Families enrolled in the state’s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program are eligible to receive voucher checks for Pennsylvania farmers markets.
Each WIC-enrolled individual can receive four checks worth a total of $20. The money is valid only at markets registered in the state’s Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and is meant to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to families with young children.
Allegheny County Health Department spokesman Guillermo Cole says there are more than 50 registered markets in Allegheny County, but the checks are valid in other counties’ markets as well.
The WIC program runs from June through November of this year. Cole says it helps out both families hoping to eat healthy and farmers who need to sell their crops.
A complete list of authorized farmers markets is available on the Health Department's website.
Showing posts with label Allegheny county health department. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Allegheny county health department. Show all posts
Monday, June 6, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Lyme Disease up in PA
Last year nearly 30,000 Americans were diagnosed with Lyme disease and Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of confirmed cases. According to Allegheny County Health Department spokesperson Guillermo Cole, the number of cases among Allegheny County residents has been hovering in the 20-30 a year range for some time but how the disease is being contracted is changing.
“In the past, the infections were mainly acquired on trips outside our region but in recent years more an more infections are being acquired locally,” said Cole. He is not surprised, “The tick that transmits Lyme disease, which is the deer tick, is now the most commonly found tick on people and pets here in Allegheny County.” The Centers for Disease Control confirms that the incidence of the illness continues to spread to the east. In 2009 there were 4,950 confirmed cases of Lyme disease in Pennsylvania.
Lyme disease can usually be treated with antibiotics with the patient suffering no long-term effects but if not treated while in its early stages it can have lasting impacts on the central nervous system. Cole says many people with Lyme disease originally believe they have a mild case of the flu until the telltale red “bull’s eye” rash begins to appear.
People usually come in contact with deer ticks while walking through high grasses or through leaf litter. Cole says staying on paths or in clearings will help to avoid contact with the ticks. Applying insect repellant containing 20-30 percent deet will also help as well as tucking long pants into socks and wearing long sleeve shirts when hiking through areas where the tick may live.
Most Lyme cases are reported from late May through August.
“In the past, the infections were mainly acquired on trips outside our region but in recent years more an more infections are being acquired locally,” said Cole. He is not surprised, “The tick that transmits Lyme disease, which is the deer tick, is now the most commonly found tick on people and pets here in Allegheny County.” The Centers for Disease Control confirms that the incidence of the illness continues to spread to the east. In 2009 there were 4,950 confirmed cases of Lyme disease in Pennsylvania.
Lyme disease can usually be treated with antibiotics with the patient suffering no long-term effects but if not treated while in its early stages it can have lasting impacts on the central nervous system. Cole says many people with Lyme disease originally believe they have a mild case of the flu until the telltale red “bull’s eye” rash begins to appear.
People usually come in contact with deer ticks while walking through high grasses or through leaf litter. Cole says staying on paths or in clearings will help to avoid contact with the ticks. Applying insect repellant containing 20-30 percent deet will also help as well as tucking long pants into socks and wearing long sleeve shirts when hiking through areas where the tick may live.
Most Lyme cases are reported from late May through August.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
CSO Alert Off for First Time in 2011
The Allegheny County Health Department has taken down the orange combined sewer overflow (CSO) flags for the first time this year. The county issues the warnings anytime raw sewage is flowing into the three rivers in Allegheny thanks to recent rainfall.
ACHD spokesperson Guillermo Cole says the county issues the alerts from May 16th through September. The warning flags went up on the first day and are just now being taken down. The alerts do not mean the river is closed, it just means recreational users should limit their contact with the water, “especially those with weakened immune systems,” says Cole.
Last year the county issued 9 alerts averaging 5 days each. Cole says it is not unusual to see a 15-day alert. In 2004 the average alert lasted 21 days. In 1999 the average alert was just 3 days. “It has to do with the amount of rain and when it comes,” says Cole.
Recreational boaters can look for the orange flags at marinas or they can get the information directly from the health department through its web site. A call to 412-687-ACHD will also get the information.
ACHD spokesperson Guillermo Cole says the county issues the alerts from May 16th through September. The warning flags went up on the first day and are just now being taken down. The alerts do not mean the river is closed, it just means recreational users should limit their contact with the water, “especially those with weakened immune systems,” says Cole.
Last year the county issued 9 alerts averaging 5 days each. Cole says it is not unusual to see a 15-day alert. In 2004 the average alert lasted 21 days. In 1999 the average alert was just 3 days. “It has to do with the amount of rain and when it comes,” says Cole.
