RECENT NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Chatsworth (GA) - In response to a recent case of rabies in a cat on Old Federal Road South in Chatsworth (see story at http://nghd.org/Media-Releases/rabid-cat-bites-two-murray-county-residents-neighbors-urged-to-report-bites-scratches-from-strays.html), the Murray County Humane Society is hosting a rabies clinic this Saturday, January 4, from 10 A.M. until 3 P.M. at 5599 Old Federal Road South, the Sampler Home place. Cost is $10. For more information call 706-264-7739.
Jason Osgatharp, manager of Murray County Environmental Health, stated, “This is an excellent service the humane society is providing to the public, so we encourage everyone with pets that need to be vaccinated for rabies to please take advantage of this opportunity and get that done now.”
According to the North Georgia Health District, rabies is always present to one degree or another in wild animal populations such as raccoons, bats, foxes, skunks, etc., so pets must be vaccinated annually whether there has been a positive case in the area or not. An owner cannot know if their dog or cat may have been exposed to rabies.
Also, maintaining current rabies vaccinations in pets is required as a matter of public health law.
For more information about rabies and its prevention, log onto www.cdc.gov/rabies.
Dalton (GA) – The New Year is just beginning, and with the holidays behind us, many people think the time has also passed to get a flu shot. However, the peak of the flu season is still ahead and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu activity continues to increase across the nation (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/summary.htm).
The predominant strain of the flu virus that is now circulating in the U.S. is the influenza A (H1N1) virus that created a pandemic in 2009. Protection against that strain of the flu virus is included in this season’s influenza vaccine – the vaccine also protects against influenza A (H3N2) and influenza B viruses.
Influenza can cause mild to severe illness, and at times, it can lead to death. The flu is different from a cold. The flu usually comes on suddenly. People who have the flu often have a fever (but not always)
, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue and some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.
Officials of the North Georgia Health District, part of the Georgia Department of Public Health, stated that getting a flu shot is the best defense against the flu, and anyone 6 months and older who has not yet gotten a flu vaccine this season should get one now at their local health department, through their healthcare provider or at a pharmacy that provides flu vaccine.
Chatsworth (GA) – Murray County Environmental Health officials announced today that on Tuesday, December 24, 2013, a stray cat bit and scratched two persons who live in the 5700 block of Old Federal Road South, Chatsworth, Georgia.
One of the persons bitten took the cat to Murray County Animal Control where Jason Osgatharp, environmental health county manager, made the determination to have the cat tested because it exhibited abnormal behavior.
The cat was submitted to the Georgia Public Health Laboratory and positive test results for rabies were received today.
According to the persons bitten, the cat would “show up” at their home about once a month.
The rabid cat was black with a white chin, weighed about ten pounds, and appeared otherwise healthy. Those living in or near the 5700 block of Old Federal Road South should report any bites or scratches from stray cats which occurred within the past month, especially if the stray fits this description. Call the Murray County Environmental Health Office at 706-695-0266, extension 8.
The persons who were bitten will start post-rabies exposure treatment today or tomorrow.
Five other cats at the residence, all of which are unvaccinated, will be euthanized.
For more information about rabies and its prevention, log onto the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/.
District and County Staff Members
North Georgia Health District 1-2
December 20, 2013
To all employees of the North Georgia Health District,
I would like to extend my warmest Christmas and New Year greetings to each of you and to your families. It is my wish that this Christmas season will bring you much joy, cheerfulness and peace.
In the months I have had the pleasure to work with you, I have come to admire your immense capabilities and strong work ethic. The health district has had some challenges in 2013, but your resilience, resolve and unwavering desire to serve the residents of the North Georgia Health District have taken us wonderfully far toward achieving our public health mission.
I hope you all have a very successful year ahead.
Happy holidays!
Jack Kennedy
John D. Kennedy, M.D., M.B.A.
