FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 7, 2007

Contact
Julie Pryde, Acting Public Health Administrator
(217) 531-5369 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Lori A. Holmes, Public Relations
(217) 531-2927

Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Urges Champaign County Residents to Prepare for Possible Winter Storms and Power Outages

Simple Steps Can Help Keep You Safe in Seasonal Storms

Champaign, IL – Seasonal winter storms are a frequent occurrence in central Illinois.  During the “ice storm of 2005” more than 400,000 citizens were without power for several days during frigid temperatures.  According to the National Weather Service, there has not been a winter in Illinois without a severe storm in the past century, and in fact, Illinois experiences an average of five severe storms every year.

A severe winter storm could prevent Champaign County residents from leaving their homes for several days, perhaps living without electricity or heat.  A basic emergency preparedness kit can help residents remain safe until the winter storm is over or power is restored.  A basic winter preparedness kit should include:

• Adequate clothing and blankets for personal warmth
• 2-week supply of non-perishable food items for family members and pets
• 2-week water supply for family and pets (1 gallon per person per day)
• Flashlight and portable radio with spare batteries
• First aid kit
• Extra medications and special items for babies, the disabled, elderly and pets

Severe winter storms often lead to extensive as well and extended power outages.  Power outages that last longer than two hours may create food safety issues.  If the power is out for longer than two hours, the food in your refrigerator and freezer may not be safe to consume.  Citizens should use the following guidelines if the power is out longer than two hours:

• FROZEN FOOD:
  • A freezer that is half full should hold food safely for up to 24 hours o A full freezer should hold food safely for up to 48 hours
  • Avoid opening the freezer door during a power outage o Throw away any food that has a temperature of 40 degrees
  • Fahrenheit or above
• REFRIGERATED FOOD:
  • Pack milk, other dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, gravy, and spoilable leftovers into a cooler surrounded by ice or snow
  • Throw away any food that has a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or above

When the power goes out, water purification systems may not be functioning fully.  Safe water for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene includes bottled, boiled or treated water.  Questionable water can be treated with chlorine tablets, iodine tablets or unscented household chlorine bleach (1/8 teaspoon per gallon of water).

Citizens are urged to stay in their homes whenever possible.  Driving during severe weather is hazardous, and in the event of an accident or vehicle failure, finding assistance and adequate shelter may prove challenging.  If travel cannot be avoided, please utilize the following tips:

• Check the latest weather conditions on the travel route
• Make sure all the components of your car are in good operational condition paying special attention to tires, wipers and lights
• Start your trip with a full tank of gas
• Provide an itinerary to a friend or family member
• Travel only in the daytime on main roads
• Keep a basic winter preparedness kit in the car; include a cell phone and charger

Winter storms and power outages are challenging, but they do not need to be life threatening. CUPHD urges citizens to take these simple steps to keep loved ones and themselves safe.

For more information on emergency preparedness please contact CUPHD at (217) 3527961 or visit CUPHD on the web at www.c-uphd.org.

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Download 2007-12-10-Ice-Storm-PR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 26, 2007

Contact
Susan Butler, Safe Kids Champaign County Coordinator
(217) 531-4268

Parents: Teach Grandparents Latest Safety Guidelines

Safe Kids Champaign County Offers Child Passenger Safety Workshop For Grandparents

Champaign — On Saturday, December 8^th Safe Kids Champaign County will be holding an educational workshop focusing on Child Passenger Safety for grandparents.  By attending this workshop, grandparents will learn how to use child safety seats (focusing on boosters) as well as tips on the best way to travel with their grandchildren.  With completion of this workshop, grandparents will be eligible to receive a free booster seat.  For more information, or to register, please call 217-353-4932.

“People who are grandparents today grew up in a world without car seats, smoke alarms or bike helmets, but also fewer cars on the road and fewer fire hazards in the home. Parents of young children need to let their own parents know that important changes have been made in childcare,” says Susan Butler, Safe Kids Champaign County Coordinator.

Accidental injury remains the number one killer of children ages 14 and under, but modern safety devices contributed to a 45-percent drop in accidental child deaths from 1987 to 2002.

A grandparent’s home might not be “childproofed” with safety gates on the stairs, locks on the cabinets, a fence surrounding the pool and all potential poisons — including medicine, cleaning products and alcohol — locked out of reach.

