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Lead
Lead is a toxic metal that can impact your child’s growth and development. Children can be exposed to lead by breathing or swallowing lead or lead dust.
Lead exposure can cause:
- Brain and nervous system damage
- Learning/behavior problems
- Slowed growth and development
- Hearing/speech issues
A simple blood test is the only way to know if your child has been exposed to lead. Talk with your child’s doctor if you think your child has been exposed to lead.
For more information, visit https://leadsafe.ne.gov/
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Mold
Molds are found in virtually every environment and can be detected, indoors and outdoors, year round. Mold growth is encouraged by warm and humid conditions. Outdoors they can be found in shady, damp areas or places where leaves or other vegetation is decomposing. Indoors they can be found where humidity levels are high, such as basements or showers. Indoor mold growth should be avoided. Molds reproduce by means of tiny spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through outdoor and indoor air. Mold may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet. There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without water or moisture.
Molds are usually not a problem indoors, unless mold spores land on a wet or damp spot and begin growing. Molds have the potential to cause health problems. Molds produce allergens (substances that can cause allergic reactions), irritants, and in some cases, potentially toxic substances (mycotoxins). Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Allergic responses include hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash (dermatitis). Allergic reactions to mold are common. They can be immediate or delayed. Molds can also cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold. In addition, mold exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs of both mold-allergic and non-allergic people.
The key to mold control is moisture control. If mold is a problem in your home, you should clean up the mold promptly and fix the water problem. It is important to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth. Depending on the size of the area affected, you may need to hire a professional remediation service to rid your home of mold. Before attempting to remove mold yourself, seek out advice from a professional. Some mold can be toxic and it is not safe to attempt removal on your own.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC): www.cdc.gov/mold/faqs.htm
To speak with a local public health professional, please contact Public Health Solutions at 402-826-3880 or email info@phsneb.org
Also check out a public service flyer here!
Radon
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., second only to smoking. You can help protect yourself and your family. Public Health Solutions Health Department provides free Radon test kits throughout the year. We also provide information on outside mitigation services that will work with the homeowner to lower Radon levels in existing homes, and offer Radon resistant methods for new home construction.
Radon is a serious issue and is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year. Radon is an invisible, odorless gas that occurs naturally in the soil and can enter homes through cracks and holes in the foundation, walls and water pipes. In Nebraska there are dangerously high levels of Radon and nearly one in two homes has levels well above the safe zone.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises that homes with Radon levels of 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more be mitigated (fixed). Knowing the Radon level in your home is important because the problem can be fixed by installing a Radon mitigation system. Also, it is important for people building new homes to learn about Radon resistant construction techniques.
PHS has FREE Radon test kits available at our office locations and UNL Extension offices in our district. Testing is simple and easy. To request your free test kit, contact 402-826-3880 or visit our offices.
For further information please visit the EPA’s website to view the “Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction” at www.epa.gov.
Household Waste
Public Health Solutions Department is working to get people thinking about environmentally friendly living focused on waste as something we can easily manipulated to make a difference in our environment. Our household waste, waste that is generated in the day to day operations of a household, can really stack up if we are not taking action to recycle, re-purpose and dispose of properly. It can include everything from lawn clippings to inefficient light bulbs to battery disposal.
Download the Recycle Booklet PDF→
One of the issues with household waste is that not all of it is waste. As families we can drastically reduce the amount of stuff which gets thrown away by thinking before tossing something in the garbage.
Many communities have recycling programs which accept paper, glass, bottles, cans, and numerous other items which can be broken down and reused.
We can compost food scraps and lawn clippings instead of throwing into the trash. This one action alone will cut down on waste and directly contribute to the health of the environment by reclaiming nutrients.
However, there are other types of household waste, like dead batteries, that are actually hazardous. These items need to be disposed of in special facilities, rather than being tossed in your trash.
For more information about hazardous waste and how to safely dispose it, visit the EPA‘s website.
Pests
Bed bugs are small wingless insects, approximately one-fourth of an inch long that feed on blood, normally during the night. Bed bugs, a problem worldwide, are resurging, causing property loss, expense, and inconvenience. The good news is that bed bugs do not transmit disease. The best way to prevent bed bugs is regular inspection for signs of an infestation.
