Community News

 

HENDERSON COUNTY – April 26, 2024 –  The Department of Public Health confirmed 27 cases of whooping cough in Henderson County on April 25^th and increased to 51 cases one week later. The first case was reported on April 3^rd. Most of the cases are in school-aged children. This is the largest outbreak for whooping cough in 7 years when there was a total of 95 cases.

Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly contagious respiratory disease that can cause serious problems, especially in babies. It is caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacteria. The infection affects the airways and the lungs. The bacteria can spread by being close to an infected person who sneezes or coughs. Whooping cough peaks in summer and fall.

After exposure to the pertussis bacteria, it may take 5 to 10 days to begin showing common cold-like symptoms, with a runny nose, low-grade fever, and mild cough (except in babies). 1-2 weeks after the symptoms begin, infected persons may develop violent coughing fits that usually last 1-6 weeks. The illness is commonly called whooping cough because of the high-pitched “whoop” sound at the end of the coughing fit, when a person is finally able to inhale. Once the coughing fit lessens, recovery may take 2-3 weeks.

The highest at-risk group are unvaccinated babies under a year old. Almost one-half of this group is hospitalized. Babies and young children may have difficulty breathing and can turn blue from lack of oxygen. Complications include pneumonia, breathing difficulties, brain infection, and convulsions.

Other high-risk groups include: adults with pulmonary problems like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems. The intense coughing spells can result in loss of bladder control, vomiting, headaches, light-headedness, weight loss, and rib fractures from intense coughing.

Once the diagnosis is made or exposure is confirmed, antibiotics should be started immediately. Starting antibiotics after 3 weeks of symptoms will not be effective, because the bacteria have already left the body.

The best way to protect against whooping cough is to get vaccinated. The CDC recommends vaccination for all at-risk groups. The whooping cough vaccine is combined with diphtheria and tetanus vaccines. Booster shots are encouraged for teens and adults every 8-10 years to boost immunity. People can still get sick if they are vaccinated, but not as severely ill as unvaccinated individuals.

The Henderson County Public Health Department is trying to contain the outbreak with extensive contact tracing and by providing guidance to schools and the community. The outbreak appears to be confined to Henderson County. As of April 29^th, there has been only 1 confirmed case in Buncombe County, according to Health Director Ellis Matheson. Transylvania County has 2 confirmed cases. A whooping cough outbreak is defined as 3 related cases that are not in the same household.

 

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Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

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ASHEVILLE, NC –  May 8, 2024 – The CDC’s COVID Dashboard for the week ending on April 27^th shows:  

• Hospital admission levels are low in every county in North Carolina, including Buncombe County. They are low in almost 100% of the counties in the U.S. Admissions have decreased in the U.S., North Carolina and Buncombe County from the previous week.
• One percent of the deaths in North Carolina were due to COVID, the 2^nd lowest level of 6 groups.
• Emergency room visits for COVID-19 are minimal in North Carolina, less than 1% of all ER visits

Wastewater monitoring can be used to provide early warning for COVID outbreaks. The Buncombe & Henderson counties wastewater data on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard for the week ending on April 24^th shows:

• The number of viral gene copies in each water sample is at the 2^nd lowest level of 5 groups.
• The 15-day rate of change of the number of viral gene copies in each water sample has decreased from the previous week, at the lowest level of 2 groups for a negative rate of change.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

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SILVER SPRING, MD – April 22, 2024 – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has partnered with the National Weather Service to create a new dashboard that forecasts the daily risk for heat-related impacts in the continental United States. The announcement was made on April 22^nd, ahead of the hot summer months. It can provide risk guidance for “decision-makers” and heat-sensitive populations, to reduce heat-related illness and death.

The dashboard is at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/heatrisk . There is an easy-to-read color-coded map that forecasts the risk of heat-related impacts over the next 7 days.

The risk categories for heat-related impacts are:

• Green: Little to no risk
• Yellow (Minor): Individuals extremely sensitive to heat can be affected.
• Orange (Moderate): Most individuals sensitive to heat can be affected.
• Red (Major): Anyone can be affected.
• Magenta (Extreme): Describes long-duration extreme heat with little to no overnight relief.

Heat-sensitive populations include:

• Seniors and very young children
• Persons taking certain medicines or with chronic illness
• Outdoor workers
• People without access to air conditioning
• Persons working out or doing strenuous activities
• Persons not taking adequate heat-illness prevention
• Persons and workers not used to hot weather

It is recommended that everyone take frequent breaks out of the heat and rest in a cool, shady place, drink plenty of water (at least one pint per hour), and wear light-colored, lightweight and loose-fitting clothing.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends that employers:

• Have an emergency plan in place for workers who show signs of heat-related illness
• Train supervisors and workers about the hazards of heat exposure and its prevention
• Provide all new workers with a 1-2-week period of work restrictions until they become acclimatized to the heat
• Provide frequent rest breaks
• Closely monitor employees for symptoms of heat stress
• Have employees ‘buddy up’ to watch each other for signs of heat stress

In an April 22^nd press release, CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said, “Heat can impact our health, but heat-related illness and death are preventable. We are releasing new heat and health tools and guidance to help people take simple steps to stay safe in the heat.”