Recreational boaters can look for the orange flags at marinas or they can get the information directly from the health department through its web site. A call to 412-687-ACHD will also get the information.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Public Input Needed For Air Toxicity Guidelines
The Allegheny Board of Health is seeking public input as it updates its air toxics standards and guidelines.
The guidelines have not been restructured since their creation in 1988 and Guillermo Cole, public information officer for ACHD, says the standards need updating with the advancements in understanding over the last two decades.
“Whether it’s a regulation or a guideline that is used for evaluating the issuance of permits, you have to keep these up to date with the state of knowledge and the science.”
The public meeting with be held Wednesday, May 4, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., at the Avalon Borough Building, 640 California Ave. The meeting will cover a number of topics and include a question and answer session between the public and the air toxics committee of ACHD.
“There will be discussion of why the new guidelines are being developed, how we calculate risk for air toxics pollutants, and ways to address hot spots, areas where toxic air pollutants are emitted from a cluster or groups of sources,” Cole says. Participants from the public may sign up at the meeting to speak during a one-hour public statement period.
The guidelines have not been restructured since their creation in 1988 and Guillermo Cole, public information officer for ACHD, says the standards need updating with the advancements in understanding over the last two decades.
“Whether it’s a regulation or a guideline that is used for evaluating the issuance of permits, you have to keep these up to date with the state of knowledge and the science.”
The public meeting with be held Wednesday, May 4, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., at the Avalon Borough Building, 640 California Ave. The meeting will cover a number of topics and include a question and answer session between the public and the air toxics committee of ACHD.
“There will be discussion of why the new guidelines are being developed, how we calculate risk for air toxics pollutants, and ways to address hot spots, areas where toxic air pollutants are emitted from a cluster or groups of sources,” Cole says. Participants from the public may sign up at the meeting to speak during a one-hour public statement period.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Pittsburgh Air Quality Ranked Among Worst
The American Lung Association's "State of the Air 2011" has ranked Pittsburgh as the third most polluted for short-term particle pollution. The region also ranked seventh for yearlong average of particle pollution, while Allegheny County was ranked 41st in the nation for worst levels of ozone. The County did have fewer days of dangerous air pollution and lower long-term levels of fine-particle pollution than last year.
Allegheny County Health Department spokesman Guillermo Cole says the A.L.A report is not getting a fair measurement of the city as a whole. "It uses reading from one air monitoring site, which happens to be the worst here in Allegheny County. And it uses that reading to represent what air quality is like throughout Allegheny County and the metropolitan area."
Cole says that the county as a whole is within healthy standards. He says they have always known that Liberty (where the A.L.A. monitoring site is located) is the most polluted in the county, but other air monitoring sites have shown much lower levels.
The A.L.A. gave the county an "F" for particle and ozone pollution this year. The Association cited in their report that 51,000 children and about 175,000 adults in the county have asthma. While the cleanest cities in the report were Honolulu, Hawaii and Santa Fe-Espanola, New Mexico.
Allegheny County Health Department spokesman Guillermo Cole says the A.L.A report is not getting a fair measurement of the city as a whole. "It uses reading from one air monitoring site, which happens to be the worst here in Allegheny County. And it uses that reading to represent what air quality is like throughout Allegheny County and the metropolitan area."
Cole says that the county as a whole is within healthy standards. He says they have always known that Liberty (where the A.L.A. monitoring site is located) is the most polluted in the county, but other air monitoring sites have shown much lower levels.
The A.L.A. gave the county an "F" for particle and ozone pollution this year. The Association cited in their report that 51,000 children and about 175,000 adults in the county have asthma. While the cleanest cities in the report were Honolulu, Hawaii and Santa Fe-Espanola, New Mexico.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Determine Your Risk of Having Diabetes
As part of American Diabetes Association Alert Day, Allegheny County’s health department urges residents to take the Diabetes Risk Test on Tuesday, March 22.
According to Lorraine Starsky, a public health nurse with the Allegheny County Health Department, the risk test is a fairly simple questionnaire. She said in addition to identifying your age and ethnicity, the survey asks questions about “your weight, family history, [or] if you’re a female if you had a baby that weighed more than nine pounds at birth.”
According to the Center for Disease Control the number of people diagnosed with diabetes yearly continues to escalate. The center estimates 26 million people to be afflicted by diabetes, and a disturbing 27 percent don’t know they have it, contributing to the disease’s moniker “America’s Silent Killer.”
“The symptoms can be so easily overlooked and so we’re asking people look at your risk factors and if you see that you have two or more, if you’re scoring high on this test, then it’s important, it’s a wakeup call,” Starsky says.
Even more important, recently, is the increase of obesity leading to Type II diabetes in youth. Type II diabetes formerly affected mostly adults over the age of 45 but youth have continued to be diagnosed at younger ages.
