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Preventive Health Services
Carol Paluck, Supervisor
Telephone: (315)
376-5453
Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday, 8:30AM - 4:30PM |
Services we offer:
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» Arthropod-Borne Disease
Program:
The Arthropod-Borne Disease Program of Lewis County Public Health conducts
a variety of surveillance activities designed to identify and monitor
the prevalence and progress of arthropod-borne diseases, indigenous or
emergent, in Lewis County, that may pose a threat to the public's
health. West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis and Lyme Disease
have been identified as present in Lewis County.
Arthropod-borne diseases
are caused by pathogens transmitted to humans and animals by insects
such as mosquitoes, fleas and other insect-like organisms including
ticks, mites and spiders. Insects are carriers of some of the most
deadly diseases known to man. For example, plague, malaria and yellow
fever have long, dark histories of causing thousands of deaths world
wide.
The principal surveillance
methods for arthropod-borne viruses in Lewis County are dead bird
collection and testing throughout the county, mosquito trapping and
testing of samples in targeted sites within the county, and human
surveillance activities involving the New York State Department of
Health and local health care providers. For West Nile Virus, crows,
blue jays and other members of the Corvidae family are
particularly susceptible to the disease and are good indicators of its
presence in the environment. Since the beginning of the
Arthropod-Borne Disease Program, Lewis County residents have been
essential to its success. An ongoing public education campaign by
public health has instructed county residents to report dead bird
sightings to Public Health using the dedicated 376-5609 telephone
number. In addition, a wide range of information is also made
available to assist the public in reducing the disease risks
associated with mosquitoes.
Arthropod-borne viruses (arbovirus)
are transmitted to humans and animals only through the bite of an
infected mosquito. Anyone can contract an arbovirus but some
individuals seem to be more susceptible than others, particularly the
elderly and those with suppressed immune systems. Symptoms of the
viral infections transmitted by mosquitoes are usually similar, except
for severity. Some infections do not result in obvious symptoms. Mild
cases may occur with only a slight fever and/or headache and body
aches. Generally, there will be no complications. Severe infections
are marked by a rapid onset, headache, high fever, disorientation,
tremors, convulsions, paralysis, coma or death.
MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASE
-
West Nile Virus (WNV)
West Nile Virus was first identified in Lewis County in dead birds
during the Spring of 2000. Since that time, Lewis County Public Health has
conducted a countywide mosquito and dead bird surveillance program to identify
and monitor the presence of this potentially serious disease in the natural
environment of Lewis County. In 2000, Lewis County Public Health submitted a
total of 83 dead birds to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) for
testing, of which 4 tested positive for WNV. In 2001, 48 birds were submitted
along with 12 mosquito pools, and all tested negative. In 2002, 43 birds and
limited number of mosquito pools were tested, with 5 birds from Lewis County
testing positive. Of the 22 birds from Lewis County submitted for testing in
2003, 9 tested positive, a significant number for the sample size. In 2004,
with limited surveillance activities, 8 birds were submitted for testing and 2
birds tested positive for WNV. For 2005, Lewis County Public Health submitted
a total of 15 birds for testing of which 4 tested positive for WNV. All of the
positive birds for 2005 were crows. In the 2006 year, 11 crows were submitted
for testing and 5 tested positive. One other bird submitted tested negative.
The data indicates that West Nile virus continues to be active in Lewis County
and pose a threat. Fortunately, there have been no confirmed human cases of
the disease in residents of Lewis County.
- Eastern Equine
Encephalitis (EEE)
In response to the emergence of Eastern Equine Encephalitis in Lewis
County in 2004, Lewis County Public Health began targeted mosquito
surveillance activites for EEE in 2005. Eastern Equine Encephalitis is an
arbovirus that is similar to West Nile Virus but because of the high case
fatality rate in humans it is regarded as one of the more serious
mosquito-borne diseases in the United States. EEE is another disease
transmitted to humans only through the bite of an infected mosquito. The types
of mosquitoes that carry and transmit the EEE to animals and humans are
different than the types of mosquitoes most generally associated with the
transmission of WNV.
