NORTH GEORGIA HEALTH DISTRICT

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The Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) Division of Public Health (DPH) invites the public to participate in a 60-day review period of Babies Can't Wait (BCW), a statewide early intervention system for infants and toddlers with special needs and their families. DHR has developed a new federal grant application for Babies Can't Wait that will be effective July 1, pending approval. The review period is scheduled to run from March 20 to May 20. Those who are interested may view the grant application online (http://health.state.ga.us) or at Babies Can't Wait offices throughout the state. 

raccoon Environmental health officials stated that a raccoon that appeared to have been killed by dogs in Fannin County has tested positive for rabies.
Shannon Bradburn of the Fannin County Environmental Health Department said the state laboratory reported the positive rabies test results to their office late on Friday, March 20, 2009.
skunk Gilmer County Environmental Health officials reported another case of confirmed rabies in a skunk. This is the second case of rabies in a skunk reported from Gilmer County within the past several days.  
Late in the day on March 16, 2009, a skunk entered a property near the Seth Hyatt-Pleasant Hill Road area off Chatsworth Highway in Gilmer County. This site is approximately ten miles northwest of the Nine Mile Methodist Church location where a penned horse killed a rabid skunk early last week.
Striped skunkGilmer County Environmental Health officials announced today that the state laboratoryconfirmed rabies in a skunk that was picked up near Chatsworth Highway/52 West on Tuesday, March 10, 2009.

According to Andrea Wheeler, Gilmer County Environmental Health Manager, "The skunk entered the pen of a single horse in the vicinity of Nine Mile Methodist Church, and the horse killed the skunk. We were notified of the incident that day, and we shipped the skunk for testing the next morning, Wednesday, March 11th. We received the positive rabies results from the state lab this morning."

Stop TB USA logo
World TB Day is March 24. The North Georgia Health District, comprised of Cherokee, Pickens, Gilmer, Fannin, Murray and Whitfield counties, is highlighting this annual event. This date commemorates Dr. Robert Koch announcing his discovery, in 1882, of the bacteria that causes tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) can easily be spread from one person to another. A person with active TB disease of the lungs or larynx can spread the infection to others simply by talking, laughing, singing, sneezing, and/or coughing.
Blue Ridge (GA) March 6, 2009 - Fannin County Environmental Health Officials reported late on Friday, March 6, 2009 that rabies had just been confirmed in a raccoon that was killed in a fight with a local dog last Wednesday.

Shannon Bradburn of the county environmental health department said, "We received a call on Wednesday, March 4 that a raccoon had been in a fight with a dog at a residence off Tipton Trail in Morganton, and the raccoon was killed in the altercation.  The homeowners took the raccoon to a local vet where the head was removed for testing. Our office shipped the raccoon head to the state lab on March 5, and we received the positive rabies results back late today."