Commonwealth Conversations: Public Health

More EEE Mosquitoes

Posted by:
Tom Lyons, Department of Public Health

Public health people can sound like broken records during mosquito season --  this is particularly true when we get into August and we are constantly reminding people about how to prevent mosquito bites.  That's because right around now we start seeing more and more mosquitoes infected with either Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and with West Nile Virus (WNV).  Today we announced that more EEE infected mosquitoes have been found in the town of Freetown.  The season's first EEE mosquito sample was also found in Freetown back on July 20. 

Our goal is to keep you and everyone else in Massachusetts healthy this summer, so please do everything you can to prevent mosquito bites for yourself and the people you care about.  Please see our Public Service Announcement for our simple prevention tips. 

Salió el sol, es hora de caminar.

Posted by:
Maya Mohan, Department of Public Health

Maya es la Coordinadora de actividad física del DPH y a ella le encanta caminar.

¿Alguna vez te ha pasado que tienes unas ganas tremendas de salir a caminar y te das cuenta de que no puedes encontrar un lugar agradable y seguro para hacerlo? Es un fastidio, ¿no?

Creo que tenemos el derecho de vivir, trabajar, y jugar en barrios que sean seguros y agradables. Poder ir a pie a varios lugares de forma segura, por áreas bonitas, no debe considerarse un privilegio o algo reservado sólo para los barrios de los adinerados. Probablemente pienso así porque no tengo carro y dependo del sistema de transporte público y de mis propias piernas. Entonces, tengo diariamente el problema (y, a veces, el peligro) de tener que caminar en condiciones no tan ideales. Yo pregunto, humildemente: ¿por qué el beneficio de las calles seguras es para los coches y no los peatones?

Farmers' Market Have the Goods

 Kara Ghiringhelli, Department of Public Heath

Kara Ghiringhelli is a Nutrition Education Specialist at DPH

I refuse to complain.  Yes, it's getting hot, sticky and uncomfortable.  But I feel so relieved, as I’m sure most of you do, to finally get out of the cloudy, cool, wet summer weather we’ve been having!  In August summer seems to have arrived!

The farmers in New England have had a hard growing season.  Tomatoes and potatoes seem to be the hardest hit.  But as I walk through the Farmers’ Market stands in Boston, I am happy to see that there are still plenty of colorful locally grown fruits and vegetables that are available.

What have I seen?  There are blueberries, peaches, sweet corn, peas, beans, lettuce, squash, beets, broccoli, radishes, cucumbers, peppers, and snap peas just to name a few.  There is a lot to choose from and I know I’ll be able to make some delicious meals this week. 

I bought some summer squash that I plan to grill.  First I’ll slice them and then add a little salt and black pepper, toss in some olive oil.  This is a delicious side dish to grilled chicken or pork.  With the snap peas, red and yellow peppers and some broccoli, I plan to sauté them with some onion, garlic, grated fresh ginger, soy sauce and tofu.  I might make a salad this week with the lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, peppers, sliced peaches and top with a few fresh blueberries.  This salad would be yummy with some black pepper, balsamic vinegar and a grilled fillet of fish.

It’s the height of the Farmers’ Market season.  What will you make this week with your fresh locally grown produce?  We’d love to hear from you!     

Weekly Report on Novel H1N1 Influenza (swine flu) as of August 6, 2009.

This Week's Developments:

We continue our busy summer of planning for the fall flu season.  This week there was a great deal of emphasis on vaccination planning for seasonal influenza and also for novel H1N1 flu.  This year, because of expedited production, Massachusetts may see its supply of seasonal influenza vaccine earlier than ever.  It is likely that health care providers across the state could start vaccinating their patients for seasonal flu as early as the end of August.  This is important because while a vaccine for seasonal influenza won't protect you from the new H1N1 flu, it WILL protect you from the seasonal flu -- which will likely be circulating at the same time that H1N1 flu is circulating.

The CDC is continuing to develop and test a vaccine for H1N1 flu and has indicated that an H1N1 vaccine may be available in large quantities starting in October.  Even if the H1N1 vaccine is ready by then, it will likely not be delivered all at once.  All states will likely receive an initial allocation and then regular shipments after that.

Given that we are already in August, our planning has also focused on back-to-school issues relating to the upcoming flu season.  We are working closely on a number of planning issues with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as well as School Health Nurses and our local public health partners.  The goal of course is to do our best to keep students and staff healthy and to manage likely flu outbreaks with as little disruption as possible for schools and parents.  Soon, the CDC is expected to issue revised guidance on how long students and other people should be kept away from school and work after getting the flu. 