Interim District Health Director
North Georgia Health District 1-2
Dalton (GA) – During this joyous season of social gatherings and holiday cheer, it is easy to forget that hazards could happen at any moment. If a public health hazard such as a bioterrorism event or widespread disease outbreak were to happen in this area, delivery of vaccines, medications and antidotes to the public would be critical.
The North Georgia Health District, part of the Georgia Department of Public Health, has a public health hazard response plan for each county in the district.
David Huskey, health district Director of Emergency Preparedness, said, “In the event of a public health crisis that would require many people to rapidly receive preventive medication, our health departments in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield Counties are prepared to open a temporary Point of Dispensing, also called a POD.”
For years, the health district and county health departments have planned with community partners, first responders and volunteers to operate temporary Points of Dispensing, and since 2007, these plans have been exercised each fall when the county health departments conduct their drive-by flu shot clinics. Plans include the possibility that supplies from the federal Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) may be requested and transported to the POD if local and state supplies become depleted. The SNS has large quantities of medicine and medical supplies to protect the American public if there is a public health emergency (terrorist attack, flu outbreak, earthquake) severe enough to cause local supplies to run out (http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/stockpile/stockpile.htm).
National Influenza Vaccination Week is December 8-14, 2013
Dalton (GA) – You have lots of holiday plans. Don’t let coughing, sneezing, fever, chills and nausea ruin them this flu season. National Influenza Vaccination Week is December 8-14 and the Georgia Department of Public Health, including the North Georgia Health District, encourages you to get your flu vaccine.
Preventive actions such as covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, and frequently washing your hands can help guard you from the flu. But the best way to protect against influenza is to receive an 
annual flu vaccine.
Influenza can be a serious disease that leads to hospitalization and sometimes death. Regardless of race, age, gender or ethnicity, everyone can get sick from the flu. Those especially at risk are adults 65 years of age and older, children younger than 5, pregnant women, people with certain chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease or other long-term medical conditions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone 6 months and older receive their flu vaccine – whether that’s through a flu shot or the nasal spray. Getting a flu vaccine is more convenient than ever before. Vaccines are available, for example, from your doctor or local health department, and at many retail pharmacies. Many employers, schools, colleges and universities also offer flu vaccines.
National Influenza Vaccination Week emphasizes the importance of receiving an annual flu vaccination. Even healthy children and adults can get very sick from the flu. So this winter, the Georgia Department of Public Health encourages you to call your doctor’s office, local health department or pharmacy and get immunized.
For more information on immunization, visit http://dph.georgia.gov/influenza-what-you-need-know.
Jasper (GA) — A Pickens County resident was exposed to rabies when bitten by a raccoon last Friday, November 29, according to Jan Stephens, Manager of Pickens County Environmental Health.
The incident occurred late that morning at a private residence just off E. Church Street in Jasper. The raccoon got into a fight with three dogs when it climbed into the dogs’ pen and then it bit the dog owner while the owner attempted to break up the fight.
Lonnie Waters of Jasper Animal Control was called to the scene. Waters euthanized the raccoon and, since it was a state holiday, the body was turned over to Stephens of environmental health the following Monday, December 2.
Stephens prepared the raccoon for shipment and sent it Monday to the Georgia Department of Public Health Laboratory for rabies testing. The lab reported the positive results late the next day on Tuesday, December 3.
The owner has received a tetanus shot and is receiving post exposure treatment for rabies.
Vaccination records for the three dogs are currently being evaluated and the dogs are being monitored by environmental health.
Health officials remind the public that the best way to prevent rabies exposure is to maintain rabies vaccinations in pets and avoid contact with all unfamiliar animals.
For more information about rabies and its prevention, please contact Pickens County Environmental Health at (706) 253-0900 or log onto www.cdc.gov.
Dalton (GA) -The holiday season is here, and as long as flu viruses are spreading and causing illness, you want to make sure it's not the flu you're exchanging with loved ones and friends for the holidays.
It's not too late to arm against the flu, and a flu shot can help provide protection.