The surveillance activities for EEE are based on the mosquito trapping,
identification and testing techniques and the dead bird reporting and testing
procedure used for West Nile Virus. In addition, active human surveillance is
conducted for EEE to closely monitor the spread of this potentially fatal
disease in humans.
Should the presence of West Nile
Virus or Eastern Equine Encephalitis become a public health threat, a plan of
control, developed in cooperation with the NYS Department of Health will be
initiated.
For 2007, the Lewis County Public
Health Arthropod-Borne Disease Program will continue to encourage county
residents to report dead birds to Public Health at 376-5609. The program will
maintain mosquito surveillance for West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine
Encephalitis. In addition, and particularly for EEE, the program will continue
to actively monitor Lewis County General Hospital Emergency Room admissions, the
NYS Department of Health Laboratory reporting system and encourage physicians to
report suspected cases of arthropod-borne diseases. Public education efforts
will continue for WNV, EEE, and other arbovirus information, as well.
Useful links:
Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/
NYS Dept. of Health:
http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/west_nile_virus/
How can you protect yourself from West Nile Virus?
- Avoid being bit from a mosquito:
Wear long-sleeved
shirts,
Apply mosquito
repellent containing DEET,
Be sure all screen
doors/windows are in good shape
- Prevent spreading of mosquitoes and the disease:
Report any dead
birds that could be suspicious,
Report suspicious
symptoms to our agency,
Eliminate
egg-laying sites (stagnant pools of water)
TICK-BORNE DISEASE
-
Lyme Disease
The Lyme Disease Program is designed to detect and monitor the presence of
Lyme Disease in Lewis County, and assess the potential risk of contracting
Lyme Disease for Lewis County residents.
Lyme Disease is caused by infection with a bacterium and is transmitted by the
bite of infected ticks. The species of tick responsible for Lyme Disease in
the North Country is primarily the Deer Tick (ixodes scapularis). Ticks
acquire the Lyme Disease bacterium by feeding on a variety of infected mammals
or birds. Humans come in contact with ticks most commonly when walking in
wooded, brushy, or grassy areas. People can also get ticks from contact with
animals that are carrying unattached ticks. The symptoms of Lyme Disease are
often mild, flu-like, and easily overlooked. The first sign in most (though
not all) patients is a large, red rash with a bulls-eye appearance that
expands out from the site of the tick bite. Other early symptoms include
fever, headache, fatigue, joint and muscle pain with associated neck and back
pain. Patients who do not receive early treatment for Lyme Disease can develop
problems involving the heart, joints, or nervous system as the disease
progresses.
Since the program began in 2003, there has been anecdotal information about
the disease in Lewis County, particularly from local veterinarians and pet
owners, verifying that indigenous dogs, with no out-of-country travel history
had contracted the disease. Human cases of Lyme Disease in Lewis County,
although known to be present, are difficult to verify as having been
contracted in Lewis County.
The Lewis County Public Health Arthropod-Borne Disease Program provides free
tick identification services for the residents of Lewis County. Tick
identification is important in providing timely and valuable information for
the patient and their physician when exploring potential treatment options for
Lyme Disease. Public reports of tick bites and identification of the ticks is
very helpful in quantifying the presence of the disease in Lewis County and in
determining a level of risk for getting the disease. In 2005, four (4) samples
were submitted to Public Health for identification. Of the samples, 2 were
deer ticks, one was a woodchuck tick (ixodes cookeii), and one was a
dee ked, a tick "look-alike." In 2006, 13 samples were submitted to Public
Health with 12 being deer ticks. Six (6) of the deer ticks were removed from
human hosts and 6 from household pets (dogs and cats).
While this service will identify submitted ticks and determine the degree of
engorgement of the tick, it does not test for the actual presence of the Lyme
Disease causing organism in the tick. Lewis County residents are encouraged to
call 376-5609 for information about the Lyme Disease, including how to
properly remove an embedded tick and how to submit the tick to Public Health
for identification.
Useful links:
Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/index.htm
NYS Dept. of Health:
http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/lyme/
If you or someone you know has seen
a suspicious looking or dead animal,
call John Ingham at 376-5609 or
E-mail him at immediately.
