The Onondaga County Health Department Announces A Public Flu Vaccine Clinic

Don’t forget your annual flu vaccine!  The Onondaga County Health Department will be holding a public flu vaccine clinic on Wednesday, November 19th from 10:00AM – 12:00PM, and again from 2:00PM-4:00PM, with special emphasis on reaching uninsured individuals.  The clinic will be held at the John H. Mulroy Civic Center, located at 421 Montgomery Street, Syracuse, NY 13202.  The clinic will be held in Room 30 in the basement.  Residents who would like more information on this flu vaccine clinic are encouraged to call 435-2000.

This clinic is a walk-in clinic and no appointment is necessary.   Vaccines will be free for Onondaga County residents, while supplies last.  The Onondaga County Health Department flu clinic will provide flu vaccines for anyone six (6) months of age and older.

Quoc Nguyen, MD, Onondaga County Health Department Medical Director, explained, “Getting your flu vaccine is the single best way to prevent getting the flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone over six (6) months old get an annual flu vaccine.” Nguyen further emphasized that the flu vaccine is especially important for children and adults with high risk conditions such as asthma.

New this year, the CDC has recommended that FluMist® (a vaccine that is sprayed inside the nose) is preferred over the traditional flu shot for children 2 through 8 years of age because it offers better protection in that age group.    At this flu vaccine clinic, FluMist„µ  will be available for any children and adults who prefer an alternative to the traditional flu shot.  FluMist„µ is only recommended and offered to healthy children and adults age 2-49 years old.

The CDC continues to reinforce that an annual flu vaccine is particularly important for persons at high risk for complications from the flu, or for those who have contact with people at high risk.  Those include the following:

  • Pregnant women
  • Children younger than five, but especially children younger than two years old
  • People 50 years of age and older
  • People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
  • People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
  • People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:

Health care workers
Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than six months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)

Children under the age of nine who have never had a flu vaccine series before will need two doses of vaccine.   The second vaccine should be given 4 weeks after the first shot or FluMist®. If your child is under age nine (9) and only received one dose of vaccine last year, they should receive one dose this year.

Getting a flu vaccine is the best way to protect your health as well as your family, friends, and others.  Get your flu vaccine to protect yourself and others!  For more information, call 435-2000.

Bat Positive for Rabies

Onondaga County Interim Commissioner of Health, Michelle Mignano, announced today that the New York State Health Department’s laboratory has reported that a bat found in the Park Avenue area in the city of Syracuse has tested positive for rabies. This is the tenth bat that has tested positive for rabies in Onondaga County this season.

Ms. Mignano explained, “It continues to be important to contact the Animal Disease Program at 435-3165 when you find a bat in your home or in a place that they are not usually found, on your lawn for instance, as it may be rabid.  The County would like to thank the community for their continued identification and reporting of bats in their homes during this season where the number of positive bat findings is greater than in past years.”

To bat proof your home, plug up any holes discovered with steel wool.  Also, repair window screen holes with wire mesh and caulk any other openings or cracks.

  • If your family (or your pet) has been exposed to a bat, capture the bat and have it tested for rabies. If someone is bitten by a bat, be certain to wash the area         where the bite occurred with soap and water and see your health care provider immediately.
  • If you awaken to find a bat in your room, or if a bat is present in the room of an unattended or sleeping child, or in a room with someone with a mental impairment, seek medical advice and have the bat tested.
  • Trap all bats found in your house and make sure that all bats that come into direct contact with people get tested.  Before trapping the bat, protect yourself with gloves and a hat.

To trap a bat:

  • Keep the bat inside of your home (do not let it escape outdoors)
  • Shut the door of the room to keep the bat isolated
  • Turn the lights on to slow the bat down
  • Collect the bat in a container with a secure lid
  • Call the Onondaga County Health Department’s Animal Disease Control at 435-3165 for further instruction
  • To view a video on how to capture a bat, visit www.ongov.net/health

It is important to keep your pet’s vaccinations current. This is especially important for dogs, cats, and ferrets. Getting your pet vaccinated can help stop the spread of rabies from wild animals to humans.