According to the latest CDC Flu activity report, influenza levels are starting to increase across the country. And since flu activity doesn't usually peak until February in the United States and can last as late as May, it is important for anyone who has not been vaccinated to get a shot now.
Flu vaccine is available at all county health departments in the North Georgia Health District, including Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield Counties. For office hours, call the health department nearest you (phone numbers are listed below) or log onto the North Georgia Health District website at www.nghd.org and click on the 'Locations' tab.
In addition to protecting yourself against the flu by getting vaccinated, the Georgia Department of Public Health urges you to also wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub. Avoid rubbing your eyes or nose with your hands, and cover your coughs and/or sneezes with a tissue or cough into your sleeve, not your hands.
If you do get the flu, get plenty of rest, drink lots of liquids, reduce fever with a non-aspirin pain reliever, and stay home to avoid spreading the flu to others.
For more flu information, log onto www.flu.gov.
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North Georgia Health District County Health Departments:
Cherokee: Canton (770) 345-7371 / Woodstock (770) 928-0133
Fannin (706) 632-3023 ~ Gilmer (706) 635-4363 ~ Murray (706) 695-4585
Pickens (706) 253-2821 ~ Whitfield (706) 279-9600
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A school kitchen once received USDA frozen turkeys for a meal just before Thanksgiving. The turkeys were left out of refrigeration at room temperature to thaw overnight. The turkeys were cooked but apparently did not reach a safe internal temperature of at least 165°F. There may also have been ‘cross-contamination’ between equipment used with raw turkeys and cooked turkeys. The result? Hundreds of children and school personnel sick with vomiting, fever, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Can you name the mistakes in this story which led to the illness outbreak?
Typical symptoms of foodborne illness are vomiting, diarrhea, and flu-like symptoms, which can start anywhere from hours to days after contaminated food or drinks are consumed. The symptoms usually are not long-lasting in healthy people—a few hours or a few days—and
usually go away without medical treatment. But foodborne illness can be severe and even life-threatening to anyone, especially those most at risk such as infants and young children, pregnant women, older adults, people with HIV/AIDS, cancer or any condition or medication that weakens the immune system.
As you prepare your favorite holiday dishes this season, avoid causing foodborne illness by following these food safety tips from the Georgia Department of Public Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration:
Dalton (GA) – Public health officials consider immunization to be the best protection against vaccine-preventable diseases such as influenza and pertussis, just to name just a few. Therefore, the Georgia Department of Public Health hosts an annual Immunize Georgia conference as a reminder of the importance of immunization and to give special recognition to 
public health immunization champions for their leadership and influence in getting Georgians immunized.
At this year’s Immunize Georgia conference, two of the 2013 Walt Orenstein Champions for Immunization Awards – which honor individuals, agencies or coalitions that demonstrate excellence in providing immunization care – were presented to recipients from county health departments within the North Georgia Health District.
Nancy Stackhouse, a licensed practical nurse and Cherokee County Health Department’s immunization outreach coordinator, was recognized for her collaboration and partnership in the community as a champion for immunization.
According to Cherokee County Health Department Manager Denise Bowman, “Nancy deserves this honor because she is truly outstanding in her field. Last year, she was named Georgia’s 2012 CDC Childhood Immunization Champion.”
The Whitfield County Health Department Children's Access Clinic was also recognized for ensuring that all recommended vaccines for children and adults are readily available to the community. In 2012, nearly 8,000 adults and children received a vaccine through the clinic, which totaled over 14,000 immunizations. Not only are immunizations provided i
n the clinic, but clinic staff administers vaccinations at churches, senior centers, schools, child care centers, businesses and physicians’ offices, as well.
Gayle Brannon, Manager of the Whitfield County Health Department, said, “The Whitfield County Health Department Children’s Clinic staff understands the importance of immunizations in preventing disease and they actively seek ways to assure access to preventive health care.”
For more information about the 2013 Walt Orenstein Champions for Immunization Awards and award recipients, go to https://dph.georgia.gov/blog/2013-09-23/vaccine-champions-honored-immunize-georgia.