Starsky says that untreated and unrecognized diabetes can be very detrimental to a person’s health.
“It’s doing a lot of damage to major body systems. It’s affecting your eyes, it’s affecting your kidneys, it’s affecting your cardiovascular system, your heart, and so a lot of times this damage goes on silently,” Starsky says.
To access the risk test, you can call 1-800-342-2383 to request a copy of the questionnaire or you can fill out the survey online.
According to Lorraine Starsky, a public health nurse with the Allegheny County Health Department, the risk test is a fairly simple questionnaire. She said in addition to identifying your age and ethnicity, the survey asks questions about “your weight, family history, [or] if you’re a female if you had a baby that weighed more than nine pounds at birth.”
According to the Center for Disease Control the number of people diagnosed with diabetes yearly continues to escalate. The center estimates 26 million people to be afflicted by diabetes, and a disturbing 27 percent don’t know they have it, contributing to the disease’s moniker “America’s Silent Killer.”
“The symptoms can be so easily overlooked and so we’re asking people look at your risk factors and if you see that you have two or more, if you’re scoring high on this test, then it’s important, it’s a wakeup call,” Starsky says.
Even more important, recently, is the increase of obesity leading to Type II diabetes in youth. Type II diabetes formerly affected mostly adults over the age of 45 but youth have continued to be diagnosed at younger ages.
Starsky says that untreated and unrecognized diabetes can be very detrimental to a person’s health.
“It’s doing a lot of damage to major body systems. It’s affecting your eyes, it’s affecting your kidneys, it’s affecting your cardiovascular system, your heart, and so a lot of times this damage goes on silently,” Starsky says.
To access the risk test, you can call 1-800-342-2383 to request a copy of the questionnaire or you can fill out the survey online.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Free Nicotine Patches Offered
A local nonprofit is offering a free, one-month supply of nicotine patches to help people quit using tobacco.
Tobacco Free Allegheny and the Allegheny County Health Department are offering the patches along with a series of free counseling sessions to help users quit smoking.
ACHD spokesman Dave Zazac says the tandem of counseling and nicotine patches increases a person’s chance of successfully quitting.
Zazac says there’s no special occasion behind this free offer.
“This is just an opportunity for those folks that may have fallen from their New Year’s resolution to get a second chance, perhaps a better chance to finally stop their tobacco habits,” says Zazac.
Interested people should call the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Free Quitline at (800)-784-8669 to receive patches and counseling while supplies last. Quit coaches will help callers set quit dates and ask them if they have any medical conditions that would prevent them from using nicotine patches.
Zazac says more info about the program can be found at www.DeterminedToQuit.com, where you can find quit plans, video blogs of successful quitters, and information for friends and family supporting someone’s attempt to stop smoking.
Tobacco Free Allegheny and the Allegheny County Health Department are offering the patches along with a series of free counseling sessions to help users quit smoking.
ACHD spokesman Dave Zazac says the tandem of counseling and nicotine patches increases a person’s chance of successfully quitting.
Zazac says there’s no special occasion behind this free offer.
“This is just an opportunity for those folks that may have fallen from their New Year’s resolution to get a second chance, perhaps a better chance to finally stop their tobacco habits,” says Zazac.
Interested people should call the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Free Quitline at (800)-784-8669 to receive patches and counseling while supplies last. Quit coaches will help callers set quit dates and ask them if they have any medical conditions that would prevent them from using nicotine patches.
Zazac says more info about the program can be found at www.DeterminedToQuit.com, where you can find quit plans, video blogs of successful quitters, and information for friends and family supporting someone’s attempt to stop smoking.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Allegheny County Health Department Meeting
On Thursday, the Allegheny County Health Department Board members approved an air quality plan for bringing the Liberty-Clairton area into compliance for national standards in terms of the federal clean air act.
The vote was unanimous. The area has been one of the region's worst offenders for poor air quality - because of the Clairton Coke Works factory owned by US Steel. It emits ultra-microscopic particles that are harmful to human health because they can be inhaled deep into the lungs. There isn't an air quality standard for that pollutant.
The plan will go into agreement in 2013. By then the company will have made a number of improvements to the plant, mostly replacing old coke oven batteries with new ones.
The vote was unanimous. The area has been one of the region's worst offenders for poor air quality - because of the Clairton Coke Works factory owned by US Steel. It emits ultra-microscopic particles that are harmful to human health because they can be inhaled deep into the lungs. There isn't an air quality standard for that pollutant.