The Onondaga County Health Department offers a number of clinics throughout the year to protect your pet from rabies. New York State Public Health Law requires that all puppies and kittens get an initial shot at three months of age, with a booster shot every three years. Ferrets must get a shot every year. For a full schedule of upcoming rabies vaccination clinics visit www.ongov.net/health/documents/RabiesClinicSchedule.pdf, or call 435-3165.

Bat Positive for Rabies

Onondaga County Interim Commissioner of Health, Michelle Mignano, announced today that the New York State Health Department’s laboratory has reported that a bat found in the West Calthrop Avenue area in the city of Syracuse has tested positive for rabies. This is the ninth bat that has tested positive for rabies in Onondaga County this season.

Ms. Mignano explained, “This positive finding continues to show that it is critical, if you are exposed to a bat in your home (even if you do not touch the bat), to trap the bat and call Animal Disease Control immediately at 435-3165 for further guidance.”

To bat proof your home, plug up any holes discovered with steel wool.  Also, repair window screen holes with wire mesh and caulk any other openings or cracks.

  • If your family (or your pet) has been exposed to a bat, capture the bat and have it tested for rabies. If someone is bitten by a bat, be certain to wash the area where the bite occurred with soap and water and see your health care provider immediately.
  • If you awaken to find a bat in your room, or if a bat is present in the room of an unattended or sleeping child, or in a room with someone with a mental impairment, seek medical advice and have the bat tested.
  • Trap all bats found in your house and make sure that all bats that come into direct contact with people get tested.  Before trapping the bat, protect yourself with gloves and a hat.

To trap a bat:

  • Keep the bat inside of your home (do not let it escape outdoors)
  • Shut the door of the room to keep the bat isolated
  • Turn the lights on to slow the bat down
  • Collect the bat in a container with a secure lid
  • Call the Onondaga County Health Department’s Animal Disease Control at 435-3165 for further instruction
  • To view a video on how to capture a bat, visit www.ongov.net/health

It is important to keep your pet’s vaccinations current. This is especially important for dogs, cats, and ferrets. Getting your pet vaccinated can help stop the spread of rabies from wild animals to humans.

The Onondaga County Health Department offers a number of clinics throughout the year to protect your pet from rabies. New York State Public Health Law requires that all puppies and kittens get an initial shot at three months of age, with a booster shot every three years. Ferrets must get a shot every year. For a full schedule of upcoming rabies vaccination clinics visit www.ongov.net/health/documents/RabiesClinicSchedule.pdf, or call 435-3165.

National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, October 19–October 25, 2014

Nearly half a million children living in the United States have elevated blood lead levels that may cause significant damage to their health, estimates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In Onondaga County, more than 8% of children tested in 2013 had high blood lead levels. The major sources of childhood lead exposure in Onondaga County include lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust found in older homes. The good news is that childhood lead poisoning is entirely preventable.

To raise awareness of childhood lead poisoning prevention, the Onondaga County Health Department (OCHD) is joining our state and federal partners to promote National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW), October 19-25th, 2014. This year’s theme, “Lead Free Kids for a Healthy Future”, reinforces the importance of testing your home for lead, testing your child for lead, and learning how to prevent lead poisoning.

Onondaga County Health Interim Commissioner, Michelle Mignano, states, “The most important thing we can do to prevent childhood lead exposure is to treat the source of the problem, which is often in the home.” Mignano emphasized that there are many ways families can reduce a child’s exposure to lead and encourages following these simple steps to protect your family:

  • Get your home tested for lead. If you rent your home, call the Onondaga County Health Department to learn about getting a free lead home inspection.
  • Get a lead home inspection before buying an older home (pre-1978). Home repair grants are available to remove lead from homes in the city of Syracuse and in Onondaga County.
  • Get your child tested. Have your child tested at age 1 and again at age 2. Even if your children seem healthy, ask your doctor to test them for lead.
  • Get the facts! The OCHD Lead Program can provide you with helpful information about preventing childhood lead poisoning by calling 435-3271, visiting www.ongov.net/health, or finding us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ongovhealth.

