of food safety tips for a safe holiday:

• Foods should not sit at room temperature for more than two hours. Keep track of how long foods have been sitting out and discard anything that has been there two hours or more.
• Hot foods should be held at 140 °F or warmer. On the buffet table you can keep hot foods hot with chafing dishes, slow cookers and warming trays. Cold foods should be held at 40 °F or colder. Keep foods cold by nesting dishes in bowls of ice. Otherwise, use small serving trays and replace them.
• Always wash your hands before and after handling food. Keep your kitchen, dishes and utensils clean also. Always serve food on clean plates - not those previously holding raw meat and poultry. Otherwise, bacteria which may have been present in raw meat juices can cross contaminate the food to be served.

In this month's Public Health Communicator, we provide information on norovirus and the signs and symptoms of the illness. Winter is here and sometimes it is dangerous. Below are tips to prevent slips and falls during the winter. Betty Krones, Disease Prevention Specialist highlights the history and medical progress on HIV and AIDS. She also stresses the importance of HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infection testing. As always, we include the "Day in the Life of" Column and the Wellness Corner. Enjoy!

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to stay up-to-date on all the current information surrounding the Health Department. Make sure to check out the left side of our newsletter, which features our Quick Response (QR) Code. Scan it with your smartphone to get directly to our website.

Best wishes,  

Nola Aigner

Public Information Officer

Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health 

Ouch! Winter Hurts!

With our recent snowfall, there is no denying it, winter is truly here. Winter brings ice and snow, which also means slips and falls. It is important for everyone including home owners and businesses to make sure your property is safe for clients and their family. 

Here are some tips to help everyone have a safe winter:

• Don't let a winter storm surprise you. Monitor the weather frequently.
• Keep snow and ice removal tools on hand and easy to access.
• Shovel and salt as often as necessary to keep walking paths clean and dry.
• Watch for areas that accumulate ice. Remove the ice and apply ice melt often.
• Designate walking paths so individuals do not take shortcuts over snow and ice covered areas.
• Provide good lighting and clear path markings in parking lots and walkways.
• Test walk ways or paths for slickness by sliding your shoe on it before proceeding.
• Do not run on ice or snow covered surfaces.
• When entering a building such as your home or office, remove snow and water from footwear.
• Apply a slip resistant floor treatment in shop areas. Clean and maintain these floors according to manufacturer's directions.
• Clearly identify steps, ramps and other elevation changes that might not be visible in snowy conditions.
• Place high quality mats in walking areas subject to water or snow accumulation. Change mats regularly to ensure those in place are dry and able to get cleaned.

Make sure to pay close attention to the following hazards:

• Slippery surfaces due to water, ice or snow from footwear.
• Snowy and ice-covered sidewalks.
• Freeze and thaw periods from the sun and warmer temperatures.
• Melted snow, ice or grit at the entrance of the building.
• Black ice which is thin, almost invisible coating of ice. when temperatures rise above freezing and quickly drop below freezing.
• Obstructed sidewalks or roadways.

Information provided by SFM www.sfmic.com

 There is NO such thing as the stomach flu!

When we hear the word, flu, we often associate it with norovirus (commonly called the stomach flu). Let's set this misconception straight.  Norovirus and influenza are two different things. The seasonal flu or influenza is a respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus. Norovirus is a gastroenteritis illness which causes inflammation of the stomach and intestines. 

Anyone can get norovirus and get sick. Norovirus is spread from person to person quickly in close and crowded places. These areas can include: nursing homes, schools, day cares and places of employment. The illness begins suddenly and you may feel sick with stomach cramping, vomiting and diarrhea.  Other symptoms of norovirus are low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and feeling tired. The good news is that norovirus is not usually a serious illness. Most people feel better in about one to three days. However, norovirus can be serious in young children, the elderly and individuals with other chronic health conditions.  This illness can lead to severe dehydration, hospitalization and even death.

Dehydration can occur when you don't consume enough liquids to replace the ones lost from vomiting and diarrhea. Symptoms of dehydration include decreased urination, dry mouth and throat and feeling dizzy when standing up. Children who are dehydrated may cry with few or no tears and can be unusually sleepy or fussy. Dehydration is prevented by drinking plenty of liquids. Drink fluids that do not contain alcohol or caffeine.  Drinking oral rehydration fluids are the most helpful for severe dehydration because they help replace important nutrients and minerals that are lost due to vomiting and diarrhea.

The virus in norovirus can be found in the vomit and stool of infected people. You can become infected with the illness by:

• Eating foods or drinks that are contaminated with norovirus.
• Touching surfaces or objects contaminated with the virus and then putting your hand or fingers in your mouth.
• Direct contact with someone who is ill with norovirus.

There is no vaccine to protect yourself and loved ones from norovirus.  There also isn't a medicine to treat individuals sick from norovirus. However, there are ways you can decrease the chances of norovirus from spreading by following these preventive steps:

• Individuals who are infected with norovirus should not prepare food while they have symptoms and for three days after they recover from their illness. Food that may have been contaminated by an ill person should be disposed of properly. 
• Frequently wash your hands, especially after toilet visits, changing diapers and before eating or preparing food.
• Carefully wash fruits and vegetables, and steam oysters before eating them.
• Thoroughly clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces immediately after an episode of illness by using a bleach-based household cleaner.
• Immediately remove and wash clothing or linens that may be contaminated with virus after an episode of illness (use hot water and soap).
• Flush or discard any vomit and/or stool in the toilet and make sure that the surrounding area is kept clean.

For more information about norovirus, please visit our website at www.cghealth.com

  

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The Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health works to

optimize the health of all people in Cerro Gordo County.