Press Releases
Year
Additional Cats Test Positive for Tularemia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 10, 2013
Contact
Rachella Thompson, Communicable Disease Investigator (217) 531-5361
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Additional Cats Test Positive for Tularemia
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Encourages Citizens to Keep Cats Indoors to Help Minimize Tularemia
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) is encouraging area
residents to keep cats indoors to reduce the likelihood of contracting tularemia. The Champaign-Urbana Public Health Districts has identified two additional cats positive for tularemia in Champaign-Urbana. Previously, five cats were diagnosed with tularemia at the University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine; one cat from Champaign and one from Urbana; and three cats from two households in Savoy. Tularemia is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis found in animals (especially rodents, rabbits and hares).
Cats may prey on rabbits and rodents and become infected or they may become infected through tick exposure. Cats may develop a variety of symptoms including high fever, mouth ulcers, depression, enlarged lymph nodes and behavioral changes including not eating. Persons whose cats have contact with the outdoors should take their pet into the veterinarian if they should develop these symptoms.
People may also contract tularemia developing sudden fever, chills, headaches, diarrhea, joint pain, muscle aches, cough and weakness. People can become infected by handling pets or wild animals with tularemia, being bitten by ticks or by inhaling the organism. If you develop symptoms of tularemia see your health care provider.
To reduce the chances that your cat will become infected:
- Do not allow your cat to hunt outdoors
- Consult with your veterinarian to make sure your cat is protected from tick bites
- Report any unexplained large die-offs of rodents or rabbits to your local animal control
To reduce the chance that you or your family members will become infected:
- Wear tick protection when outdoors
- Do not mow over sick or dead animals
- Do not handle wild animals
- Cook wild game meat thoroughly before eating and use gloves when handling the animal and preparing the meat for cooking
- Take any pet with symptoms of tularemia to the veterinarian
If you have questions about tularemia in humans, please contact Rachella Thompson, Communicable Disease Investigator, with CUPHD at (217) 531-5361 or your health care provider. If you are a cat owner or have questions about tularemia in animals, please contact your veterinarian. Visit http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/tularemia/facts.asp or http://www.avma.org/public_health/biosecurity/tularemia_facts.asp for additional information.
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Mosquito Abatement Bikers Hit the Streets
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 3, 2013
Contact
Jim Roberts, Director of Environmental Health (217) 531-2909
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Mosquito Abatement Bikers Hit the Streets
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District begins 2013Culex Mosquito Abatement
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) is starting Culex mosquito abatement this week for the 2013 mosquito season. CUPHD uses seasonal workers on bikes, known as Mosquito Abatement Bikers (MABs), to evaluate and treat public catch basins in Champaign, Urbana and Savoy. The catch basins are treated with a product that disrupts the life cycle of the mosquito and reduces adult mosquito emergence. Catch basins are prime breeding sites for the mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus (WNV).
Homeowners can also have an impact on mosquito populations by draining standing water on their property. Items such as gutters, abandoned pools, garbage cans, flower pots, toys, tires, trash, bird baths and wading pools can all be potential breeding sites for mosquitoes.
Actions you can take to limit exposure to WNV are:
- Drain standing water
- Mosquito proof your home
- During WNV season between dusk and dawn:
- Apply insect repellent o Wear long sleeves and pants
- Consider limiting outdoor activity
West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. Only about two people in 10 who are infected with WNV will experience any illness. Illness from WNV is usually mild and includes fever, headache and body aches, but serious illness such as encephalitis, meningitis and death are possible. Persons older than 50 years of age have the highest risk of severe disease.
Information about WNV activity can be found on the CUPHD website at http://www.c-uphd.org/west-nile-virus.html.
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Small Turtles Can Cause Life-Threatening Disease
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 29, 2013
Contact
Julie Pryde, Administrator
(217) 531-5369 /
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Small Turtles Can Cause Life-Threatening Disease
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Urges People Not To Purchase Small Turtles
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District urges people not to purchase turtles with shells of less than 4 inches. With exotic pets becoming more popular, it is important to know how to stay safe and healthy. Reptiles and amphibians often carry Salmonella on their skin and shells. The bacteria do not make them sick, but can make people very sick. Small turtles are a significant source of Salmonellosis - Salmonella infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), since 2011, a total of 391 persons infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella have been reported from 40 states and the District of Columbia. Twenty-nine percent of ill persons have been hospitalized; no deaths have been reported. The eight multi-state outbreaks have been linked to small turtles.
Salmonella infections are specifically linked to small turtles because of those who are at risk for infections. For most healthy adults, Salmonellosis causes diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps that can last from four to seven days and resolves without treatment. Serious cases of Salmonellosis require hospitalization and can be life-threatening unless treated promptly. Symptoms generally appear within six to 72 hours of contact. People considered to be high-risk are infants, young children, the elderly and anyone with impaired immune systems. Infants and young children often put the small turtles in their mouth or put their fingers in the tank water and then into their mouth causing contamination. This was the reason for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban the sale of all turtles and tortoises with a shell length of less than 4 inches.
“As a parent who experienced a Salmonella attack from a pet turtle on my son when he was 5 years old and hospitalized, I urge all parents to return any pet turtles from where they were purchased. There are no Salmonella-free turtles. There have been instances of death from this infection in young children associated with these turtles,” said Alan Kurtz, Champaign County Board Chair.
In recent years, Salmonella outbreaks have also been linked to aquatic frogs like the African Dwarf Frog. It is important to remember that it isn’t just small turtles but all reptiles and amphibians. If you have reptiles or amphibians as pets and develop signs of a Salmonella infection (fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps), please contact your doctor.
Turtles, and other reptiles and amphibians, can make great pets as long as precautions are taken. These animals should be kept away from young children, infants, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. Do not buy turtles or tortoises of less than 4 inches and wash your hands thoroughly after touching the animals or their housing.
Additional sources of information can be found on the FDA website: http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm048151.htm
For more information, visit CUPHD on the web at www.c-uphd.org or follow us on Twitter and facebook.
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