 

Bat Positive for Rabies

Onondaga County Interim Commissioner of Health, Michelle Mignano, announced today that the New York State Health Department’s laboratory has reported that a bat found in the Westminster Avenue area in the city of Syracuse has tested positive for rabies. This is the eighth bat that has tested positive for rabies in Onondaga County this season.

Ms. Mignano explained,” This bat was found in a room where an individual was sleeping.  It is critical that if you are exposed to a bat in your home, (even if you do not touch the bat) to trap the bat and call Animal Disease Control immediately for further guidance at 435-3165.”

  • To bat proof your home, plug up any holes discovered with steel wool.  Also, repair window screen holes with wire mesh and caulk any other openings or cracks.
  • If your family (or your pet) has been exposed to a bat, capture the bat and have it tested for rabies. If someone is bitten by a bat, be certain to wash the area where the bite occurred with soap and water and see your health care provider immediately.
  • If you awaken to find a bat in your room, or if a bat is present in the room of an unattended or sleeping child, or in a room with someone with a mental impairment, seek medical advice and have the bat tested.
  • Trap all bats found in your house and make sure that all bats that come into direct contact with people get tested. Before trapping the bat, protect yourself with gloves and a hat.

To trap a bat:

  • Keep the bat inside of your home (do not let it escape outdoors)
  • Shut the door of the room to keep the bat isolated
  • Turn the lights on to slow the bat down
  • Collect the bat in a container with a secure lid
  • Call the Onondaga County Health Department’s Animal Disease Control at 435-3165 for further instruction
  • To view a video on how to capture a bat, visit www.ongov.net/health

It is important to keep your pet’s vaccinations current. This is especially important for dogs, cats, and ferrets. Getting your pet vaccinated can help stop the spread of rabies from wild animals to humans.

The Onondaga County Health Department offers a number of clinics throughout the year to protect your pet from rabies. New York State Public Health Law requires that all puppies and kittens get an initial shot at three months of age, with a booster shot every three years. Ferrets must get a shot every year. For a full schedule of upcoming rabies vaccination clinics visit www.ongov.net/health/documents/RabiesClinicSchedule.pdf, or call 435-3165.

Bat Positive for Rabies

Onondaga County Interim Commissioner of Health, Michelle Mignano, announced today that the New York State Health Department’s laboratory has reported that a bat found in the area of Howlett Hill Road in the town of Onondaga has tested positive for rabies. This is the seventh bat that has tested positive for rabies in Onondaga County this season.

Ms. Mignano stresses, “It is important to bat-proof your home now to keep bats out of your house and away from you and your family.  However, if you are exposed to a bat in your home, it is important to trap the bat and call Animal Disease Control for further guidance at 435-3165.  It is also essential to reinforce to children, that if they see a bat, to stay away from it and inform an adult.”

  • To bat proof your home, plug up any holes discovered with steel wool.  Also, repair window screen holes with wire mesh and caulk any other openings or cracks.
  • If your family (or your pet) has been exposed to a bat, capture the bat and have it tested for rabies. If someone is bitten by a bat, be certain to wash the area where the bite occurred with soap and water and see your health care provider immediately.
  • If you awaken to find a bat in your room, or if a bat is present in the room of an unattended or sleeping child, or in a room with someone with a mental impairment, seek medical advice and have the bat tested.
  • Trap all bats found in your house and make sure that all bats that come into direct contact with people get tested.  Before trapping the bat, protect yourself with gloves and a hat.