“Before a child comes to visit, a relative who doesn’t have young children at home should look for potential hazards at and below a child’s eye level,” says Butler. “Pick up any small objects that could be a choking hazard, tie the cords of window blinds out of reach and lock up any matches or lighters.” Safe Kids Champaign County offers these reminders for grandparents who baby-sit occasionally:

• Under IL law, all children under 8 years old must ride in appropriate child restraint whenever they are in a moving car. Bigger kids should stay in a booster seat until they are 4’9” tall and at least 80 pounds. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully, and don’t hesitate to call the manufacturer’s toll-free number if you have any questions. Kids under 13 should always sit in the back seat.
• In a car, always buckle up yourself — your grandchildren learn by watching you!
• Set your water heater to 120ºF or below to prevent scald burns.
• Make sure your grandchildren always wear a helmet when riding a bike, scooter, skateboard or inline skates. For skating and scooters, knee pads are also recommended. (Caregivers need to wear proper safety equipment too — remember, you’re a role model!)
• If there are firearms in the home, store them unloaded and locked up, and lock the ammunition in a separate place.
• Keep the number of the Poison Control Center hotline, 800-222-1222, next to every phone in the home.
• Learn first aid and CPR.
• In any hazardous setting — on a playground, around pools or water, in the kitchen, near traffic, or near stairs or unlocked windows, for example — children should always be under active supervision, in sight and in reach at all times, with an adult paying undivided attention.

For more information about home safety and childproofing, call 217-531-4268 or visit www.c-uphd.org/ccsafekids. Safe Kids Champaign County works to prevent accidental childhood injury, the leading killer of children 14 and under. Safe Kids Champaign County is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing accidental injury. Safe Kids Champaign County was founded in 1996 and is led by Champaign-Urbana Public Health District.

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Download 2007-11-28-CPS-for-Grandparents-PR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 19, 2007

Contact
Awais Vaid, Epidemiologist
(217) 531-5360

Lori A. Holmes, Public Relations
(217) 531-2927

State Public Health Director Warns Consumers to Check their Freezers and Throw Out Recalled Pot Pies

Consumers are still eating these pot pies and becoming ill

Springfield, IL – Dr. Damon T. Arnold, state public health director, is warning consumers again today to throw out frozen pot pies that could be linked to a multi-state outbreak of salmonellosis.  Last Month ConAgra Foods voluntarily recalled an undetermined amount of all varieties of frozen pot pie products produces under multiple brand names, including chicken, turkey and beef.

“If you currently have pot pies in your freezer, even if you bought them a couple of months ago, you need to pay attention to this recall.  The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) continues to receive reports of ill people who have consumed the recalled pot pies within the last month.  Salmonellosis can cause diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within eight to 72 hours.  Additional symptoms may include chills, headache, nausea and vomiting that can last up to seven days.  Consumers should not eat these pot pies,” said Dr. Arnold.

To date, Illinois has had a total of 15 cases of Salmonella that are believed to be associated with eating the recalled pot pies, compared to six cases as of October 12, 2007 when IDPH first warned consumers.

The following brands and all varieties, including chicken, turkey and beef, of frozen pot pie products are subject to this recall:

• Banquet
• Albertson’s
• Food Lion
• Great Value
• Hill Country Fare
• Kirkwood
• Kroger
• Meijer
• Western Family

These frozen pot pies include all varieties in 7 oz. single serving packages bearing an establishment number “P-9” or “Est. 1059” printed on the side of the package.

Between January 1, 2007 and October 29, 2007 at least 272 cases have matched the national, outbreak in 35 states.  At least 65 people have been hospitalized.

Salmonella bacteria cause much of the food poisoning in the world, including an estimated four million cases of salmonellosis in the United States each year. In Illinois about 1,500 to 2,500 cases of this food borne illness are reported each year.

Citizens are encouraged to contact Rachella Thompson, Communicable Disease Investigator at he Champaign-Urbana Public Health District at (217) 531-5361 to report suspect symptoms or products or call the Toll-Free hotline at (866) 484-8671.

For more information, please contact CUPHD, Division of Infectious Disease Prevention & Management, (217) 239-7827 or visit our website at www.c-uphd.org.

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Download 2007-11-19-ConAgra-Pot-Pie-Recall-PR