The plan will go into agreement in 2013. By then the company will have made a number of improvements to the plant, mostly replacing old coke oven batteries with new ones.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Immunization Conference in Pittsburgh
The Allegheny County Health Department hosted an immunization conference for health professionals on the South Side on Thursday. Over 230 people attended.
The keynote speaker was Dr. Anne Schuchat, Director for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
She said with all of the vaccines there are great opportunities for prevention and for less disease but also more complexity for doctors and patients. She says there is also the challenge of overcoming complacency. Because so many diseases, such as polio, are nearly non-existent, people tend to think vaccines are not very important.
She said people of all ages should be aware of vaccine requirements and recommended a whopping cough booster for all adults. There has been a whopping cough epidemic in California.
Under the affordable care act, also known as health reform, there are provisions for vaccines that are routinely recommended by CDC’s Advisory committee to be covered without a co-payment by the insurance companies.
The keynote speaker was Dr. Anne Schuchat, Director for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
She said with all of the vaccines there are great opportunities for prevention and for less disease but also more complexity for doctors and patients. She says there is also the challenge of overcoming complacency. Because so many diseases, such as polio, are nearly non-existent, people tend to think vaccines are not very important.
She said people of all ages should be aware of vaccine requirements and recommended a whopping cough booster for all adults. There has been a whopping cough epidemic in California.
Under the affordable care act, also known as health reform, there are provisions for vaccines that are routinely recommended by CDC’s Advisory committee to be covered without a co-payment by the insurance companies.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Fox Alert in Allegheny County
The Allegheny County Health Department is warning residents to be wary of foxes and other potentially rabid animals around your homes.
The alert comes after two men were bitten and another scratched by foxes in 3 separate incidents this month. Health Department spokesman Guillermo Cole says one man was bitten by a fox as he was cutting brush in a wooded area near his home. Another man was bitten while he was washing his car in his driveway, and a third man was scratched while trying to break up a fight between a fox and his dog.
Cole says the foxes escaped and were unavailable for testing to confirm whether they had rabies, so the men are being treated with anti-rabies vaccine as a precaution and not expected to develop rabies. A fourth fox found dead on a road and not involved in these incidents has tested positive for rabies.
Cole warns residents to be aware of creatures in the environment whenever outdoors and to frequently look around for wild animals, particularly foxes and raccoons, which may be infected with the rabies virus.
When you see a wild animal, don’t go near it and chances are it will go away. If the animal looks threatening, slowly back away and go indoors or to a protected area. If it stays around, call your local animal control service, the police or the Game Commission. Cole says if you are ever bitten, scratched, or otherwise exposed to saliva from a fox, raccoon or any other animal, wash the contact area with soap and water, seek emergency medical treatment and call the Allegheny County Health Department to report the incident.
Rabies is almost always fatal when exposures go untreated. The anti-rabies vaccine is highly effective when given promptly after an exposure.
Cole advises if your pet is ever involved in a fight with another animal, never get into the middle of it and don't use your bare hands to separate them. If your pet gets another animal’s saliva on its body or in its mouth, handle your pet with gloves, bathe it carefully with soap and water, and call your vet for advice.
The alert comes after two men were bitten and another scratched by foxes in 3 separate incidents this month. Health Department spokesman Guillermo Cole says one man was bitten by a fox as he was cutting brush in a wooded area near his home. Another man was bitten while he was washing his car in his driveway, and a third man was scratched while trying to break up a fight between a fox and his dog.
Cole says the foxes escaped and were unavailable for testing to confirm whether they had rabies, so the men are being treated with anti-rabies vaccine as a precaution and not expected to develop rabies. A fourth fox found dead on a road and not involved in these incidents has tested positive for rabies.
Cole warns residents to be aware of creatures in the environment whenever outdoors and to frequently look around for wild animals, particularly foxes and raccoons, which may be infected with the rabies virus.
When you see a wild animal, don’t go near it and chances are it will go away. If the animal looks threatening, slowly back away and go indoors or to a protected area. If it stays around, call your local animal control service, the police or the Game Commission. Cole says if you are ever bitten, scratched, or otherwise exposed to saliva from a fox, raccoon or any other animal, wash the contact area with soap and water, seek emergency medical treatment and call the Allegheny County Health Department to report the incident.
Rabies is almost always fatal when exposures go untreated. The anti-rabies vaccine is highly effective when given promptly after an exposure.
Cole advises if your pet is ever involved in a fight with another animal, never get into the middle of it and don't use your bare hands to separate them. If your pet gets another animal’s saliva on its body or in its mouth, handle your pet with gloves, bathe it carefully with soap and water, and call your vet for advice.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Clairton Coke Works to Reduce Pollution
Residents of Liberty and Clairton can expect cleaner air in the years to come, thanks to emissions reductions slated for the Clairton Coke Works.