To trap a bat:

  • Keep the bat inside of your home (do not let it escape outdoors)
  • Shut the door of the room to keep the bat isolated
  • Turn the lights on to slow the bat down
  • Collect the bat in a container with a secure lid
  • Call the Onondaga County Health Department’s Animal Disease Control at 435-3165 for further instruction
  • To view a video on how to capture a bat, visit www.ongov.net/health

It is important to keep your pet’s vaccinations current. This is especially important for dogs, cats, and ferrets. Getting your pet vaccinated can help stop the spread of rabies from wild animals to humans.
The Onondaga County Health Department offers a number of clinics throughout the year to protect your pet from rabies. New York State Public Health Law requires that all puppies and kittens get an initial shot at three months of age, with a booster shot every three years. Ferrets must get a shot every year. For a full schedule of upcoming rabies vaccination clinics visit www.ongov.net/health/documents/RabiesClinicSchedule.pdf, or call 435-3165.

Don’t Forget Your Flu and Pneumonia Vaccine

This fall, don’t forget your flu and pneumonia vaccine!   The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older receive an annual flu shot.  People should be vaccinated every year because immunity to flu viruses declines over time and circulating strains often change from year to year.

Quoc Nguyen, MD, Onondaga County Health Department Medical Director, explained, “Getting your flu vaccine is the single best way to prevent getting the flu.” Dr. Nguyen further emphasized that the flu vaccine is especially important for children and adults with high risk conditions such as asthma.

New this year, the CDC has recommended that FluMist® (a vaccine that is sprayed inside the nose) is preferred over the flu shot for children 2 through 8 years of age because it offers better protection in that age group.   FluMist„µ is only recommended and offered to healthy children and adults ages 2-49 years old.

The CDC continues to reinforce that an annual flu vaccine is particularly important for persons at high risk for complications from the flu, or for those who have contact with people at high risk.  Those include the following:

  • Pregnant women
  • Children younger than five, but especially children younger than two years old
  • People 50 years of age and older
  • People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
  • People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
  • People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:

o Health care workers
o Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
o Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than six months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)

Children under the age of nine who have never had a flu vaccine series before will need two doses of vaccine.   The second vaccine should be given one month after the first shot or FluMist®. If your child is under age nine (9) and only received one dose of vaccine last year, they should receive one dose this year.

Recommendations for pneumococcal vaccines (often referred to as the “pneumonia shot”) have changed this year for persons 65 years and older.   A new type of pneumococcal vaccine (PCV13) is being recommended for seniors this year, in addition to the standard “pneumonia shot” (PPSV23).   Adults 65 years and older who have never received a pneumococcal vaccine should receive the PCV13 shot first, followed by the PPSV23 6 to 12 months later.  If you have already received the standard “pneumonia shot”, a dose of PCV13 is recommended at least 1 year following that vaccine.

Getting a flu vaccine and a pneumonia vaccine is the best way to protect your health as well as your family, friends and others.  If you do not have a health care provider or health insurance, call the Onondaga County Health Department at 435-2000 for more information on where you can get a vaccine.

Positive Rabies Found in a Fox in the Town of Onondaga and in a Bat Found in the 500 Block of Seymour Street

Onondaga County Interim Health Commissioner, Michelle Mignano, announced today that the New York State Health Department laboratory has reported that a bat found in the area of the 500 block of Seymour Street in Syracuse, near the Vincent House, has tested positive for rabies. Several children have been identified who potentially handled this bat on Wednesday, September 24th in the late afternoon. The Health Department is still actively seeking all of the individuals who may have had contact. It is extremely important that these children be identified as soon as possible. Any person who believes their children or themselves had physical contact with the bat in this area should call the Onondaga County Health Department Animal Disease Control Program at 435-3165 or Disease Control at 435-3236 immediately.

In addition, a fox found in the Coventry Road area in the Town of Onondaga has tested positive for rabies bringing the total number of positive animal rabies tests to 14.

