Georgia Coastal Health District

The following press release was distributed by the Georgia Department of Public Health.

If you have not gotten a flu shot yet, do not wait any longer. Flu activity is widespread throughout Georgia, and the current flu report lists flu activity at the highest level.

“It is not too late to get a flu shot. Every individual over the age of six months should get a flu vaccine – not just for their own protection, but to protect others around them who may be more vulnerable to the flu and its complications,” says Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D., M.P.H., DPH commissioner. “Even if the vaccine doesn’t completely prevent illness from flu, it can help reduce the severity and risk of serious complications and keep people out of the hospital.”

Flu symptoms and their intensity can vary from person to person, and can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Some people are at higher risk of developing serious flu-related complications if they get sick. This includes people aged 65 years and older, people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease, pregnant women, and children younger than 5 years old, but especially those younger than 2 years old.

Flu vaccine is widely available at public health departments, doctors’ offices, grocery stores, neighborhood clinics and pharmacies. To find a location near you, click on https://www.vaccines.gov/find-vaccines/.

In some cases, healthcare providers may recommend the use of antiviral drugs that fight against the flu in your body. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines and are most effective when taken within 48 hours of symptoms appearing.

There are other tried and true measures you can take to help prevent the spread of flu:

• Frequent and thorough handwashing with soap and warm water.
• Use an alcohol-based gel if you don’t have access to soap and water.
• Cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow or arm.
• Avoid touching your face as flu germs can get into the body through mucus membranes of the nose, mouth, and eyes.
• If you are sick, stay home from school or work. You should be free of a fever, without using a fever reducer, for at least 24 hours before returning to school or work.

For more information about flu and how to prevent it, log on to https://dph.georgia.gov/flu. You can monitor Georgia weekly influenza reports at https://dph.georgia.gov/flu-activity-georgia. The reports are updated each Friday.

A CDC food safety alert regarding an outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to cantaloupes has been updated: https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/sundsvall-11-23/index.html

Key Points:

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• So far, 117 people from 34 states have been infected with this outbreak strain of Salmonella, including Georgia.
• Malichita and Rudy brand whole cantaloupes have been recalled. Many pre-cut cantaloupe products have also been recalled. New recalls include pre-cut cantaloupe products from Kwik Trip, Bix Produce, and Kroger, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Trader Joe’s.
• CDC is advising people not to eat pre-cut cantaloupes if they don’t know whether Malichita or Rudy brand whole cantaloupes were used.
• CDC is concerned about this outbreak because illnesses are severe with more than half hospitalized, and people in long-term care facilities and childcare centers have gotten sick. 14 people resided in long-term care facilities and 7 children attended childcare centers before they got sick.
• CDC advises facilities that care for people who are at higher risk for severe illness to not serve cantaloupes that may be contaminated. This includes recalled cantaloupes and cantaloupe that was supplied pre-cut if the brand of whole cantaloupes used are not known.

What You Should Do:

• Do not eat pre-cut cantaloupes if you don’t know whether Malichita or Rudy brand cantaloupes were used. This includes cantaloupe chunks and fruit mixes with cantaloupes at restaurants and grocery stores.
• Do not eat any recalled whole or pre-cut cantaloupe products. If you have any, throw them away or return them to the store.
• If the whole cantaloupe does not have a sticker, check with the store to make sure it is not a Malichita or Rudy brand cantaloupe.
• Wash items and surfaces that may have touched the cantaloupe using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.

Call your healthcare provider if you have any of these severe Salmonella symptoms:

• Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
• Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
• Bloody diarrhea
• So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down
• Signs of dehydration, such as:
• Not peeing much
• Dry mouth and throat
• Feeling dizzy when standing up

What Long-Term Care Facilities, Childcare Centers, and Hospitals Should Do

• Do not use any recalled whole or pre-cut cantaloupes.
• Do not serve any cantaloupe that was supplied pre-cut if you don’t know whether Malichita or Rudy brand cantaloupes were used.

What Businesses Should Do

• Do not sell or serve recalled cantaloupes or products made with recalled cantaloupe, even if they have been washed.
• Washing does not remove all germs and does not make recalled products safe to eat.
• Wash and sanitize items and surfaces that may have come in contact with recalled cantaloupes.

Salmonella Symptoms:

• Most people infected with Salmonella experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.
• Symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after swallowing the bacteria.
• Most people recover without treatment after 4 to 7 days.
• Some people—especially children younger than 5 years, adults 65 years and older, and people with weakened immune systems—may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.

Your blood pressure and blood glucose numbers can tell you a lot about your health. Knowing your numbers is especially important if you are at risk for diabetes.

That’s why the Coastal Health District’s Chronic Disease Prevention Team is offering free blood pressure and blood glucose screening events in November during National Diabetes Awareness Month. These free, simple tests can give you vital information about your health, and we can give you resources and support to live a longer, healthier life.

Visit our team at one of these events, and check out our Diabetes Prevention Program page for more information about how we can be your health partner!

Free Blood Pressure and Blood Glucose Screenings