Morris County Office of Health Management and Mount Olive Health Department
Mount Olive Township Health Department Contact:
Frank Wilpert, Health Officer
973-691-0900 ext. 7330
CDC Updates Recommendations for the Amount of Time Persons with Influenza-Like Illness should be Away from Others
On August 5, 2009, CDC changed its recommendation related to the amount of time people with influenza-like illness should stay away from others (the exclusion period).
New guidance indicates that people with influenza-like illness should stay home for at least 24 hours after their fever is gone (without the use of fever-reducing medicine). A fever is defined as having a temperature of 100° Fahrenheit or 37.8° Celsius or greater.
This is a change from the previous recommendation that ill persons stay home for 7 days after illness onset or until 24 hours after the resolution of symptoms, whichever was longer.
The new recommendation applies to camps, schools, businesses, mass gatherings, and other community settings where the majority of people are not at increased risk for influenza complications. CDC recommends this exclusion period regardless of whether or not antiviral medications are used. This guidance does not apply to health care settings where the exclusion period continues to be for 7 days from symptom onset or until 24 hours after the resolution of symptoms, whichever is longer. (See http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidelines_infection_control.htm for guidance on infection control in health care settings.)
Decisions about extending the exclusion period should be made at the community level, in conjunction with local and state health officials. More stringent guidelines and longer periods of exclusion – for example, until complete resolution of all symptoms – may be considered for people returning to a setting where high numbers of high-risk people may be exposed.
This exclusion period guidance for the community setting is based on epidemiologic data about the overall risk of severe illness and death. The new recommendation attempts to balance the risks of acquiring illness from influenza and the potential benefits of decreasing transmission through the exclusion of ill persons with the goal of minimizing social disruption. This guidance will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.
To read the complete revised guidance see: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/exclusion.htm
This change in our recommendation has affected content on a number of other pages, including the following:
Visit http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm for more information on caring for sick persons in the home.
Visit http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm questions and answers about H1N1 influenza.
For more general information on H1N1, go to http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/.
------------------------------------------------
Morris County Office of Health Management and Mount Olive Health Department
Mount Olive Township Health Department Contact:
Frank Wilpert, Health Officer
973-691-0900 ext. 7330
Morris County Office of Health Management Contact:
Pete Summers, Health Officer
973-631-5484
NACCHO H1N1 Influenza Update: June 11, 2009
NACCHO is committed to offering local health departments information about developing news and resources related to H1N1 influenza and will provide periodic e-mail updates as necessary.
WHO Declares Phase 6 Pandemic of Novel H1N1 Influenza
The World Health Organization (WHO) raised its pandemic influenza alert level from phase 5 to phase 6 today. The WHO declaration has not changed the U.S. Administration’s response to novel H1N1. For more information, see the following resources:
Federal Letter to State School Officers
With the support and involvement of an interagency task force, a letter from Secretary Duncan (Department of Education) and Secretary Sebelius (Department of Health and Human Services) will be sent to all K-12 schools today urging them to prepare for the potential for novel H1N1 to further impact schools, families, and communities in the fall. Schools are urged to review and update emergency management plans and to pursue local interagency collaboration, particularly with local health officials. The timing of this letter and the WHO declaration described above are coincidental.
Quick Links
Contact NACCHO
If you have comments, questions, or suggestions for how NACCHO or its state and federal partners can assist you, contact us at H1N1info@naccho.org.
------------------------------------------------
June 5, 2009 Press Release
Mt Olive Township Health Department
Contact: Frank Wilpert, Health Officer
973-691-0900 x7330 or 7353
Reports received back from the State Public Health Laboratory for Mt Olive Township confirms the first case of the H1N1 Influenza for this past week. “We have been following clusters of school aged children in the Township. Some of the cases have seasonal influenza and other diagnoses. Not all are H1N1,” said Frank Wilpert, Health Officer. “It is important for residents to know that flu is circulating throughout N.J. and although having a new strain of influenza is a concern, this strain is similar to seasonal influenza and is being treated similarly.”
H1N1 Influenza was first confirmed in Morris County the end of May, 2009. Since then 21 cases have been confirmed throughout the county. The NJ Department of Health and Senior Services has said that 50% of the influenza in the state is residual seasonal flu. Sampling of cases has been limited to hospital admissions and clusters, 2 or more unrelated persons in a school or work environment. This sampling was to determine community-wide spread. After 5 clusters were identified, sampling was suspended.
H1N1 symptoms, fever, cough and sore throat, are no more severe than a mild seasonal flu. If you have flu-like symptoms contact your health care provider for medical guidance. Seasonal and H1N1 influenzas have similar treatment. There are medications that a health care provider can prescribe to lessen the severity and duration of the illness.
If you have any underlying medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, heart conditions, please contact your health care provider when symptoms begin.
Flu spreads easily from person to person. Thorough and frequent hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes are the most effective actions to take to stay healthy. If you are sick with flu-like illness, please stay home for 7 days or 24 hours after symptoms end, which ever is longer.
For more information, call the Mount Olive Township health department or check for updates on the Mount Olive Township website, http://www.mtolivetwp.org the Morris County Office of Health Management, http://www.morrishumanservices.org/health/ or the NJDHSS website http://nj.gov/health/er/h1n1
------------------------------------------------
June 2, 2009 Press Release
More Confirmed H1N1 Flu in Morris
Reports back from the State Public Health Laboratory in Trenton have confirmed 13 additional cases of H1N1 in Morris County residents.
