- Written by Raymond King, District Director of Environmental Health
- Category: Media Releases
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:
- Hits: 4476
- Written by Jennifer King, District Public Information Officer and Risk Communicator
- Category: Media Releases
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.
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- Written by Ray King, District Director of Environmental Health
- Category: Media Releases
I can name at least six personal friends who have been seriously injured in deer stand accidents. You probably can, too. By seriously injured, I mean that something got broken other than their pride. One friend broke both ankles and had to lie there all day until his family came looking for him that night. It rained and he was so cold he got hypothermia.
Surveys have shown that more than one-third of all deer stand hunters will fall from a stand some time in their lives. About half of those who fall will break a bone. About three percent of those who fall will suffer permanent injuries like paralysis. Doing something different and dangerous is part of the pleasure of hunting, but don’t be foolish. Here’s a typical real story of a hunter who was injured.
“I fell from a stand that I built in a tree four years before,” said the hunter. “I was climbing up into it to hunt, but had not checked to see if the steps were still solid. I was only about five feet off of the ground when one of the steps broke loose from the tree. The nails had rusted through. I ended up breaking my right arm at the elbow and it took eight weeks to heal. I also missed the entire hunting season. That’s the last time I ever used a homemade deer stand in a tree.”
Building your own tree stand from wood is a bad idea. And, okay, I’ve done it, too, but would not again. If you are going to build your own stand from wood, at least make certain that you only use treated wood. Don’t just nail steps up a tree made of pieces of two-by-four. This is by far the most dangerous way to get into a tree stand. And how will you know if wooden steps are still secure next year until you start climbing up?
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- Written by Jennifer King, District Public Information Officer and Risk Communicator
- Category: Media Releases
Free and confidential Rapid HIV Testing is now available at the Cherokee County Health Department health centers in Canton and Woodstock. Testing is conducted on the second Tuesday of each month at the Woodstock Health Center at 7545 North Main Street and on the fourth Tuesday of each month at the Canton Health Center at 1219 Univeter Road. Testing times at both locations are from 10 AM to 3 PM. Free prevention supplies are also available. The CDC recommends that everyone between ages 13 and 64 be tested for HIV at least once in their lifetime, and those at increased risk – such as gay and bisexual men, injection drug users, or persons with multiple sexual partners – should be tested at least annually. For more information, call the Woodstock Health Center at 770-928-0133 or the Canton Health Center at 770-345-7371.
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