Do you need a pap smear, breast exam, or birth control?

The New Madrid County Health Department offers a confidential monthly womens clinic for those who are in need of these services.

Free mammograms for those who qualify through the Show Me Healthy Women Program.

For more information, call us at 573-748-5541.

For Immediate Release:

April 12, 2018

Contact:
Office of Public Information
MediaInfo@health.mo.gov

Possible measles exposure in the Kansas City, Missouri area

JEFFERSON CITY, MO – The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) and the Kansas City Missouri Health Department have been notified of a confirmed case of measles. At this time, the investigation does not connect the individual to the Kansas outbreak of measles. The Department is waiting for the completion of tests to determine the strain of disease from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  In addition, the Kansas City Health Department can now confirm the previously reported Kansas City case was not related to current Kansas outbreak of measles.

DHSS is working with the Kansas City, Missouri Health Department to notify individuals who may have been exposed to measles in the Kansas City, Missouri area related to this most recent confirmed case. Known locations where exposures may have occurred include the following: 

 

Measles is a highly contagious, acute viral illness that is transmitted by contact with an infected person through coughing and sneezing. Patients are considered to be contagious from four days before until four days after the rash appears. The measles virus can remain infectious in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area. Measles is a vaccine-preventable disease. You can check with your health care provider to make sure you and your family are up-to-date on vaccines.

The symptoms of measles generally include a rash that appears 7-21 days after exposure. Measles typically begins with:

• A high fever
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Red, watery eyes

Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash starts to appear. The rash usually looks like flat red spots that break out first on the face and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet.

People who may have been exposed to measles should contact their health care provider if they develop cold-like symptoms with a fever and/or rash as described above. If you may have been exposed to measles and you have symptoms, you should NOT go to any health care facility without calling first. This will help the health care facility prepare for your arrival and allow the facility to provide instructions to you to reduce possible exposure to others at the facility.

Director of DHSS, Dr. Randall Williams, says, “If someone has measles, it is important they stay isolated from others to keep from spreading it. Measles is extremely contagious, and you can have very severe outcomes. For every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die from it. If you are diagnosed with measles, it is important to follow the instructions of your health care provider and public health officials to protect your family and community.”

Health care providers should isolate suspected measles case-patients and immediately report suspected cases to the local public health agency or to DHSS at 573/751-6113 or 800/392-0272 outside normal business hours. For more information about measles go to https://www.cdc.gov/measles/index.html. 

About the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services: The department seeks to be the leader in protecting health and keeping people safe. More information about DHSS can be found at health.mo.gov.

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April 4th, 2018

Tick season is upon us

Now that spring is here, Missouri Dept. of Health and Senior Services urges precaution against tick-borne illnesses

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo — With warmer weather on the way, the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services (DHSS) wants to remind people living in and visiting the state to take precautions against tick bites. Ticks can transmit serious, potentially deadly, illnesses and they can be active anytime the ground isn’t frozen.

“As spring arrives, we are reminded what a beautiful state Missouri is and for those of us who enjoy the outdoors, it creates more opportunities to be outdoors exercising and enjoying the state’s natural beauty,” said DHSS Director Dr. Randall Williams. “For those of us in public health, this time of year serves as a transition from flu season to prime time for diseases carried by ticks.”

 

Missouri is home to a variety of tick species, meaning we experience a variety of tick-borne illnesses. In 2017, Missouri reported 634 cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and 334 cases of ehrlichiosis. 60 percent of cases in the U.S. of Rocky Mountain spotted fever are in five states and Missouri is one of them. At least six different types of human tick-borne diseases have been reported in Missouri, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrilichiosis, tularemia, Lyme or lyme-like disease, Heartland Virus and Bourbon Virus. Many of these illnesses can be effectively treated if they are caught early, however, on occasion they can be deadly. That is why it is so important to practice prevention by using DEET or insect repellent and checking for ticks any time you go outdoors.

 

Ticks can be found throughout Missouri, primarily in wooded and brushy areas, tall grasses and close to the ground. Despite the presence of ticks, everyone can safely enjoy the outdoors by taking a few safety precautions. 

 “We encourage everyone to use precautions such as insect repellent and careful body checks after being outdoors to prevent these diseases whenever and wherever you are in Missouri,” said Williams. “While the incidence of these diseases is low throughout Missouri, the severity of illness can be high in some patients. So as always, prevention remains our best advice.”  

DHSS recommends the following precautions to prevent tick bites:

• Use an insect repellent with a minimum of 20% DEET, picaridin or IR3535 on exposed skin for protection that lasts several hours whenever you spend time outdoors. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age.
• When possible, wear protective clothing (light colored, long sleeved shirts and pants) when outdoors to keep ticks off skin.
• Avoid tick infested areas including brushy areas, tall grasses, wood piles and leaf litter. When hiking, stay near the center of trails to avoid ticks.
• Reduce ticks around your home by keeping lawns mowed short, shrubs and trees trimmed, and remove leaf litter, wood piles, fallen branches, trash and debris from yards.
• People with pets should talk with their veterinarian about use of tick prevention treatments. You should regularly check your pet for ticks.
• Check for ticks while outdoors and again after returning from the outdoors. If possible you should change clothes and shower soon after spending time outdoors.

Preventing tick bites is the best way to avoid getting sick from any number of disease that ticks can carry. Just one bite from a tick can lead to serious illness. If you find an attached tick, don’t panic. The tick should be removed promptly. The longer it is attached the greater the risk of infection. To remove ticks:

• Using tweezers, grasp tick near its mouth and as close to your skin as possible.
• Pull tick firmly, straight out, away from skin. Do not jerk or twist the tick.
• Do NOT use alcohol, matches, liquid soap or petroleum jelly to remove a tick.
• Wash your hands and the bite site with soap and water after the tick is removed. Apply an antiseptic to the bite site.

 

Everyone should be aware of the signs and symptoms of tick-borne disease, which can vary among individuals and differ according to the disease. In general, a sudden high fever, severe headache, muscle or joint aches, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea can be signs of tick-borne disease.  You should consult your health care provider if experiencing these symptoms. If these symptoms occur following a tick bite, or even after exposure to a tick habitat, be sure to tell your health care provider.  Another possible sign of tick-borne disease is a rash or pus-filled wound that appears at the site of a tick bite, or a spreading rash that follows a tick bite or exposure to tick habitat.

 

About the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services: The department seeks to be the leader in protecting health and keeping people safe. More information about DHSS can be found at health.mo.gov.

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