Ms. Mignano explained, “It is important that residents remember not to approach or feed wild animals and strays because they may be rabid. ”  Rabies is a fatal disease that attacks the brain and spinal cord. It can take several weeks to several months for rabies symptoms to appear. Early treatment after an exposure can prevent rabies. It is important to protect yourself from rabies all year round.

Any mammal can get rabies, but it is most often seen in bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. Below are important steps to prevent rabies:

  •  Teach children to stay away from any animal they do not know, either wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly.
  •  Wash any wound from an animal thoroughly with soap and water and seek immediate medical attention.
  •  See your doctor for attention for any trauma due to an animal attack.
  •  If you come into contact with an animal exhibiting signs of rabies such as unusual  behavior,  change in the voice of the animal, signs of paralysis (weakness), a hard time swallowing with  a lot of salivation, and/or acting lethargic (very weak), contact Animal Disease Prevention at 435-3165.

 

  •  Don’t attract wild animals to your home or yard. Keep your property free of stored bird seed or other foods that may attract wild animals. Feed pets indoors. Tightly  cap or put away garbage cans. Board up any openings to your attic, basement, porch or garage. Cap your chimney with screens.
  •  If a wild animal is on your property, let it wander away. Bring children and pets indoors and alert neighbors who are outside.
  •  Keep your pet’s vaccinations current. This is especially important for your pet dogs, cats, and ferrets. New York State Public Health Law requires that all puppies  and kittens get an initial shot at three months of age, with a booster  shot every three years.   Getting your pet regularly vaccinated can help stop the spread of  rabies from wild animals to humans.

The Onondaga County Health Department offers a number of clinics throughout the year to protect your pet from rabies.   All clinics are open to the public and no appointment is necessary.  For a schedule of upcoming rabies vaccination clinics, visit www.ongov.net/health or call 435-3165.

Second Onondaga County Resident Diagnosed with Eastern Equine Encephalitis

Onondaga County Interim Health Commissioner, Michelle Mignano, was notified by the New York State Department of Health today that an Onondaga County adult resident has been diagnosed with Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). Ms. Mignano explained, “This is the second known human case of EEE this year. It is essential that residents consistently take measures to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes”. Mignano stated that the individual is currently hospitalized and is in stable condition. To protect the privacy of this patient and of their family, additional details are not being shared with the public.

EEE is a rare but dangerous viral infection that is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. The virus can cause encephalitis or inflammation of the brain. Initial symptoms, which usually start 4-10 days after the bite, can include fever, headache, and vomiting. Illness can then progress to altered mental status, confusion, seizures, coma, and even death. The greatest risk for infection with this virus is for people who spend a lot of time outdoors.

Although we are experiencing cooler evenings and mosquito numbers are down, residents should continue to practice personal protection measures to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes until the first hard frost. Mosquitoes are most active between dusk and dawn.  Personal protection is advised during outdoor activities.  Personal protection measures include wearing shoes and socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt when outside for a long period of time.  Applying a mosquito repellent containing DEET, Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, or IR3535 is also recommended to prevent mosquito bites.  Do not put the repellent directly onto children. Put it on your hands and apply it to your child.  Do not put insect repellent on your face. Wash skin and clothing after returning indoors. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for application.

It is also important to keep your yard free from standing water to reduce the mosquito population near your home. The following are ways of helping to reduce mosquito breeding grounds:

  • Throw away outdoor containers, ceramic pots, or containers that hold water
  • Remove all tires from your property
  • Drill holes in the bottoms of recycling containers that are kept outdoors
  • Clean clogged rain gutters and make sure they continue to work properly
  • Turn over wheelbarrows and wading pools when not in use
  • Change water in bird baths at least every four days
  • Clear vegetation and debris from the edges of ponds
  • Clean chlorinated swimming pools, outdoor saunas, and hot tubs
  • Drain water from pool covers
  • Use landscaping to eliminate low spots where standing water accumulates

For more information visit: /health/mosquitoborne.html or https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/eastern_equine_encephalitis/fact_sheet.htm.