Owner U.S. Steel and the Allegheny County Health Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding to reduce the plant’s fine particulate pollution by 320 tons each year.
ACHD spokesman Guillermo Cole says the air quality improvements will come from the replacement of two quench towers that cool the coke, and from bringing three coke oven batteries into emissions compliance.
Cole says this agreement comes in addition to a 2008 document already requiring the plant to reduce particulate pollution.
“We’ve already seen the permanent shutdown of three older coke oven batteries. That has reduced particulate emissions already by 383 tons. The rebuild of Battery B has also dramatically reduced emissions, so these further improvements come on top of some major emission reductions that have already been achieved.”
Cole says the new emissions reductions are not tied to an explosion at the plant’s B Battery earlier this summer.
The Liberty/Clairton area is now expected to attain the national air quality standard by December of 2013, the same time this project is slated to be completed.
Owner U.S. Steel and the Allegheny County Health Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding to reduce the plant’s fine particulate pollution by 320 tons each year.
ACHD spokesman Guillermo Cole says the air quality improvements will come from the replacement of two quench towers that cool the coke, and from bringing three coke oven batteries into emissions compliance.
Cole says this agreement comes in addition to a 2008 document already requiring the plant to reduce particulate pollution.
“We’ve already seen the permanent shutdown of three older coke oven batteries. That has reduced particulate emissions already by 383 tons. The rebuild of Battery B has also dramatically reduced emissions, so these further improvements come on top of some major emission reductions that have already been achieved.”
Cole says the new emissions reductions are not tied to an explosion at the plant’s B Battery earlier this summer.
The Liberty/Clairton area is now expected to attain the national air quality standard by December of 2013, the same time this project is slated to be completed.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Carson Homestead Assn Concerned about Spraying
The Allegheny County Health Department will have crews spraying mosquitoes in the West End and the Strip District sections of the city of Pittsburgh this evening from 8 to 10 o'clock. The spraying is in response to mosquito samples testing positive for West Nile virus in the West End and the Asian tiger mosquito in the Strip District. West Nile is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes and not by birds carrying the virus.
However, Patricia DeMarco, executive director of the Rachel Carson Homestead Association, is concerned about the spraying. She says the pesticide contains a nerve alterer that has been classified by the E.P.A. as likely to carcinogenic to humans if ingested orally......"it will harm not only the target species but any other insects that are in the area at the time, and it is also likely to flow into waterways as droplets fall on the ground and get washed into the water."
But Bill Todaro, the medical entomologist with the County Health Department, says this pesticide has been used safely around the country....."maybe if you spray it down your throat you might get sick" but crews are only using 2 to 3 ounces per acre.
DeMarco says the Health Department could avoid using the pesticide by getting people to eliminate standing water which serves as breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Todaro says they've been doing that for years..."We get a lot of complaints from people about neighbors who have scrap auto tires, junk and abandoned swimming pools in their yards. We send out violation notices and bring people into magistrate's court to get them to clean up their yard."
DeMarco is also concerned about the impact of the spraying on honeybees but Todaro says they've checked and there are no honeybee colonies in the area they will be spraying and honeybees do their work during the day, and the spraying will be at night.
Todaro says they plan to spray sections of Homewood, Point Breeze, Bloomfield and Shadyside Wednesday night.
However, Patricia DeMarco, executive director of the Rachel Carson Homestead Association, is concerned about the spraying. She says the pesticide contains a nerve alterer that has been classified by the E.P.A. as likely to carcinogenic to humans if ingested orally......"it will harm not only the target species but any other insects that are in the area at the time, and it is also likely to flow into waterways as droplets fall on the ground and get washed into the water."
But Bill Todaro, the medical entomologist with the County Health Department, says this pesticide has been used safely around the country....."maybe if you spray it down your throat you might get sick" but crews are only using 2 to 3 ounces per acre.
DeMarco says the Health Department could avoid using the pesticide by getting people to eliminate standing water which serves as breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Todaro says they've been doing that for years..."We get a lot of complaints from people about neighbors who have scrap auto tires, junk and abandoned swimming pools in their yards. We send out violation notices and bring people into magistrate's court to get them to clean up their yard."
DeMarco is also concerned about the impact of the spraying on honeybees but Todaro says they've checked and there are no honeybee colonies in the area they will be spraying and honeybees do their work during the day, and the spraying will be at night.
