Health Department Annual Report is In and Shows 77 Cases of Head Lice

As part of the annual report, we total the cases of reportable communicable diseases in our five community service area.  Wisconsin requires health care providers to report certain diseases such as hepatitis, diarrheal illnesses, sexually transmitted infections, pertussis (whooping cough), invasive streptococcal infections, and tuberculosis, among others.

Health care providers reported 297 cases of diseases.  In addition to the reportable diseases, there were 19 animal bites and 77 cases of head lice.  Fox Point and Bayside had 47 cases of reportable diseases in 2010.

Public health nurses investigate all cases which health care providers report in a state-wide electronic database.  Then they contact the patients to make sure the disease is treated, offer information on controlling the disease, and answer any questions. 

Sometimes they make a home visit, while at other times the contact is primarily by phone.  Occasionally repeated visits are necessary, such as daily visits to administer medication to patients who have tuberculosis.  And if a diarrheal illness is traced to a common food or water source, a complete investigation may involve hundreds of people, collection of numerous laboratory samples, and take many days.  

“Gathering enough information to determine the source of the disease is like a puzzle to solve," said a public health nurse about food and water borne diseases. "It’s different for every one of the 10 most common diarrheal diseases, and preventing it from spreading is of course one of our main objectives.”

We were interested to note that Lyme disease cases increased from four cases in 2009 to 11 in 2010.  Bayside and Fox Point have had cases in each of those years.  Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected tick.  Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash. 

Ticks are most active in May through July. To prevent Lyme Disease:

• Protect yourself from tick bites by using insect repellent with 20-30 percent DEET on exposed skin and clothing.
• Wear long pants, long sleeves, and long socks to keep ticks off your skin.
• Avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass and a lot of leaf litter.
• Check your skin and clothes for ticks every day.
• Shower soon after being outdoors.