Bed bug infestations usually occur around or near the areas where people sleep. These areas include apartments, shelters, rooming houses, hotels, cruise ships, buses, trains, and dorm rooms. They hide during the day in places such as seams of mattresses, box springs, bed frames, headboards, dresser tables, inside cracks or crevices, behind wallpaper, or any other clutter or objects around a bed. Bed bugs have been shown to be able to travel over 100 feet in a night but tend to live within 8 feet of where people sleep.
One of the easiest ways to identify a bed bug infestation is by the tell-tale bite marks on the face, neck, arms, hands, or any other body parts while sleeping. However, these bite marks may take as long as 14 days to develop in some people so it is important to look for other clues when determining if bed bugs have infested an area. These signs include:
The bed bugs’ exoskeletons after molting,
Bed bugs in the fold of mattresses and sheets,
Rusty–colored blood spots due to their blood-filled fecal material that they excrete on the mattress or nearby furniture.
A sweet musty odor.
Bats Information *
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Healthy Environment
Animal & Insect Bites
Rabies is a viral disease of the nervous system which can infect humans through the saliva of infected animals. Animals that may carry the rabies virus are dogs, cats, bats, raccoons, coyotes, foxes, and skunks. Rabies is passed to humans from rabid animals through bites or saliva entering an open wound. Even after exposure, rabies is preventable if given proper medical treatment. Public Health Solutions Health Department will help citizens, concerned about the disease due to exposure, with understanding animal testing steps and to confirm if exposure to rabies was likely and if so proper medical treatment can be sought.
Visit your veterinarian with your pet on a regular basis and keep rabies vaccinations up-to-date for all cats, ferrets, and dogs.
Maintain control of your pets by keeping cats and ferrets indoors and keeping dogs under direct supervision.
Spay or neuter your pets to help reduce the number of unwanted pets that may not be properly cared for or vaccinated regularly.
Call animal control to remove all stray animals from your neighborhood since these animals may be unvaccinated or ill.
Teach children to never tough or attempt to catch wild animals.
Know where your children visit and make sure adult supervision is provided when they are in contact with pets that are not known to you.
For more information on rabies, visit www.cdc.gov/rabies/index.html
If you have been bitten by an animal, wash the wound thoroughly and seek medical attention immediately. To speak with a disease surveillance staff member, please call Public Health Solutions at 402-826-3880.
Insects can not only be annoying during humid, summer months, but they can also carry harmful diseases. Some mosquitoes carry West Nile virus which can be spread to humans and cause illness. Since 2003, Public Health Solutions District Health Department has conducted West Nile tracking activities and has provided prevention education each summer. West Nile Virus activity is tracked by using mosquito traps in select areas and by collecting dead birds for lab testing. See below for more detailed information on mosquito trapping in our district.
Information
West Nile virus is an arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) most often spread by infected mosquitoes. West Nile virus can cause serious illness. It was first found in North America in 1999, and has since spread across the continental U.S.
Week of June 24, 2021
*Total trapped in PHS District - 136
| Mosquito Type | # Trapped | General Info |
| Aedes vexans | 74 | Also called the Inland Floodwater Mosquito, it breeds in temporary, rain-filled pools in low areas or in roadside irrigation ditches. Aedes vexans are the most dominant species in North America. Females feed in the evening, peaking in activity about one hour after sunset. It may transmit heartworms to dogs, however, it is otherwise not considered to be a serious disease threat to humans. |
| Anopheles punctipennis | 2 | Also called the Woodland Malaria Mosquito, it can transmit Eastern Equine Encephalitits, Western Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus. Historically, this mosquito species is thought to have been the main vector for malaria in miners in the U.S. during the gold rush era. It's an aggressive day and dusk biting mosquito. |
| Coquillettidia perturbans | 11 | Also called the Cattail Mosquito, it is a potential vector for West Nile Virus, but is much less efficient at transmitting the infection compared to other mosquito species. |
| Culex salinarius | 10 | Also known as the Un-banded Saltmarsh Mosquito, is it most abundant along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and is the principal vector of West Nile Virus, St. Louis Encephalitis, and Japanese Encephalitis. |
| Culex tarsalis | 31 | Also known as the Western Encephalitis Mosquito, it can transmit West Nile Virus and several other encephalitis diseases. This mosquito is most active a few hours after sunset. |
Risk Factors
Most people get infected with West Nile virus by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to humans and other animals. The risk of infection is highest for people who work outside or those who take part in in outdoor activities because of greater exposure to mosquitoes. In a very small number of cases, West Nile virus has been spread through blood transfusions, organ transplants, and from mother to baby during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding. People with certain health problems, such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease are also at greater risk for serious illness.
