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Maine CDC is hosting a “Start of the 2015-16 Influenza Season”
conference call at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8.
The intent of this call is to
provide updates for this season, outline resources available and remind
facilities what the reporting requirements are for the influenza season. This call is
particularly relevant to: infection practitioners, providers, laboratorians,
employee health, emergency preparedness, hospital administration and long term
care facilities. Highlights will be distributed after the call, as well as
questions and information discussed on the call.
The number of telephone lines for the call are limited, so if multiple people from one location intend to participate, please call in from one phone line.
The call-in number is 877-455-0244,
passcode 668-182-0529
Reporting
requirements
- Suspected novel or variant cases should be
reported immediately by phone to 800-821-5821.
- Outbreaks and pediatric deaths are required to
be reported
- We appreciate all positive lab tests, reported
by fax (207-287-6865 or 800-293-7534) or by phone (800-821-5821) but this is
not required
Additional Information
Heart age is the age of your heart and blood vessels as a
result of your risk factors for heart attack and stroke. You want a heart age that is the same or
younger than your actual age. Most U.S. adults have a heart
age older than their actual age, placing them at greater risk for having a
heart attack or stroke.
In fact, according to the U.S. CDC, around 69 million adults in the
U.S. have a heart age five or more years older than their actual age. In Maine, the percentage of adults whose
heart age is five or more years older than their actual age is about 43
percent.
To help keep your heart young and healthy:
- Work with your doctor to manage your blood
pressure, cholesterol and diabetes;
- Quit tobacco and avoid secondhand smoke;
- Eat healthy by choosing foods low in sodium and
trans fat and eating fresh fruits and vegetables;
- Get 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical
activity every week;
- Maintain a healthy weight;
- Work with your doctor to make healthy choices that support
having a lower heart age.
Learn your heart age and how to improve it at www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/heartage.htm
Several members of the Maine CDC team participated in the
Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Bangor Large Scale Aviation Accident
Response Exercise at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor on September 24.
The event featured an outreach and training session followed
by a scenario-driven tabletop exercise.
The scenario was complex, involving a large commercial aircraft breaking
apart in flight, killing 132 passengers representing several different nations,
as well as six people on the ground.
Debris was scattered over a five-mile radius and multiple injuries
occurred on the ground as a result. The
exercise brought together State, national and federal authorities, as well as
local first responders, health care providers, law enforcement, public health
representatives and emergency management agencies.
The National Training Safety Board led the training.
Participants learned about investigative responsibilities, standard approaches
for scene documentation, mass fatality management and family assistance
operations for an aviation accident response.
The FEMA and community-led participant breakout group
discussions during the tabletop exercise will focus on four key areas:
- Evolving Response Organization
- Debris Management and Evidence Preservation
- Patient Tracking and Fatality Management
- Family Assistance and Public Communications
The exercise
attracted more than 200 individuals from various agencies statewide and offered
an opportunity for learning as well as networking which will prove invaluable
in planning for an accident or disaster of this magnitude.
Maine CDC has identified a human case of neuroinvasive
West Nile virus (WNV) in an adult who lives in Cumberland County. The individual became ill in early September
when returning from the mid-Atlantic states and was hospitalized. The individual is recovering at home. This is the first identification of WNV in
Maine in 2015.
Maine CDC has confirmed the presence of WNV and eastern equine
encephalitis virus (EEE) in mosquitoes collected in York County. Mosquitoes are collected in pools containing between 1-50 mosquitoes.
These are the first arboviral detections in Maine in
2015. New Hampshire, Massachusetts and
Vermont have detected WNV in mosquitoes this year, and Massachusetts has also identified a human case of WNV.
These positive results do not change any
recommendations, but should serve as a reminder to avoid mosquito bites and
remain vigilant throughout the rest of the season. Mosquitoes may still be active when the
temperature is above 50 degrees.
Maine CDC
recommends the following preventative measures to protect against
mosquito-borne illnesses:
- Use an
Environmental Protection Agency-approved repellent when outdoors,
especially around dawn and dusk. Always follow the instructions on the
product’s label;
- Wear protective
clothing when outdoors, including long-sleeved shirts, pants and socks;
- Keep window and
door screens down to keep mosquitoes out of the home;
- Limit time
outdoors at dawn and dusk when many species of mosquitoes are most active;
- Remove
containers holding water in and around the home, as water can attract
mosquitoes.
Information
on pesticides and repellents is available at the Maine Board of Pesticides
Control website at: http://go.usa.gov/jt6F
Additional
Information
- Disease consultation and reporting
available through Maine CDC at 1-800-821-5821
Ticks are generally found in brushy or wooded areas and near the ground. They cannot jump or fly.
Ticks are attracted to a variety of host factors, including body heat and
carbon dioxide. They will transfer to a potential host when one brushes
directly against them and seek a site for attachment.
Ticks cause a variety of diseases, including Lyme disease,
anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, Powassan and Rocky Mountain spotted
fever, all of which are reportable in Maine.
Cases of tickborne diseases reported in Maine through September 28 include:
- 870 cases of Lyme disease, compared to 1,400 for all of 2014
- 120 cases of anaplasmosis, compared to 191 for all of
2014
- 39 cases of babesiosis, compared to 42 cases for all of 2014
Additional Information
Cases of pertussis (whooping cough) continue to be reported
statewide.
As of September 28, 206 cases have been reported in Maine this
year, and the majority of the cases are in school-aged children.
Maine CDC encourages providers who see patients for cough in
an outbreak area to test for pertussis and treat empirically. (Providers do not
need to wait for positive results to return or a two-week history of cough in
order to treat.)
DTaP vaccine is recommended for all infants and children.
Tdap vaccine is recommended for all preteens, teens and adults, including
health care providers. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists, Tdap is also recommended in the third trimester of every
pregnancy.
For more guidance and
information, visit http://go.usa.gov/dCO
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