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In this update:
Showering and taking a bath in well water high in arsenic are
not significant arsenic exposure sources for children and adults, according to
a new study by the Maine CDC and US CDC.
This is good news for the tens of thousands of Maine residents
who likely have too much arsenic in their well water. Bathing in contaminated
well water is one of the top concerns voiced by the more than 700 Mainers who
seek well water advice from Maine CDC experts each year.
The study also shows that switching to bottled water or
installing an arsenic treatment system at the kitchen sink—real-world solutions
used by many Maine residents—effectively reduces arsenic exposure when arsenic
levels are below 40 micrograms per liter. This is more good news because these
strategies may be less expensive than systems that treat all of the water used
in the house.
Reducing exposure is more complicated for people when their well
has an arsenic level above 40 micrograms per liter, especially if there are
young children in the home. For these residents, the study confirms the
importance of using bottled or treated water not only for drinking, but for all
beverage and food preparation as well. Less than 2 percent of Maine wells
have arsenic levels above 40 micrograms per liter.
The study examined the amount of arsenic in individuals’ urine
in relation to their untreated water arsenic concentration, daily water and
food consumption and time spent bathing. Participants were children and adult
volunteers from 167 Maine households with well water arsenic levels greater
than 10 micrograms per liter and where residents drank bottled water or water treated
at the kitchen sink.
Authored by Maine’s State Toxicologist, Andrew Smith, and
colleagues, the study appears in the February 15 edition of
Science of the Total Environment.
The Maine CDC thanks all of the study volunteers for their
participation.
About Arsenic in Maine Well Water
- More than half of Maine
households rely on a private well for drinking water.
- About 10 percent of private
wells in Maine have arsenic levels above 10 micrograms per liter, the
maximum amount allowed by law in publicly supplied drinking water.
- Arsenic can cause cancer and
heart disease, and is also linked with diabetes and low birth weight, as
well as IQ deficits in young children.
- Arsenic is naturally occurring
in Maine well water. It comes from the mineral-rich bedrock underlying
large portions of the state.
- Maine CDC recommends testing
well water every three to five years for arsenic and other chemicals and
once a year for bacteria and nitrates.
- Only 45 percent of Maine homes
with wells have ever been tested for arsenic.
For more information, visit: wellwater.maine.gov
For well water data,
go to: data.mainepublichealth.gov/tracking
There’s no disputing that 2015 was the best year in Maine’s history when it comes to vaccination rates.
In August, U.S. CDC tapped Maine as number one in the nation for vaccination rates for children age 19 to 35 months and recently, the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases presented the Maine Immunization Program with six additional awards for its high level of vaccination coverage for virtually all ages.
Maine reached the Healthy People 2020 goals for vaccination in children age 19-35 months, adolescents age 13 to 17 and for influenza vaccine for children from age 6 months to 17 years.
In addition, Maine was cited for having the highest pneumococcal vaccination coverage among high-risk adults age 18 to 64, and earned Most Improved honors for that same population, as well as children 19-35 months.
A key to the success has been communication with the more than 400 providers who are registered with the Maine Immunization Program and offering free vaccine to their eligible patients. Many receive practice-level data around vaccination rates and all have access to county-level data for comparison. The program also partners with more than with more than 130 schools and school districts to hold on-site influenza vaccination clinics.
The mission of the Maine Immunization Program is to reduce or eliminate all vaccine preventable diseases, and immunizations are the single most important way to protect against serious and sometimes deadly diseases.
To learn more about how to receive free vaccine for your child, ask your health care provider, contact the Maine Immunization Program at 1-800-867-4775 or visit http://www.immunizeme.org
Zika virus is spread to people through mosquito bites. The most common symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. Illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week.
U.S. CDC has issued travel alerts for people traveling to regions and certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing. Pregnant women are
urged to avoid travel to these areas, and others are counseled to protect
themselves from mosquito bites.
The most recent guidance and guidelines are available at: http://www.cdc.gov/zika/whats-new.html
For more information, visit: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/vector-borne/zika or http://www.cdc.gov/zika/index.html
Weekly updates on flu cases are
available online:
Maine CDC
reminds everyone to take everyday preventive measures against the flu:
- Wash your hands frequently.
- Cough and sneeze into your elbow or into a tissue.
Throw the tissue away.
- Stay home when you feel sick.
If you
have the flu:
- Stay home if you are sick, until you are fever-free for
a full 24 hours without taking fever-reducing medicine.
- Cough and sneeze into your elbow or into a tissue.
Throw the tissue away.
- Contact your PCP if you have signs of the flu to
discuss possible treatment with antivirals. Although most people can stay
home to recover without seeing a health care provider, it is possible for
healthy people to develop severe illness from the flu. Anyone with the flu
should seek medical attention for:
o Dehydration
o Trouble breathing
o Getting better, then suddenly getting a lot worse
o Any major change in condition
For more information, go to www.maineflu.gov or http://www.cdc.gov/flu/
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