Press Releases
Year
Upcoming Event to Support Breastfeeding Moms
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 26, 2012
Contact
Linda Steinberg, Peer Counselor (217) 531-4292
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Upcoming Event to Support Breastfeeding Moms
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District to Host a Breastfeeding Expo in August
Champaign, IL –The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) will be hosting the 1st Annual Working Moms Breastfeeding Expo in conjunction with The Big Latch On August 2-4, 2012 at CUPHD, 201 W. Kenyon Road in Champaign. This event is to increase awareness for community mothers on the breastfeeding support services available to them throughout the community. All events are free and open to the public.
The 1st Annual Working Moms Breastfeeding Expo
August 2
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
The 1st Annual Working Moms Breastfeeding Expo – Information will be available about pregnancy, post partum and breastfeeding support services throughout the community, Illinois breastfeeding laws, breastfeeding-friendly businesses, employers and daycares and what you need to know to about successfully breastfeeding while working outside of the home. Free samples and raffles, including a double electric Medela breast pump, will be offered. Children are welcome; crafts and face painting activities will be available. This expo is also open to all pregnant women and new moms interested in breastfeeding information and resources.
The Big Latch On
August 3-4
9:30 – 11:30 AM
The Big Latch On – It is a fun way to meet other breastfeeding moms and be a part of an event that gets recorded every year in the Guinness Book of World Records. Participants will sign up upon arrival and at 10:30 AM everyone participating in The Big Latch On throughout the U.S. will latch their nursing babies at the same time for two minutes. The goal is to increase the number of participants each year. Snacks and beverages will be provided.
Linda Steinberg, Peer Counselor at CUPHD, said “We want to help community mothers reach their individual breastfeeding goals by empowering them with information and support.” According to the CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one of the most highly effective preventive measures a mother can take to protect the health of her infant is to breastfeed; however, in the United States, although most mothers hope to breastfeed, and 75 percent of babies start out being breastfed, only 15 percent are exclusively breastfed six months later.
For more information about CUPHD's programs and services, visit us on the web at www.c-uphd.org. You can now follow CUPHD on facebook www.facebook.com/CUPHD and Twitter www.twitter.com/CU_PublicHealth.
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First Human West Nile Virus Positive Case in Illinois For 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 24, 2012
Contact
Melaney Arnold (217) 558-0500
First Human West Nile Virus Positive Case in Illinois For 2012
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has confirmed the first human West Nile virus case reported in Illinois for 2012. The Cook County Health Department reported a female in her 60s became ill earlier this month.
“We are seeing are large increase in West Nile virus activity and this first human case is a good reminder that we all need to take precautions,” said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck. “The mosquitoes that typically carry West Nile virus, commonly called the house mosquito, are not as noticeable as the swarms of floodwater mosquitoes we see during rainy summers. Even if it does not look like there are a lot of mosquitoes out, house mosquitoes are stealthy biters and their virus infection rate is increasing rapidly, so make sure to use insect repellent.”
A bird collected in Cook County on May 16, and mosquito batches collected on May 17 and May 18 in DuPage and Cook counties, were the first West Nile virus positive specimens this year. To date, West Nile virus positive birds, mosquitoes and one human case have been reported in 27 counties.
Typically the first human case of West Nile virus is announced in August each year.
Last year a total of 19 counties in Illinois reported a West Nile virus positive mosquito batch, bird and/or human case. A total of 34 Illinois residents contracted West Nile virus disease, and three died.
West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. Common West Nile virus symptoms include fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches. Symptoms may last from a few days to a few weeks. However, four out of five people infected with West Nile virus will not show any symptoms. In rare cases, severe illness including meningitis or encephalitis, or even death, can occur. People older than 50 are at higher risk for severe illness from West Nile virus.
The best way to prevent West Nile disease or any other mosquito-borne illness is to reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home and to take personal precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Precautions include practicing the three “R’s” – reduce, repel and report.
- REDUCE exposure - avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn.
- Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings. Try to keep doors and windows shut, especially at night.
- Eliminate all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires and any other receptacles.
- REPEL - when outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and apply insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR 3535, according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.
- REPORT - In communities where there are organized mosquito control programs, contact your municipal government to report dead birds and areas of stagnant water in roadside ditches, flooded yards and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes.
Additional information about West Nile virus can be found on the Illinois Department of Public Health’s website at www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/wnv.htm. Surveillance numbers are updated every Wednesday afternoon www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/wnvsurveillance12.htm.
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Increased West Nile Viral Activity in Champaign County
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 17, 2012
Contact
Jim Roberts, Director of Environmental Health (217) 531-2909
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Increased West Nile Viral Activity in Champaign County
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District/Champaign County Public Health Department Urges Residents to take precautions
Champaign, IL – Several mosquito samples in Champaign and Urbana have recently tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV). “During hot and dry conditions WNV will amplify between the bird and Culex mosquito populations, and unfortunately with the weather we have been experiencing, this is taking place earlier than the previous couple of years,” said Jim Roberts, Director of Environmental Health at the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD)/Champaign County Public Health Department.
The best way to prevent WNV infection or any other mosquito-borne illness is to prevent mosquito bites and to eliminate mosquito breeding sites.
Prevent mosquito bites.
- Try to avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, at dawn, dusk, and in the early evening.
- When weather permits, wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt.
- Apply insect repellent that contains active ingredients which have been registered with the EPA. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.
- Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings. Try to keep doors and windows shut, especially at night.
Eliminate mosquito breeding sites.
- Eliminate all sources of standing water that can support mosquito breeding. Empty water from bird baths, flowerpots, wading pools, pet dishes, and swimming pool covers at least once or twice a week. Maintain gutters and swimming pools. Remove old tires and other items that could collect water. Contact CUPHD at (217) 373-7900 to report areas of stagnant water.
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.
As of July 17, 2012, there have been 24 counties in Illinois reporting either a positive West Nile virus bird or mosquito sample. No human cases have been reported.
Additional information about WNV can be found on the CUPHD website at http://www.c-uphd.org/west-nile-virus.html.
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