Madison County Health Department board members heard recently that the H1N1 flu virus, or “swine flu” seems to be “pretty well gone” in this area, according to health department officials.
Northeast Health District director Dr. Claude Burnett told the group that virus cases peaked in the fall and have dropped significantly since December, though there has been a slight increase again in recent weeks in those under 25. In addition, regular seasonal flu, which Burnett said usually peaks in January and February, has not been prevalent this year.
“It seems flu (season) came early and most of it seems to have been H1N1,” Burnett said. Ninety percent of those hospitalized with flu-like symptoms last fall tested positive for H1N1, Burnett noted.
All Northeast Health District departments, including Madison County’s health department, have plentiful supplies of H1N1 vaccine left.
TEEN PREGNANCY
In other matters Feb. 11, the board of health announced that approximately 84 percent of sexually active teens are receiving services, including counseling and birth control at the health department’s “Teen Matters” office in Danielsville, according to health department officials.
“This (program) is going quite well,” Dr. Burnett noted. “And we hope that it will reduce teen pregnancies over time.”
Fifty percent of births in Georgia are being paid for by taxpayers, according to health department officials.
“We spend $490 million per year on babies being born,” Burnett said.
RABIES CASES
Twenty-one raccoons have tested positive for the rabies virus in Madison County between 2007 and 2009, according to health department statistics. In addition, 12 skunks, two foxes and a bat have also tested positive for the virus. There have also been four confirmed cases in domestic animals during the same time period, including one cat, one dog, a cow and a donkey.
“The main line of defense against rabies is the rabies vaccine for cats and dogs,” health department officials said.
A total of 157 rabies cases have been reported throughout the 10-county Northeast Health District from 2007 to 2009. These included: 73 raccoons, 57 skunks, five cats, five bats, seven foxes and two dogs.
The next board of health meeting will be May 13 at 2 p.m.
