Public Health Programs & Services - Department of Health Services - County of Los Angeles  Vol. I; No. 2

In this issue:

What to Do About the Flu?
Is the Flu Shot For You?
Prevent Unwanted Winter Visitors
Preventing Rats & Mice
Food Safety: Make Memorable Meals Not Ills
Turkey Tips
Handwashing: Give Health a Helping Hand
Your Nose Won’t Know: Check Heaters Carefully


What to Do About the Flu?

It’s flu season again. Influenza, commonly called "the flu," is a viral illness that affects the respiratory tract (nose, throat, and lungs). Influenza infections occur every year, generally between November and March.

Influenza can lead to pneumonia or death to those most at risk for serious complications, such as elderly or chronically ill people. Influenza and pneumonia combined were the fourth leading cause of death in L.A. County in 1996.

The most important thing to do about the flu is to try not to catch it or spread it. Avoid crowds during flu season. To help prevent the flu, get an influenza shot and wash your hands often. To not spread the flu, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze and properly dispose of used tissues.

Influenza usually spreads from person to person through the air when an infected person sneezes or coughs. It may also be spread by contact with items contaminated by an infected person, such as used tissues or handkerchiefs, with transfer to the mouth by unwashed hands.

Typical signs of influenza infection include:

• Fever of 101°F to 102°F for adults and 103°F to 105°F for children.
• Muscle aches and headache.
• Runny nose, sore throat, and dry cough.

Symptoms start one to two days after exposure to the virus, but a person can spread the infection before symptoms begin and for another three to four days afterwards. The worst influenza symptoms last three to seven days but full recovery may take two to three weeks.

Once you have the flu, the most important treatment is bed rest and drinking plenty of non-carbonated fluids. A pain reliever, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol7), can be taken to relieve aches and pains and keep fever down. Do not give aspirin to children with the flu since it has been associated with Reyes Syndrome, a very serious illness.

Call your doctor for advice, especially if symptoms last more than 3-5 days, you have a hard time breathing, or have a fever that goes away and comes back.

 

Is the Flu Shot For You?

Who should get the flu vaccine?

The following are at high risk for flu complications:

Those providing care to the high risk people listed above should also get a flu shot. Other people who want to prevent getting the flu can also get a shot. Ask your doctor for advice.

Who should not get the flu vaccine?

If you are in one of the high risk categories listed, find a clinic giving free influenza vaccinations near you by calling (800) 427-8700.

 

Prevent Unwanted Winter Visitors

"Home for the Holidays" has a different meaning if your guests are rats and mice. With cooler weather approaching, rodents may start looking for a warmer home -- with you!

Rat and mouse populations decrease during colder weather, but you may see them more often because they tend to move indoors to find warmer nesting sites.

Controlling these pests means keeping them away from things to eat and places to live -- both indoors and outdoors.

Getting rid of rats and mice has important public health benefits. When rats and mice get into our food, they contaminate it with their feces (droppings), urine, and fur.

Diseases like typhus, leptospirosis, and plague can be carried by rodents and their fleas.

Rats and mice also cause damage to property by their burrowing and gnawing activity. Look for gnawed holes in baseboards and where pipes enter walls. Other signs of infestation are droppings which are ¼ to ½ inch long, and holes or pathways with dark smudges where the oil in their fur rubs.

L.A. County Public Health Environmental Health inspectors will provide free telephone advice about rats and mice. Inspectors respond to complaints, especially from renters, or may provide homeowners with a free site inspection.

Contact a private pest control company for trapping and extermination services.

However, most L.A. County Environmental Health offices provide free rat poison and directions for the do-it-your-selfer. To find the office nearest you, call (323) 881-4046.

 

Preventing Rats and Mice

Keep Them Out of the Yard:

Keep Them Out of Your House or Apartment:

Keep Them Out of Your Food and Trash:

 

Make Memorable Meals Not Ills

Even though you can’t see, smell, or taste it, improperly handled food may have bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses. Make sure your holiday events are not remembered as the year your meal made everyone sick. Follow the tips for technique, timing, and temperature below for safe holiday meals:

Technique:

A common cause of foodborne illnesses is cross contamination: when uncooked food comes in contact with prepared foods.

Timing:

Bacteria can cause foodborne illness in as little as two hours in food left out at room temperature.

Temperature:

Food must reach the right temperature during cooking to be safe. After food is done, it must be kept at a safe temperature until served. Use an accurate thermometer to assure correct temperatures. Cook to the following minimum temperatures:

Once foods are done, keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.

 

Turkey Tips:

Many people only cook a turkey once a year. Apply these food safety guidelines for technique, timing, and temperature to keep your holiday bird safe:

When you suspect food poisoning, call the L. A. County Public Health Morbidity Unit at (213) 240-7821.
For more information on food handling safety, call the United States Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Hotline at (800) 535-4555.

 

Give Health a Helping Hand

This issue of Your Health stresses the importance of hand washing in preventing flu and food poisoning.

Hand washing is one of the easiest ways to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. It gets rid of disease causing bacteria that would otherwise make their way to your mouth.

A 1996 Purdue University Study found that kids who wash their hands four or more times a day missed 24% fewer school days from colds and flu and 50% fewer days from stomach illness than kids who didn’t wash as often*.

Everyone should wash hands:

Adults should also wash :

Wash hands well:

So, give your health a helping hand: wash hands frequently.

Kimel L.S., Journal of School Nursing, April, 1996.

 

Your Nose Won’t Know: Check Heaters Carefully

A warm home is pleasant on a chilly night. But, if your gas heater does not burn cleanly, or vent properly, dangerous carbon monoxide gas can build up in your home or apartment. This colorless, odorless gas can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, weakness, and lead to unconsciousness and death.

Early warning signs may include an acrid odor or eye irritation. Household pets may seem irritated or listless.

To prevent accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, follow these tips:

To have your heater inspected, contact your local gas company. If the gas company "red tags" the heater as defective or needing repair and your landlord does not fix it quickly, call the L. A. County Public Health Housing and Institutions Program at (323) 881-4038.


Your Health is published quarterly by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Public Health Programs and Services. Please make copies of this newsletter to share with others.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Gloria Molina
Yvonne Brathwaite Burke
Zev Yaroslavsky
Don Knabe
Michael D. Antonovich
Director, Department of Health Services
Mark Finucane
Director of Public Health and Health Officer
Jonathan E. Fielding, M.D., M.P.H.

Comments and ideas are welcome. Please contact:
Daniel Gunther, M.P.H., Editor
313 N. Figueroa, #807, Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 240-8144 FAX (213) 975-1273

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