You can read our complete weekly report by clicking here: Download 2009-Aug-6_weekly report   (For a PDF version click here: Download 2009-Aug-6_weeklyPDF report) 

Simple Precautions to Help Stop the Spread of Flu Include:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Cover your cough with a tissue or cough into your inner elbow and not into your hands.
• If you are sick stay home from work and if your child is sick keep them home for 7 days, or 24 hours after your symptoms go away—whichever is longer.
• Stay informed about the latest developments on the H1N1 flu, by visiting www.mass.gov/dph.

Los mosquitos transmiten enfermedades. Sepa cómo prevenirlas.

Las picaduras de mosquitos pueden transmitir enfermedades serias como el virus del Nilo occidental y la encefalitis equina oriental (conocida en inglés como triple E).  Se trata de enfermedades raras y poco frecuentes en esta región del país, pero son enfermedades muy serias para las cuales no existe tratamiento y que a veces dejan secuelas para toda la vida en los enfermos que las padecieron.

Usted debe evitar las picaduras de mosquitos. ¿Cómo? Escuche esta grabación o lea la información siguiente:

• Los mosquitos están más activos durante el atardecer y el amanecer. Considere cambiar el horario de las actividades que usted hace al aire libre si las hace durante la puesta del sol o la mañana temprano.
• Use ropa de manga larga, pantalones largos y medias al estar afuera. De esta forma mantendrá a los mosquitos alejados de su piel.
• Póngase repelente para insectos cuando esté afuera.

Mantenga su casa libre de mosquitos.

• Elimine el agua estancada. Los mosquitos ponen huevos en el agua. Para limitar la cantidad de lugares donde los moquitos se pueden criar, drene o descarte los objetos donde se pueda acumular el agua. Verifique los caños y desagües de la lluvia y los drenajes del techo. Bote el agua acumulada en macetas vacías, piscinas de plástico y cambie el agua de los pajaritos a menudo.

• Instale o repare mallas/mosquiteros. A los mosquitos les gusta meterse en la casa. Manténgalos afuera con mosquiteros bien instalados en las ventanas y puertas.

Para más información diríjase a la página web del DPH.También podrá escuchar por teléfono una grabación con información sobre estas enfermedades. Llame al 1-866-627-7698.

DPH Issues Public Health Advisory on BPA

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is issuing a public health advisory for consumers concerning bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is present in baby products, including baby bottles and some infant  formula. A number of studies in laboratory animals have raised concerns about potential health effects during fetal development and among nursing or formula-fed children who may be exposed to BPA. These effects include but are not limited to: changes in the infant’s developing nervous system, such as thyroid function and brain growth; changes in behavioral development, such as hyperactivity; and changes in the normal development of the prostate gland.

You can read the full advisory by clicking here.

To download a copy of our helpful educational brochure click here: Download BPABrochure

Support and Encourage Breastfeeding Moms

 Kara Ghiringhelli, Department of Public Heath

Kara Ghiringhelli is a Nutrition Education Specialist at DPH

Mothers all around the world want to give their babies the very best. But even though breast milk is the best possible food for babies, many women around the country are feeding their babies formula Perhaps it is because they are not confident they will be able to breastfeed their baby. Maybe they worried they will not have enough time. They may even be concerned about what people will think about them, or fear that it will hurt.

Despite all of these concerns, most moms in Massachusetts do try breastfeeding. But in the end, most moms don’t quite reach the breastfeeding milestones that are recommended by health experts, such as exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life.

There is no denying the benefits of breastfeeding. Reaching breastfeeding milestones leads to healthier babies and healthier moms. There are environmental benefits to breastfeeding too since there is no waste from formula products or bottles. There is no cost to breastfeed—which is a real plus in this economy. The list of breastfeeding benefits go on and on.

We as a community should be doing everything we can to encourage and support the moms in our lives to not only initiate breastfeeding, but to continue to breastfeed for as long as possible. So what can you do to give mom the confidence to breastfeed her baby?

• If you are a friend or family member of a breastfeeding mom, make life easier for the mom you know. Run some errands for her. Cook her a meal. Help her out with chores around the house. By making life easier for her, she can focus on what’s most important—feeding her baby.

• If you are an employer, set aside a private room for mom to pump her milk while she is at work.

• If you are a medical provider, give mom resources she may need in her area such as breastfeeding support groups and lactation consultants. To find resources in your area visit www.zipmilk.org

What else can the community do to support and encourage the women in our lives to breastfeed? We’d love to hear from you!