Todaro says they plan to spray sections of Homewood, Point Breeze, Bloomfield and Shadyside Wednesday night.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Health Dept Monitors Air Quality From Coke Oven Blast
The Allegheny County Health Department says it's investigating the effects of today’s explosion at the U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works.
Director Dr. Bruce Dixon says because of the department's routine oversight of operations at the facility, a health inspector was at the plant at the time of the explosion.“
“While the incident produced a black cloud, these emissions resulted in no long-lasting effects to the environment or to the health of residents in the Liberty-Clairton area.”
None of the Health Department’s three monitors nearby in Liberty, Lincoln or Glassport showed any unusually high readings associated with the explosion."
Dixon says Health Department staff will continue to stay on-site as long as necessary to ensure the public’s health and safety as well as the area’s environmental integrity.
The incident occurred in the Battery B of the plant which is its largest section and is composed of 75 coke ovens.
U.S. Steel Clairton is the largest coke manufacturing facility in the United States producing 4.7 million tons of coke each year to be used in the steelmaking process.
Director Dr. Bruce Dixon says because of the department's routine oversight of operations at the facility, a health inspector was at the plant at the time of the explosion.“
“While the incident produced a black cloud, these emissions resulted in no long-lasting effects to the environment or to the health of residents in the Liberty-Clairton area.”
None of the Health Department’s three monitors nearby in Liberty, Lincoln or Glassport showed any unusually high readings associated with the explosion."
Dixon says Health Department staff will continue to stay on-site as long as necessary to ensure the public’s health and safety as well as the area’s environmental integrity.
The incident occurred in the Battery B of the plant which is its largest section and is composed of 75 coke ovens.
U.S. Steel Clairton is the largest coke manufacturing facility in the United States producing 4.7 million tons of coke each year to be used in the steelmaking process.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
New Homes To Have Sprinklers
Under a state-wide law as of 2009 sprinklers are required in new construction townhouses and as of January 1st of 2011, all single-family residential homes need sprinklers. They are the same sort of sprinklers that are in hotel rooms - when the temperature reaches a certain level, they burst and spew water. There will be multiple sprinklers in every room.
The sprinklers are meant for personal safety- to defuse a flame for example and not for property protection. They would not be strong enough to extinguish a blazing fire but would provide enough water to sprinkle a flame.
Once the sprinklers are installed, they are not checked. It is up to individual homeowners to make sure they continue working.
According to Michael Como, Chief Plumbing Inspector for The Allegheny County Health Department about 1,000 new homes were built in the county last year that required the sprinklers. He did not know how many of those houses are occupied.
He is working with sprinkler companies and home-builders while they install sprinklers in these houses to ensure that they maintain codes. He is also working with other counties to learn about their sprinkler installation techniques.
The sprinklers are meant for personal safety- to defuse a flame for example and not for property protection. They would not be strong enough to extinguish a blazing fire but would provide enough water to sprinkle a flame.
Once the sprinklers are installed, they are not checked. It is up to individual homeowners to make sure they continue working.
According to Michael Como, Chief Plumbing Inspector for The Allegheny County Health Department about 1,000 new homes were built in the county last year that required the sprinklers. He did not know how many of those houses are occupied.
He is working with sprinkler companies and home-builders while they install sprinklers in these houses to ensure that they maintain codes. He is also working with other counties to learn about their sprinkler installation techniques.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Heat, Humidity Prompt Health Alert
High temperatures are forecast to remain in the low to mid 90's through Thursday in the Pittsburgh area and that has led the Allegheny County Health Department to issue a health alert.
Department Director Dr. Bruce Dixon says extreme heat and humidity forecast for this week can pose serious problems for the elderly, infants and children up to the age of four, the overweight, people who work or exercise outdoors, and people with heart or respiratory problems.
Dixon says heat-related illness occurs when the body’s temperature control system is overloaded. The body normally cools itself by sweating, but sometimes this cooling mechanism breaks down and the body temperature rises rapidly, triggering heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
Heat exhaustion is the body’s response to an excessive loss of water and salt contained in sweat. Warning signs include heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, fatigue, dizziness, headache, nausea or vomiting and fainting. Dixon says seek medical attention immediately, if the symptoms are severe or if the person has heart problems or high blood pressure. Otherwise, help the victim cool off, and seek medical attention if the symptoms worsen or last longer than one hour.
Dixon says heat stroke is a more serious and potentially life-threatening condition and occurs when the body is unable to control its temperature and the sweating mechanism fails. Warning signs may include a body temperature above 103F; red, hot and dry skin, due to no sweating; a rapid, strong pulse; throbbing headache; dizziness; nausea, confusion; and unconsciousness. Death or permanent disability may result without emergency treatment. Dixon says cool the victim rapidly by any means available until paramedics arrive.