Signs and Symptoms
If bitten by an infected mosquito, people normally develop symptoms of West Nile virus between two days and two weeks later. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that about 80% of human infections of West Nile virus cause no symptoms, while 20% cause flu-like symptoms, including fever, weakness, headache, and muscle or joint pain. A small number of people (less than 1%) will have severe neurological illness including headache, high fever, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, seizures or paralysis which may last for many weeks or months and cause permanent neurological damage. About 10% of those who develop neurological symptoms will die.
Prevention
The best way to avoid West Nile virus disease is to prevent mosquito bites:
- Use insect repellents (bug spray) when you go outdoors. Those which DEET, picaridin, IR3535, and some oil of lemon eucalyptus and para-menthane-diol products provide longer-lasting protection.
- Wear long sleeves and pants from dusk through dawn when many mosquitoes are most active.
- Install or fix screens on windows and doors. If you have it, use your air conditioning.
- Help lower the number of mosquitoes around your home. Empty standing water from containers such as flowerpots, gutters, buckets, pool covers, pet water dishes, discarded tires, and birdbaths.
For more information on West Nile Virus prevention and mosquito control:
https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/resourcepages/communication-resources.html
https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/West-Nile-Virus-Education.aspx
West Nile virus prevention activities are possible through funding provided by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
- Tick exposure occurs year-round, however ticks are most active during warmer months (April-September).
- Tips to Prevent Tick Bites:
- Use an EPA-regstered insect repellent that contains DEET
- Know where to expect ticks and avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
- Treat clothing and gear with products containly 0.5% permethrin.
- For more information on tick safety, visit https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/index.html.
Water Safety
Safe drinking water is an important aspect of maintaining a healthy population in our district. The drinking water that is supplied to our homes comes from either surface water or ground water. Surface water collects in streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Ground water is located below the ground where it collects in pores and spaces within rocks and in underground aquifers. Ground water is then obtained by drilling well and pumping it to the surface. For more information on public water systems, visit CDC’s Public Water Systems page. For more information on how public water systems treat water, visit CDC’s Water Treatment page.
A private well uses ground water as its water source. Owners of private wells and other individual water systems are responsible for ensuring that their water is safe from contaminants. For more information on private wells and individual water systems, visit CDC’s Private Wells page.
Contamination of both public and private water sources can cause several serious health issues. The following are some of the most common sources of contaminants.
Naturally occurring chemicals and minerals (for example, arsenic, radon, uranium)
Local land use practices (fertilizers, pesticides, livestock, concentrated animal feeding operations)
Manufacturing processes
Sewer overflows
Malfunctioning wastewater treatment systems (for example, nearby septic systems)
Water testing for private wells is available from the Nebraska Public Health Environmental Laboratory (NPHEL). To receive a sample kit, you must contact the laboratory and request a kit via phone or internet. A kit will be mailed to you.
There are two ways to order a water testing kit:
Call the NPHEL at 402-471-3935 to request a kit
Click here to order directly from the NPHEL website
Residents using a municipal or public water source system should not test their water. The municipality regularly tests the water supply for presence of contaminants.
For questions on water sampling and testing, please call the Nebraska Public Health Environmental Laboratory at 402-471-3935 or visit their website.
Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB), also known as toxic blue-green algae, refer to certains strains of cyanobacteria that produce toxins. They are often a distinct blue-green color but may also appear green, brown, or red.
PHS monitors the Department of Environment and Energy for Harmful Algal Bloom Health Alerts that occur in our district lakes and beaches.During a Health Alert at a public lake, signs will be posted advising the public to use caution or avoid activities that could lead to swallowing water. When these health alerts are received, PHS will notify the district via press release.
You can find more information here: http://dee.ne.gov/NDEQProg.nsf/OnWeb/ENV042607.
Air Quality
PHS monitors air quality closely and alerts our district of wildfire smoke health concerns such as those associated with the Kansas Flint Hills burning which occurs on a yearly basis in early spring. For more information on air quality and forecasts and alerts, visit https://www.weather.gov/safety/airquality.
Our District now has a local PurpleAir Sensor! Located in Fairbury, NE, the sensor provides real-time feedback about air quality conditions in our area!
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