The majority of the additional cases are clusters in schools in Dover, Madison Borough and Rockaway Township. School closures are not recommended at this time as once the virus is spreading in the community, staying home when sick is a more effective way to slow the spread of the flu.
Flu spreads easily from person to person. At this time because we have documented community spread of H1N1 we will no longer be testing in Morris County. Some of the samples sent to the state laboratory did not test positive for H1N1 reinforcing the fact that there is residual seasonal influenza in the community.
“H1N1 symptoms are similar to seasonal influenza and we no longer need to identify the particular strain,” said Pete Summers, Morris County Health Officer.
It is important that people with influenza-like illness, fever, cough and sore throat, stay home for a minimum of 7 days, or 24 hours after symptoms disappear which ever is longer, to slow the spread of influenza in the community.
If you have influenza-like symptoms please contact your health care provider for medical guidance. People with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, asthma, heart conditions or are immune compromised should consult with their health care provider for medical guidance if exposed to influenza or when symptoms develop.
For well people, hand washing is the single most important action to prevent illness.
NJ is reporting 114 confirmed cases and 20 probable cases of H1N1. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are reporting 10,053 cases in the U.S. The World Health Organization is reporting 17,410 cases world wide.
For more information, call the Mount Olive Township health department at 973-691-0900 ext 7330 or 7353, or check for updates on the Morris County Office of Health Management website, www.morrishealth.org or the NJ DHSS website http://nj.gov/health/er/h1n1.
------------------------------------------------
May 27, 2009
Press Release
Morris County’s local health departments continue to monitor for cases of H1N1 Influenza A. While no new cases have been confirmed over the long weekend Morris County Health Officials are investigating additional suspect cases that they have referred for testing to the New Jersey Public Health Laboratory.
Morris Hills High School where 4 confirmed cases were reported on Thursday has reported normal attendance at school today. Over the weekend 3 additional Morris Hills students were tested. These students are not seriously ill and are currently recovering at home and being cared for by their physician.
In addition, Morris County is also awaiting test results on 3 samples submitted to the State Laboratory on Thursday. These cases were not related to an area school.
While the virus does not live long in the environment, local schools have instituted enhanced cleaning of high touch surfaces. The virus will survive between 2-8 hours after being deposited on a surface. The temporary closing of schools is not considered effective in limiting or preventing the spread of the virus.
“As local health departments continue to investigate sporadic reports of influenza-like illness in their communities, we expect to send additional cases for testing” said Morris County Health Officer Pete Summers. “We anticipate we will have more cases in Morris County. By having our local health departments actively seeking out cases, we can ensure that people are getting treatment, staying home and reducing the risk of exposure to others.”
Local health officials continue to encourage people with influenza-like illness, which includes fever (100° or higher), cough or sore throat, to stay home for school or work for 7 days or 24 hours after symptoms disappear, whichever is longer and to contact their health care providers for medical guidance.
The Morris County Office of Health Management has sent guidance to physicians for procedures to follow when reporting influenza like illness. “At this time, we are referring for testing only those admitted to hospitals, or clusters of cases”, said Summers. A cluster is defined as two or more individuals with influenza like illness who work or go to school together. “We know that H1N1 is in the community and fortunately it is still acting like a mild flu illness,” Summers said.
Most people are recovering at home and can return to work or school after following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance for staying home 7 days or 24 hours after symptoms disappear, whichever is longer. When samples are sent to the NJ Public Health Laboratory for testing it general takes 3 days to get results.
The Centers for Disease Control is reporting 6,764 cases nationally. These are confirmed or probable cases. CDC estimates that there are probably over 100,000 people in the U.S. who have or have had H1N1 Influenza only have not met criteria for testing or they recovered at home.
NJ Department of Health and Senior Services is reporting 60 confirmed and probable cases statewide. The recent increase of confirmed H1N1 cases reflects the ability of the Department’s Public Health and Environmental Laboratory to confirm H1N1 influenza and allows us to investigate outbreaks of influenza-like illness without sending samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for testing. Improved reporting of influenza-like illness from health care providers might have also contributed to the increase in case identification of both H1N1 and seasonal influenza activity.
At this time, the Mount Olive Township Health Department continues to remind residents to wash hands frequently and thoroughly, cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, and to stay home if sick with influenza-like illness for 7 days or 24 hours after symptoms disappear. Call your health care provider for medical guidance. If you have any other underlying illness or chronic condition, call your health care provider if you are showing any symptoms of influenza-like illness.
For more information, call the Mount Olive Township health department at 973-691-0900 ext 7330 or 7353, or check for updates on the Morris County Office of Health Management website, www.morrishealth.org or the NJ DHSS website http://nj.gov/health/er/h1n1.
-----------------------
Swine Flu Information Number
1-973-691-0900 ext 7353
Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection have been identified in the United States and internationally. Currently the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends taking the following steps to protect your health:
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. CDC recommends that when you wash your hands -- with soap and warm water -- that you wash for 15 to 20 seconds. When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Avoid sharing of food utensils and cups/bottles.
- Avoid physical contact, such as friendly kiss type greeting.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. Seek medical attention.
What are the signs and symptoms of swine flu in people?
The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection in people. Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.
How does swine flu spread?
Spread of this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is thought to be happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.
What should I do to keep from getting the flu?
First and most important: wash your hands. Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Monitoring of the conditions is ongoing and additional communications will occur based upon developing conditions. Your diligence of following the precautionary guidelines is greatly appreciated.
|