Department Director Dr. Bruce Dixon says extreme heat and humidity forecast for this week can pose serious problems for the elderly, infants and children up to the age of four, the overweight, people who work or exercise outdoors, and people with heart or respiratory problems.
Dixon says heat-related illness occurs when the body’s temperature control system is overloaded. The body normally cools itself by sweating, but sometimes this cooling mechanism breaks down and the body temperature rises rapidly, triggering heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
Heat exhaustion is the body’s response to an excessive loss of water and salt contained in sweat. Warning signs include heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, fatigue, dizziness, headache, nausea or vomiting and fainting. Dixon says seek medical attention immediately, if the symptoms are severe or if the person has heart problems or high blood pressure. Otherwise, help the victim cool off, and seek medical attention if the symptoms worsen or last longer than one hour.
Dixon says heat stroke is a more serious and potentially life-threatening condition and occurs when the body is unable to control its temperature and the sweating mechanism fails. Warning signs may include a body temperature above 103F; red, hot and dry skin, due to no sweating; a rapid, strong pulse; throbbing headache; dizziness; nausea, confusion; and unconsciousness. Death or permanent disability may result without emergency treatment. Dixon says cool the victim rapidly by any means available until paramedics arrive.
Monday, July 5, 2010
ACHD Calls for Reserve Medical Volunteers
Volunteers are needed for the local Regional Medical Reserve Corps, an emergency response group covering 13 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Allegheny County Health Department spokesman Dave Zazac says the Reserve Corps is called up in times of medical emergency, like any natural or man-made disaster.
“For instance, if indeed we had an oil spill up here as opposed to down in the Gulf; if we go back to Hurricane Ivan, whenever there was flooding in certain sections of the county; other really wet-weather events perhaps at this time of year.”
You don’t need to be a doctor or a nurse to apply – Zazac says the Health Department would also need non-medical personnel to help contain crowds and provide clerical support. He says the Health Department provides free training online and in classrooms.
Reserve Corps chief Ed Schwartz says in emergency conditions, the state or federal government would cover any liability if a medical error should occur.
Southwestern Pennsylvania’s Region 13 chapter currently has 485 members. To apply, call the Health Department at 412-578-8349 or visit their website.
Allegheny County Health Department spokesman Dave Zazac says the Reserve Corps is called up in times of medical emergency, like any natural or man-made disaster.
“For instance, if indeed we had an oil spill up here as opposed to down in the Gulf; if we go back to Hurricane Ivan, whenever there was flooding in certain sections of the county; other really wet-weather events perhaps at this time of year.”
You don’t need to be a doctor or a nurse to apply – Zazac says the Health Department would also need non-medical personnel to help contain crowds and provide clerical support. He says the Health Department provides free training online and in classrooms.
Reserve Corps chief Ed Schwartz says in emergency conditions, the state or federal government would cover any liability if a medical error should occur.
Southwestern Pennsylvania’s Region 13 chapter currently has 485 members. To apply, call the Health Department at 412-578-8349 or visit their website.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Outbreak of Shigellosis Hits Pittsburgh Area
The Allegheny County Health Department is taking special measures to slow an outbreak of diarrheal illness known as shigellosis. Health Department spokesman Guillermo Cole says shigella infections began to increase countywide last October and there have been 97 cases reported so far this year. That compares to 41 in 2009 and only 12 in 2008. Other parts of the state including neighboring counties are also experiencing shigella outbreaks. Cole says nearly half of the local cases were children 5 or younger.
To curb the outbreak, Cole says the Health Department is requiring children and workers with diarrhea to be barred from day care centers until they have tested negative for shigella bacteria and have no diarrhea for at least 24 hours without using anti-diarrheal medication.
Cole says for children and daycare center workers without health insurance, they can get the test done free of charge through the Health Department.
Shigella bacteria can be easily spread person-to-person or through contaminated food and beverages when people do not carefully wash their hands after using the bathroom, changing a diaper or caring with someone with the illness.
Cole says symptoms including diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever usually last 5-7 days but in some cases people with no symptoms can still pass the bacteria to others.
To curb the outbreak, Cole says the Health Department is requiring children and workers with diarrhea to be barred from day care centers until they have tested negative for shigella bacteria and have no diarrhea for at least 24 hours without using anti-diarrheal medication.
Cole says for children and daycare center workers without health insurance, they can get the test done free of charge through the Health Department.
Shigella bacteria can be easily spread person-to-person or through contaminated food and beverages when people do not carefully wash their hands after using the bathroom, changing a diaper or caring with someone with the illness.
