On August 19, 2024,the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed a measles case in a metro Atlanta resident who was not fully vaccinated.The individual was exposed to measles while traveling out of the country. DPH is working to identify anyone who may have had contact with the individual while they were infectious.

Read the full Georgia DPH News Release

Measles is very contagious and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Measles virus can stay in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person has left the room.

The MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine can prevent measles and rubella. The vaccine is safe and effective. Call the health department or your healthcare provider to ensure your vaccines are up to date.

See CDC Vaccine Recommendations

Measles symptoms appear 7 to 14 days after contact with the virus, typically including high fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes. Then, a rash of tiny, red spots breaks out. It starts at the head and spreads to the rest of the body.

People with symptoms of measles should contact their healthcare provider immediately. DO NOT go to the doctor’s office, the hospital, or a public health clinic without first calling to let them know about your symptoms.

Learn more about measles at CDC

Healthcare providers who suspect measles in a patient should notify public health immediately. Do not wait for laboratory results before reporting.

Health Department Epidemiologists are available to provide guidance, answer questions, and discuss potential isolation and quarantine needs.

GNR Epidemiology Team: 770-339-4260, press 0, then ask to speak with the epidemiologist on call. After hours dial 404-323-1910.

DPH Acute Disease Epidemiology Section: 404-657-2588. After hours dial 1-866-PUB-HLTH (1-866-782-4584).

CDC estimates that Listeria is the third leading cause of death from food poisoning in the United States. About 1,600 people get sick from Listeria each year, and about 260 die. Listeria is a bacteria that can be spread through contaminated food items including deli meats and soft cheeses. 

Listeria is especially harmful to pregnant women, people 65 or older, and those with a weakened immune system due to certain medical conditions or treatments. Other people can be infected with Listeria but rarely become seriously ill.

CDC recommends that people at higher risk for listeriosis avoid eating meat sliced at the deli or heat them to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot before eating.

Pregnant women are ten times more likely than other people to get Listeria infection. Pregnant Hispanic women are 24 times more likely than other people to get Listeria infection. Listeria infection during pregnancy can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, and pre-term labor in pregnant women. Serious illness and even death can result from a Listeria infection in newborns.

If you ate food that has been recalled or is associated with this outbreak or have a fever and other symptoms of a Listeria infection, consult with your healthcare provider.

For additional information, including deli items recalled, visit CDC.

Your liver performs over 500 vital functions every day to keep you alive. Hepatitis is a contagious virus that can lead to liver disease. Testing, preventing, and treating hepatitis, a viral infection that causes liver inflammation, plays an important role in staying healthy.

In the U.S., chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C contribute to liver cancer. It is recommended by the CDC that all adults are tested for hepatitis B and hepatitis C at least once in their lifetime. Hepatitis testing during pregnancy is crucial. In fact, Georgia law requires that all women are tested for Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C during each pregnancy.

How is it spread?

Depending on the form of hepatitis, the infection can be spread in various ways. According to the WHO, some of the most common ways include contaminated food and water (hepatitis A and E) and bodily fluids or objects that come in contact with bodily fluids such as needles (hepatitis B, C, and D).

How do you prevent it?

There are many ways you can reduce your chances of getting hepatitis:

• Get the vaccines for hepatitis A and hepatitis B.
• Use a condom during sex.
• Don’t share or reuse needles or other personal items that come in contact with blood.
• Practice good personal hygiene, such as thorough hand-washing with soap and water.
• Don’t use an infected person’s personal items.
• Take precautions when getting any tattoos or body piercings.
• Take precautions when traveling to areas with poor sanitation. (Make sure to get your vaccines.)
• Drink bottled water when traveling.

It is very important that you take these preventive measures if you participate in risky behaviors. Take preventive steps, too, if you work in places like nursing homes, dormitories, daycare centers, or restaurants where there you have extended contact with other people and a risk of coming into contact with the disease.

What are the symptoms?

Common symptoms of viral hepatitis, according to the CDC, include:

• Abdominal pain, nausea, and/or vomiting
• Dark urine or clay-colored stools
• Diarrhea (HAV only)
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Jaundice
• Joint pain
• Loss of appetite

Most hepatitis symptoms only appear once the disease is advanced, with many people discovering they have hepatitis when they develop serious liver disease or cancer. According to WHO, nearly 220 million with hepatitis B are undiagnosed, while nearly 36 million people with hepatitis C are undiagnosed. Even after diagnosis, treatment and care for people living with hepatitis is astonishingly low. WHO states that of the 304 million people with hepatitis B and C, only 7 million are treated for hepatitis B and 12.5 million cured of hepatitis C.

So many hepatitis infections – and deaths – can be prevented when people practice prevention, get tested, and when infected, get treatment.

To schedule free Hepatitis C testing call 678-442-6897.

Give us a call to find out your prevention options. It may save your life.

Additional Information: 

Hepatitis Infographic

Sources:

www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/hepatitis

my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4245-hepatitis-viral-hepatitis-a-b–c#prevention

www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcp/clinical-overview/index.html

www.who.int/campaigns/world-hepatitis-day/2024/key-messages

https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/511-5-4

Looking for ways to get involved in your community? Join the Surge Community Advisory Board (CAB)! Surge is our communities in Gwinnett, Newton, and Rockdale Counties coming together to address the HIV epidemic. Our Community Advisory Board (CAB) is made up of unique individuals and diverse perspectives to ensure our efforts are having a direct impact on the community.

Get involved. Your voice matters. Everyone is welcome.

Dates: 
Gwinnett County
August 13, 2024 & November 12, 2024

Rockdale & Newton County
August 15, 2024 & November 14, 2024

Click here for more information

In honor of Breastfeeding Awareness Month in Georgia, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division along with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will be hosting a webinar series to remind you that although parenthood can be overwhelming, there are local resources in Georgia to support you with pregnancy, lactation, and more! 

This webinar will provide you with information on the federal laws that protect pregnant workers from discrimination, provide time off for the birth or adoption of a child, and ensure nursing workers can take breaks to pump breast milk while at work. Helping you understand the protections afforded by current laws allows you to advocate for yourself at work and assert your rights. The webinar will also equip advocates with information to assist new and expecting mothers seeking to assert their workplace rights.

After the event, enjoy a panel session to introduce local resources such as WIC offices, milk banks, support groups, and lactation consultants to you, a parent and or nursing mother. 

We hope to see you there, virtually, on Thursday, August 20, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

Click here to register today!

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating reports of severe illnesses associated with Diamond Shruumz-brand chocolate bars, cones, and gummies.

Diamond Shruumz products may contain harmful and undisclosed ingredients, including psychoactive compounds that can cause serious illness when eaten. These “edibles” are often sold as gummy candies, chocolates, or other snack foods that frequently appeal to children and teenagers.

Learn the symptoms associated with consumption of these products in the official GADPH news release.

If you have consumed any Diamond Shruumz products and are feeling ill, seek immediate medical attention or call the Georgia Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222. Healthcare providers should also report illnesses to the Georgia Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222.

Read the full news release at Georgia Department of Public Health website.

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is seeking public comment on our Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant work plan for the federal fiscal year 2024. The public hearing aims to collect public comments on the proposed work plan and deliverables for this grant.

A virtual public hearing will be held Friday, July 5, 2024, from 10 am – 11 am. There are multiple ways to join. Options are listed on the Georgia Department of Public Health Public Notice page.