Health department officials are dealing with a potential outbreak of pertussis and are warning those who attended any of three camps that they might have been exposed.Pertussis, commonly called whooping cough, is a highly contagious but typically mild bacterial disease that causes violent uncontrollable coughing that can make it hard to breathe.“We have one confirmed case … in Morgan County,” said Jacquie Barringer, the county health department’s communicable disease coordinator. “from that case, we have three others who have symptoms.”A camper who attended the Western Illinois Youth Camp from July 10-14, the Imagine Foundation Art Camp from July 19-21 and a Boy Scout-Cub Scout event from July 22-24 has been identified as having pertussis. A Scouting function July 23 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on East Vandalia Road included indoor and outdoor activities as well as a potluck, but health department officials said the potluck was not involved.anyone who attended any of the events should contact their doctor to receive an antibiotic that can help reduce the risk of contracting pertussis,  Barringer said. Only those who attended any of the events are recommended to have treatment.To be effective, such treatment must be received within 21 days of exposure.“For attendees of the Western Illinois Youth Camp, those 21 days will end Thursday,” Barringer said.Since last summer, more than 1,000 Illinois residents have contracted pertussis. About 50 percent of them were between the ages of 5 and 17.“Morgan County has seen an increase in the number of pertussis cases since last summer,” Barringer said. “Times like this remind us of our own immunization status.”The pertussis-containing vaccine is known as Tdap — which combines tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. Adults are encouraged to have one Tdap vaccine in place of their every 10-year tetanus shot.

August 18, 2010

NEWFANE, NY (WKBW) – the Niagara County Health Department is seeking the person who dropped off a 10 to 12 week-old grayish-brown, Himalayan/Siamese mix cat at 7347 Gow Road in the Town of Newfane last week.

Health Department officials say the cat was found to be rabid, and the Department of Health has expressed serious concern for any individual(s) who have handled or had contact with the cat within the past few weeks.

Health Department officials warn that humans who are scratched, bitten or exposed to saliva from rabid animals can develop rabies infection.

To prevent rabies, exposed individuals must get care before symptoms develop. Symptoms in humans may take from several days to more than a year to appear. after the symptoms of rabies appear, the disease is nearly always fatal.

Symptoms include pain and numbness t the site of the bite followed by other signs and symptoms that are often confused with those of other conditions, including:

- Fever- Cough or sore throat- Pain, burning, itching, tingling, or numbness at the site of the bite or exposed area- Abdominal pain- Anxiety or restlessness that gradually gets worse and may become extreme agitation- Hallucinations- Delirium- Fear of water (hydrophobia) or fear of air (aerophobia)- Muscle spasms in the face, neck, and/or diaphragm, followed by seizures- Paralysis- Wide fluctuations in temperature, pulse, and blood pressure- Coma- Heart and respiratory failure

Medical care to prevent rabies is advised as soon as possible after an exposure occur. the Niagara County Department of Health needs to evaluate the individual(s) who may have been exposed to the rabid cat.

Anyone with information or who may know who turned the cat in is asked to call 439-7444 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. or 439-7430 during off hours.