Press Releases
Year
2011 Grant Recipient for Dental Efforts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 28, 2011
Contact
Alicia Ekhoff, Program Coordinator
(217) 531-4538
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
2011 Grant Recipient for Dental Efforts
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District was Awarded a Grant for Children’s Dental Health
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) is one of 17 recipients of the 2011 ADA Foundation: Samuel Harris Fund for Children’s Dental Health. This year’s Harris Grant focus was on prenatal and postnatal education programs for parents and caregivers on Early Childhood Caries (ECC), an infectious disease defined by the American Dental Association as the presence of one or more decayed (non-cavitated or cavitated lesions), missing (due to caries) or filled tooth surfaces in any primary tooth in a child between birth and 71 months of age. A total of $84,552 was awarded through the grant; CUPHD will receive $5,000.
“With the support of CUPHD’s Division of Maternal and Child Health and WIC Program, this grant will enhance efforts to increase parents’ knowledge of how Early Childhood Caries can be prevented,” said Alicia Ekhoff, Program Coordinator for the Children’s Dental Clinic. “The main objective of this grant is to provide interactive learning opportunities for the prevention of childhood caries and encourage parents to seek a Dental Home for their child by age one.”
The CUPHD Children’s Dental Clinic located at 201 West Kenyon Road in Champaign provides a Dental Home for children who live in Champaign or Urbana and have dental coverage through All Kids or Medicaid beginning at age one. Children enrolled in the Urbana school district may also visit CUPHD’s Dental Clinic located in the Urbana School Health Center (USHC) at Urbana High School, 1002 South Race Street.
Children enrolled in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, 2nd or 6th grade in the ChampaignUrbana school districts can receive dental care at school by CUPHD dentists and dental hygienists; consent forms for this service are available online at www.c-uphd.org.
For more information about dental care and programs, contact CUPHD at (217) 531-4279 or USHC at (217) 239-4220. Visit CUPHD on the web at www.c-uphd.org.
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Several Area Cats Test Positive for Tularemia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 14, 2011
Contact
Awais Vaid, Epidemiologist
(217) 531-5360
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Several Area Cats Test Positive for Tularemia
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Encourages Citizens to be Aware of Symptoms and Health Precautions for Tularemia
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) is encouraging area residents to know the symptoms of tularemia and to monitor their family and pets for the disease. Three cats from two households in Savoy were diagnosed with tularemia at the University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine in July and September. This may indicate an increased concern for this disease in the area. Tularemia is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis found in animals (especially rodents, rabbits and hares). Humans and many animals can become infected with this bacteria. In the wild, animals can carry the organism and may die from infection.
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 wanting to eat. Persons whose cats have contact with the outdoors should take their pet into the veterinarian if they should develop these symptoms.
People may also develop sudden fever, chills, headaches, diarrhea, joint pain, muscle aches, cough and weakness if they become infected with tularemia. 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 member 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 Awais Vaid, Epidemiologist, with CUPHD at (217) 531-5360 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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Area Grocers Help to Promote Healthy Foods
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 24, 2011
Contact
Jennifer Jackson, Health Educator II
(217) 531-2912
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Area Grocers Help to Promote Healthy Foods
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Teams Up with Area Grocers to Make Healthier Food Selections Easier
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) has been working with area schools the past six years to promote healthy eating and physical activity through the CATCH program (Coordinated Approach to Child Health). Now, CUPHD is teaming up with local grocers to help shoppers identify healthier foods.
CUPHD is inviting local grocers to participate in a campaign to help shoppers easily identify smarter food and beverage choices. Healthy eating is supported by helping kids and families easily identify which foods are healthy and which foods should be eaten less often. Students at the CATCH schools can now share the tools they have been given with their families to identify foods by the use of GO, SLOW and WHOA.
GO foods are fruits, vegetables, fat-free dairy products (with minimal sugar) and whole wheat products. SLOW foods are foods that can be enjoyed but should be eaten less than GO foods such as sweetened (including flavored) one percent milk, refined-grain foods and fruit with added sugar. WHOA foods are foods that should be eaten only occasionally such as candy, cookies, chips, fried foods, ice cream, soft drinks and sugary cereals. WHOA foods are generally the most processed and are the highest in unhealthy fats, added sugars and/or salt. There are no NO foods.
Signs have been created to educate consumers about the products as well as GO food labels that can be used to promote the healthiest foods throughout the store. CUPHD will work with each store to help identify additional GO foods for labeling. There is no cost to participate in this program.
For more information about CUPHD's programs and services, visit www.c-uphd.org.
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