Disease surveillance
Each calendar year, the State of CT develops a list of specific diseases or health conditions that are required to be reported by laboratories and health care providers to this health district. This reporting creates a picture of the diseases or health conditions that affect the residents of our towns. Some of these reportable diseases or conditions require that QVHD staff follow-up with the individual in order to protect the health of other residents. For example, a person who has salmonella should not work in a restaurant, day care or health care facility until the germs that caused the illness are no longer present.
The reported information also allows the health district to look at numbers and patterns of diseases to aid in program planning for the health district. This helps us to keep our community healthy.
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Ticks live in grassy wooded areas. Around the home remove brush and leaf litter and mow lawn frequently. Avoid tall grass and over-grown, brushy areas.
Use an insect repellent according to manufacturer’s instructions.
When in wooded areas tuck pant leg into socks, wear long-sleeved shirts, and closed shoes.
Wear light-colored clothing to see the ticks easier for removal.
When returning indoors, shower using a washcloth to remove any unattached ticks.
Examine yourself, children, and pets for ticks when returning indoors.
Tick Testing
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station provides the testing of ticks at no cost. Please note the tick must be engorged. Please note that the Tick Testing Program is intended for the identification and/or testing of ticks which have fed on humans. Ticks removed from pets will be identified, but not tested.
Information on submitting ticks can be found on their website: Tick Related Information (ct.gov)
The Best Way to Remove a Tick Found Attached to the Body
Grasp it close to the mouth parts near the skin surface.
With gentle, steady pressure, pull the tick upward away from the skin until it releases.
Once the tick is removed, wash the area of the bite with an antiseptic or rubbing alcohol.
Follow-up
If you begin to experience a rash or fever within several weeks of removing a tick, see your doctor. Be sure to tell the doctor about your recent tick bite, when the bite occurred, and where you most likely acquired the tick.
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Ticks can spread disease including Lyme disease. Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of a tick infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Fever, headache, fatigue, and a skin rash at the location of the bite are the most common symptoms of Lyme disease. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. If caught early enough, most cases of Lyme disease can be treated with a few weeks of antibiotics. The best way to prevent Lyme disease is to prevent tick bites.
Untreated Lyme disease can produce a wide range of symptoms, depending on the stage of infection. These include fever, rash, facial paralysis, and arthritis.
Learn more: Signs & Symptoms of Lyme Disease
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West Nile Virus:
Summer marks the start of mosquito season and continues through Fall. West Nile Virus (WNV) cases can occur during mosquito season, making it important to know how to protect yourself and loved ones. West Nile is a virus most commonly spread to people by mosquito bites.
One of the most effective ways to avoid WNV is to prevent mosquito bites by using insect repellent. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states, “when used as directed, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents are proven safe and effective, even for pregnant and breastfeeding women.”
Always use EPA-registered insect repellents with one of these active ingredients: DEET; Picaridi; IR3535; Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD); or 2-undecanone.
Choosing an EPA-registered repellent ensures the EPA has evaluated the product for effectiveness. Always follow the product label instructions and reapply insect repellent as directed. TIP: If you are also using sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and insect repellent second.Another effective way to avoid WNV is to control mosquitoes outside and inside your home.
Be sure to follow these tips from the CDC:
Remove standing water where mosquitoes could lay eggs
Once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out any items that hold water like tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, or trash containers. Mosquitoes lay eggs near water.
Tightly cover water storage containers (buckets, cisterns, rain barrels) so that mosquitoes cannot get inside to lay eggs.
For containers without lids, use wire mesh with holes smaller than an adult mosquito.
Use larvicides to treat large containers of water that will not be used for drinking and cannot be covered or dumped out.
Install or repair and use window and door screens. Do not leave doors propped open.
Use air conditioning when possible.
It’s important to note that horses can contract WNV from mosquitos too. Just as you would take precautions to protect yourself, prevention is key to reducing your horse’s risk of contracting WNV. The American Association of Equine Practitioners provides tips.
These tips can be found at: https://aaep.org/horsehealth/10-tips-reducing-your-horses-west-nile-risk. If you are concerned or have any questions about WNV and horses, please contact your horse’s veterinarian.
Learn more: CDC Mosquitoes
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What is Mpox?
Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) is a rare disease caused by infection with the mpox virus. Monkeypox virus is part of the same family of viruses as variola virus, the virus that causes smallpox. Mpox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, but milder, and mpox is rarely fatal. Mpox is not related to chickenpox.
For more information about mpox, please visit: CDC Mpox