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

UNITED STATES – Summertime, 2024 –  Heat-related illness is the nation’s leader of weather-related fatalities. About 700 people every year die in the United States from exposure to extreme heat, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Climate change has caused more frequent extreme weather events like higher temperatures and heat waves; therefore, people are faced with more occasions to develop heat-related illness.

People can overheat very quickly leading to potential health problems. Heat exhaustion occurs to due to loss of water and salt from excessive sweating. Signs include: headache, dizziness, fainting, weakness, heavy sweating, confusion, thirst, nausea or vomiting. People should get out of the heat with any signs of heat exhaustion. Heat stroke is a more severe condition and can be fatal. Sweating stops and the body can no longer remove excess heat. Signs include: confusion, passing out, seizures, and hot dry skin. Anyone with signs of heat stroke should be moved to a cooler place to lower body temperature immediately followed by a 911 call for immediate medical assistance.

Many factors play a role creating heat stress like environmental conditions, physical activity, clothing or protection gear, and individual risk factors. Environmental heat factors include: air temperature, humidity, local radiant heat sources, and air flow. The heat index, commonly used to measure environmental conditions, is determined by air temperature and humidity. An index above 80 is considered to be a significant minimal threshold to develop heat-related illness.

Most outdoor fatalities occur in the first few days of working in hot environments because the body has not built up a tolerance to heat. The lack of acclimatization is one of the major risk factors for heat-stress fatalities at work. Acclimatization is a beneficial physiologic adaptation of building up a tolerance to heat that occurs after repeated exposure to a hot environment.

Millions of workers are exposed to heat in the workplace and may develop heat-related illness in indoor and outdoor environments. A disproportionate number of these jobs are held by persons of color. At-risk indoor industries include: kitchens, bakeries, steel mills, manufacturing with local heat sources, and warehouses. At-risk outdoor industries include: farming, construction, landscaping, and oil operations.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

ASHEVILLE, NC –  May 1, 2024 – The CDC’s COVID Dashboard for the week ending on April 20^th shows:  

• Hospital admission levels are low in every county in North Carolina, including Buncombe County. They are low in almost 100% of the counties in the U.S. Admissions have decreased in the U.S., North Carolina and Buncombe County from the previous week.
• Less than 2% of the deaths in North Carolina were due to COVID, the 2^nd lowest level of 6 groups.
• Emergency room visits for COVID-19 are minimal in North Carolina, less than 1% of all ER visits

Wastewater monitoring can be used to provide early warning for COVID outbreaks. The Buncombe & Henderson counties wastewater data on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard for the week ending on April 17^th shows:

• The number of viral gene copies in each water sample is at the 2^nd lowest level of 5 groups.
• The 15-day rate of change of the number of viral gene copies in each water sample has decreased from the previous week, at the lowest level of 2 groups for a negative rate of change.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

WASHINGTON, DC – April 10, 2024 – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new drinking water standards for PFAS chemicals on April 9^th. Michael Regan, the EPA administrator, and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper spoke at the P.O. Hoffer Water Treatment Facility in Fayetteville, the next day, to talk about keeping people healthier with these new federal water standards. PFAS were manufactured at the Chemours Works plant in Fayetteville and were identified in the nearby Cape Fear River in 2017. The safe drinking water standards set maximum contaminant levels for 6 PFAS chemicals.

PFAS is an abbreviation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. They are frequently referred to as “forever chemicals” because they decompose very slowly over time. The chemicals are found in many products to make them slippery and resistant to water and oils, including: nonstick cookware, some fire-fighting foams, water-repellent clothing like firefighting gear, stain-resistant fabrics and carpets, dental floss and some cosmetics. There are thousands of different PFAS. PFAS have been manufactured since the 1940’s and some are no longer produced in the U.S. because of their known toxicity.

PFAS are found in the soil, water, air, and near landfills, disposal sites, and hazardous waste sites. The chemicals are also found in people, animals, the environment and food products such as fish. Levels of PFAS have been shown to increase over time because they are slow to break down. Some occupations are more at-risk to exposure, like firefighting and industrial workers involved with PFAS manufacturing and processing. People may be at higher risk if they live near landfills, disposal sites, and hazardous waste sites. Pregnant women and children are more frequently exposed to PFAS because they drink a lot of water.

Exposure to PFAS have been associated with harmful health effects in humans and animals. Some examples are: decreased fertility, high blood pressure in pregnant women, low birth weight newborns, behavioral changes, increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer, compromise of the immune system, interference with hormones, elevated cholesterol levels, and increased risk of obesity.

Federal funds will be allocated to states and territories to fund PFAS testing and treatment at public water systems. They will also help private well owners with PFAS contamination. The EPA estimates that between 6-10% of the 66 thousand public drinking water systems in the U.S. exceed the new maximum contaminant levels. The new standards will limit exposure for 100 million people across the country. It is estimated that they will prevent thousands of deaths and thousands of serious illnesses.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour