Press Releases
Year
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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Warm Weather Increases Tick Activity
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2013
Contact
Awais vaid (217) 531-5360
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Warm Weather Increases Tick Activity
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Encourages Citizens to be Knowledgeable of Tick Precautions and Tick-borne Diseases
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) wants to remind people about safe practices to avoid ticks. As the weather warms up, people and pets come out to enjoy outdoor activities. This time of year is also when ticks become active and start to look for food. Areas with tall grass, leaf litter and wooded places are typically where ticks are found.
Several tick species are present in Champaign County. The most common tick is the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis). This tick can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis and tularemia to people and their pets. Another tick is the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis), also known as the deer tick. This is the main tick species that transmits Lyme disease.
The best thing to do is to avoid coming in contact with ticks altogether. When visiting parks, stay in the middle of paved paths to avoid brushing the bordering grasses. Ticks climb up grasses and leaf litter to wait for a person or animal to brush by – a behavior called questing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that repellents with DEET of 20 percent or more can help repel ticks.
It is very important to check yourself carefully for ticks after being outside. While adult ticks are larger and more noticeable, remember that immature ticks can be much smaller and harder to see. Check every few hours and remove any ticks you find promptly. Depending on the disease, it takes hours for a tick to transmit disease-causing organisms, so finding and removing them early is very important. When returning home, bathe or shower as soon as possible and look carefully for any ticks. Remember to check your pets as well.
Additional information on ticks and tick removal can be found on CUPHD’s website at: http://www.c-uphd.org/tick-information.html.
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New Program to Promote Health and Sustainability by Encouraging Kids to Walk and Bike to School
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2013
Contact
Whitney Hayes Special Projects Coordinator (217) 531-2913
Cynthia Hoyle, C-U SRTS (217) 278-9059
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
New Program to Promote Health and Sustainability by Encouraging Kids to Walk and Bike to School
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and C-U Safe Routes to School to Help Kick-Off Pilot Program in Urbana
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD), in partnership with C-U Safe Routes to School, is set to help the Urbana Middle School kick-off a new voluntary program that promotes health and sustainability by encouraging kids to walk and bike to school through Boltage.
Boltage is a program that combines technology with incentives to encourage children to walk or bike to school and is geared towards changing habits. Children who participate in the program will receive a ZapTag and will pass under a solar-powered RFID (radio frequency identification) reader when they walk or bike to school. When children pass under the reader, a unique number is transmitted from the tag and is uploaded via the internet. The school can then run activity reports and reward the participants with items such as wristbands, stickers or even public recognition.
Students interested in participating in the Boltage program are encouraged to attend the Boltage Kick-Off Party on Thursday, April 25, 2013 from 3:45-4:30 PM at the Urbana Middle School in classroom 1510. Parents are also encouraged to come for additional information. This one-month pilot program will begin May 1 and will focus on biking to school.
To pick up a ZapTag and register your child for the program, go to https://my.boltage.org/pub/register. For additional information, visit www.boltage.org or contact Whitney Hayes at 217-531-2913 or Erin Lodes at
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