Northampton Department of Health and Human Services

MPOX is a disease that can make you sick, including a rash, which may look like pimples or blisters often accompanied with flu-like symptoms. The rash presents on hands, feet, chest, mouth, ge****ls. MPOX can spread different ways including sexual contact and to anyone through close, personal, skin-to-skin contact with a person who has it. Call Tapestry Health Mobile Unit at 413-309-2151 to make an appointment or click the link in comments to find an MPOX vaccine nearest you

Cases have risen in Massachusetts this week for both West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis. Choosing the Right Repellent is important. Here's some tips to consider.
-Use a repellent with an EPA-registered ingredient, such as DEET, Permethrin, Picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus
-Use the repellent according to the instructions on the bottle
-Deet products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or less on older children
-Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under 3 years of age
-Citronella is a less effective repellent, it is plant-based, it does not have broad spectrum activity, action, duration as Deet. Frequent application may compensate for its limited duration only. Citronella is not as effective as Deet at repelling ticks. Herbal treatments and remedies have limited scientific studies to show they protect users from biting insects. Wristbands impregnated with insect repellents are not effective. Electronic devices that emit high pitched noises are not effective.

Did you know the Northampton Department of Health and Human Services has a team of health inspectors who permit and inspect public events like; The Taste of Northampton, the Three County Fair, farmers markets and more to ensure proper food handling and hygiene practices are followed! Your health, safety and wellbeing are top priority when inspectors are inspecting and providing guidance & education to ensure food safety compliance.

While at a public outdoor event it's important to remember:
Wash your hands before eating - good hygiene
Inspection reports are required to be available - when visiting food vendors, you can ask for a copy of the most recent inspection report
Be sure to notify your servers when you have a food allergy
If you experience gastrointestinal symptoms and have concerns you may have a suspected foodborne illness, reach out to your primary care provider or your local health department for guidance.

Best practice for food handling:
https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/prevention/index.html

State Health Officials Announced Season's First Human Case of West Nile Virus and First Animal Case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis . West Nile Virus (WNV) was diagnosed in a person in Hampden County; Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) was diagnosed in a horse in Plymouth. Take steps to protect yourself by layering prevention strategies and knowing the signs and symptoms of WNV and EEE. Protect animals too, speak to your Veterinarian about repellents approved for use in animals and vaccinations to prevent WNV and EEE. Click the link for helpful information from Massachusetts Department of Public Health:
https://www.mass.gov/mosquito-borne-diseases

Listeria is especially harmful for some people:
 Older Adults (65 and older)
 People who have weakened immune system
(have health problems or take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness)
 Pregnant People & Newborns

Become Aware of the Risky Foods, Know the Signs & Symptoms & Choose Safer Foods

Click the link for more info: https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/index.html

The Northampton Department of Health and Human Services had the pleasure of visiting Safety Village, an interactive summer program, to demonstrate car seat, insect and outdoor safety!

Health inspectors, who are also trained Car Seat Safety Technicians, spent time demonstrating car seat safety; allowing each participant to properly buckle in a doll to reiterate strap placement. This allowed the youngsters to get a better understanding of how to safely travel in a car! We would also like to reiterate that the health department offers car seat safety checks, feel free to contact the department to schedule an appointment!

Public Health Nurses offered an interactive demonstration including insect and outdoor safety! This included identifying different plants like poison ivy (“three leaves, let it be!”), the importance of applying sunscreen and proper layers to choose when spending time outdoors.

For more information on the covered topics, visit:

Car seat safety information: https://northamptonma.gov/2418/Car-Seat-Safety

Sun Safety: https://blogs.cdc.gov/yourhealthyourenvironment/2018/06/25/summer-sun-safety-protect-yourself-from-uv-radiation-2/

Identifying poisonous plants: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/plants/identification.html

Click on link to learn more:
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/heatstress/heatrelillness.html

Please Save the Date for Northampton's recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day on Thurs. August 29th outside at Forbes Library. Resource sharing to take place, followed by a vigil ceremony.

We're grateful to these additional community partners helping to make this event possible: Tapestry Hampshire HOPE DART Northampton Recovery Center Learn To Cope West Northwestern District Attorney's Office

For more car seat safety information, visit: https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle-safety/car-seats-and-booster-seats

To schedule a car seat inspection with a trained inspector, email [email protected] or call 413-587-1214

Did you know? Massachusetts Department of Health offers bilingual services for people who are trying to quit smoking and va**ng. Supports offered to families and loved ones as well.
Stopping smoking, va**ng, or using other to***co or ni****ne products takes time and courage.
Calling 1-800- QUIT-NOW or enrolling online is a great first step.
https://www.mass.gov/take-the-first-step-toward-a-ni****ne-free-life

Last month Youth for Equity and Action (a DHHS sponsored NHS club) was invited by Leeds Elementary School's Equity and Inclusion Committee to be 'community readers' in all the classrooms. They read Take a Breath to the preK-2nd grades and Mindful Mr. Sloth to 3rd-5th grade. They used circle process (from restorative practices) to discuss the books, practice mindful breathing and learn about each other.

Click on the link to check on local levels of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile Virus (WNV) in your area, based on seasonal testing
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-arbovirus-update

Food can be recalled for many different reasons. One of the most common causes for a food recall is that the food packaging was incorrect. This can include products in the wrong packaging, misleading claims, undeclared allergens, and incorrect ingredient labels.

Food can also be recalled if there are any biological, physical, or chemical hazards found in the food. For example, canned goods may be recalled if they have high levels of Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which causes Botulism. Another example could be metal shavings from machines getting into a product, causing a physical hazard. Recalling food products with these hazards could be critical for consumer safety.

The best way to handle a food recall is by being informed about the situation and taking the necessary steps to prevent illness or contamination. The FDA is a great source to rely on when learning about food recalls. This information is valuable in learning about the product, what the potential or obvious problem is, and guidelines or instructions on what you should do next, as well as many other pertinent details.

If you have a recalled food item in your refrigerator or cabinets, it's important to throw out the food and clean the area. Germs or contaminants in the recalled food could spread to other surfaces.

To learn about recent food recalls, please visit: https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts

Follow these steps to prevent contamination and illness in your home: https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/communication-resources/clean-refrigerator-steps.html

July is UV Awareness Month. Remember to SLIP on some protective clothing, SLOP on the SPF 30 every 2 hours and after sweating, swimming. SLAP on a wide brimmed hat. SEEK shade during the hottest time of day 10am-2pm and SLIDE on some Sunglasses.

Beat the heat!

Summertime activity, whether on the playing field or the construction site, must be balanced with actions that help the body cool itself to prevent heat-related illness. Use this website to learn more on how to stay safe in the heat this summer, including how to prevent, recognize, and cope with heat-related illness:

https://www.cdc.gov/extreme-heat/about/index.html

Thank you to the students from Youth for Equity and Action (a DHHS sponsored NHS club) and Collaborative Resolutions Group for co-facilitating multi-stakeholder conversations on how to support restorative practices in the Northampton Public Schools this year. Looking forward to seeing how the seeds you all planted will grow next year!

Know before you go!

It's important to take necessary precautions and avoid contaminated water. The Connecticut River and its tributaries are much cleaner today than they were decades ago. The Clean Water Act, smart investments, and the hard work of many people have made this possible. But, there are times – particularly after rain – when bacteria in our rivers still might make you sick. The "Is It Clean" tool will help you understand trends in water cleanliness at sites throughout the Connecticut River watershed, including many popular river recreation sites.

To visit the "Is It Clean" Tool, visit: https://connecticutriver.us/

One of the main contributors to unsafe bodies of water, is Cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria have been often referred to as blue-green algae; however, they are a group of microorganisms that share similar characteristics of algae, such as the ability to perform photosynthesis like green plants using the chlorophyll in their cells. They are naturally occurring in all water bodies with some species growing in waterbody sediments, while other cyanobacteria can move within the water column. Some cyanobacteria have the ability to produce toxins, called cyanotoxins.

For more information about cyanobacteria and understanding the importance of staying out of potentially hazardous water bodies, visit: https://www.mass.gov/guides/cyanobacterial-harmful-algal-blooms-cyanohabs-water #-what-are-cyanohabs?-

If you are interested in learning if your business may be eligible for funding to improve the air quality in your business please visit: www.northamtponma.gov/245

Be prepared during the unexpected! Here are some helpful food handling tips to follow during power outages. For more information, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/

Remember this Pride to Party Safely, stay hydrated, start low and go slow, test your drugs.

And NOW is a great time to get your first or second dose of the MPOX Vaccine. Two doses are more powerful than one! You can start to have an immune response after the first does of MPOX vaccine, but it takes two weeks after the second
dose to be the most protected.

MPOX vaccine is available at Tapestry Health 16 Center Street, Suite 415 Northampton 413.586.0310 or click the link in comments to find an MPOX vaccine nearest you

DHHS, Northampton Youth Health Coalition and Youth for Equity & Action are sending our deepest gratitude to three amazing humans as they launch into the world. Rozlyn Kaufman, Summer Sorenson and Emily Lipiello, thank for your leadership and congratulations on graduating. We wish you joy and health on your next chapters. The future is brighter because of you 3!

Please be advised, there is currently a fish consumption advisory regarding the consumption of freshwater fish which pose a risk of being contaminated with levels of PCBs or PFAS

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals used since the 1950s to manufacture stain-resistant, water-resistant, and non-stick products. PFAS are widely used in common consumer products such as food packaging, outdoor clothing, coatings, carpets, leather goods, and other products. They have also been used in firefighting foam, as well as in other industrial processes. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) have been the most extensively produced and studied of these chemicals.

For more information, please visit: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/pfas-per-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-in-recreationally-caught-fish

There are 135,200 people aged 65 and older with Alzheimer's in Massachusetts and 213,000 caregivers of people living with Dementia in Massachusetts. The Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline 800.272.3900 is a free service offering support for people living with dementia, caregivers, families and the public. Connect with a live person who can provide information, local resources, crisis assistance and emotional support. See comments for a link to more education and support for Alzheimer's Awareness Month.

Earlier this month, two programs of Northampton DHHS - Northampton Youth Health Coalition and Hampshire HOPE - partnered together for a Youth Health Speaker Series. HOPE Coordinator Taylor got the chance to present to young people about Narcan and answer questions they may have about opioids/fentanyl. We love when DHHS initiatives get to collaborate in the community.

The CDC recommends that people 65+ and/or immune compromised who have already had a 2023-2024 Covid vaccine should get a second shot this spring, so long as at least four months have passed since the earlier immunization. Influenza and RSV transmission bottoms out in the late spring and summer, but that is not currently the case with Covid. Click the link in the comments to book your appointment.

Warmer temperatures are on the rise! Avoid keeping foods, especially potentially hazardous foods, out for extended periods of time to reduce the risk of foodborne illness!