Cole says symptoms including diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever usually last 5-7 days but in some cases people with no symptoms can still pass the bacteria to others.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Pgh Task Force to Hold AIDS Testing Event
In observance of National HIV Testing Day on Sunday, the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force will hold the East End Community Health Day this Friday at the East Liberty Presbyterian Church.
The Allegheny County Health Department will have a van at the event to do HIV and STD testing, as well as other health screenings.
PATF Executive Director Kathi Boyle says most HIV-positive Pittsburghers get the virus through unsafe sex, not via needle-sharing or blood transfusions.
Boyle says HIV/AIDS remains a major issue, particularly in the African-American community. She says gay African-American young men are at high risk for HIV infection. Boyle adds that HIV/AIDS is the primary cause of death for African-American women aged 25-34.
“Women are getting infected and they aren’t getting into care. They don’t get themselves tested. Traditionally, women are busy taking care of families and they’re the last to take care of themselves, and so when they finally find out, they’re so sick that they die from HIV and AIDS, and that doesn’t have to happen.”
Older gay white men are also at increased risk, says Boyle.
But she says many treatment options are available in Pittsburgh.
“It’s possible to get medication without having to pay anything for that if you don’t have insurance, and you can get the care without insurance. We really want people to understand that HIV is not a death sentence any longer, if they get into care.”
The East End Community Health Day will run from noon to 3 p.m. Friday. Screenings are confidential and anonymous, as mandated by Pennsylvania law.
The Allegheny County Health Department will have a van at the event to do HIV and STD testing, as well as other health screenings.
PATF Executive Director Kathi Boyle says most HIV-positive Pittsburghers get the virus through unsafe sex, not via needle-sharing or blood transfusions.
Boyle says HIV/AIDS remains a major issue, particularly in the African-American community. She says gay African-American young men are at high risk for HIV infection. Boyle adds that HIV/AIDS is the primary cause of death for African-American women aged 25-34.
“Women are getting infected and they aren’t getting into care. They don’t get themselves tested. Traditionally, women are busy taking care of families and they’re the last to take care of themselves, and so when they finally find out, they’re so sick that they die from HIV and AIDS, and that doesn’t have to happen.”
Older gay white men are also at increased risk, says Boyle.
But she says many treatment options are available in Pittsburgh.
“It’s possible to get medication without having to pay anything for that if you don’t have insurance, and you can get the care without insurance. We really want people to understand that HIV is not a death sentence any longer, if they get into care.”
The East End Community Health Day will run from noon to 3 p.m. Friday. Screenings are confidential and anonymous, as mandated by Pennsylvania law.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Consent Decree for Natrona Steel Plant
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Allegheny Health Department and the Department of Justice have reached a settlement with Allegheny Ludlum for alleged Clean Air Act violations at the company's Natrona silicon steel production plant. EPA Regional Administrator Shawn Garvin says the settlement will bring cleaner air to Allegheny County....."“We’re pleased that we could resolve these issues without further litigation, meaning nearby communities will benefit sooner from improved air quality.”
As part of the settlement, Allegheny Ludlum will pay a $1.6 million penalty to be divided equally between the federal government and the Allegheny County Health Department for its Clean Air Fund. The company has agreed to permanently cease steel making operations at its Natrona plant by no later than November 30, 2010. Allegheny Ludlum had already planned to shut down the Natrona facility and consolidate operations at its nearby Brackenridge plant.
Health Department spokesman Guillermo Cole says this agreement means a long-term commitment to cleaner air and continuing operations..."the output (from the consolidation) will be about the same and will lead to a dramatic reduction in emissions and result in cleaner air for the residents in the area."
Cole says this case dates back to "a significant number of complaints by residents" in 2007 about particulate pollution from the plant. The settlement is subject to a public comment period and final approval by federal court.
As part of the settlement, Allegheny Ludlum will pay a $1.6 million penalty to be divided equally between the federal government and the Allegheny County Health Department for its Clean Air Fund. The company has agreed to permanently cease steel making operations at its Natrona plant by no later than November 30, 2010. Allegheny Ludlum had already planned to shut down the Natrona facility and consolidate operations at its nearby Brackenridge plant.
Health Department spokesman Guillermo Cole says this agreement means a long-term commitment to cleaner air and continuing operations..."the output (from the consolidation) will be about the same and will lead to a dramatic reduction in emissions and result in cleaner air for the residents in the area."
Cole says this case dates back to "a significant number of complaints by residents" in 2007 about particulate pollution from the plant. The settlement is subject to a public comment period and final approval by federal court.
Monday, May 17, 2010
River Water Advisories to Begin
The Allegheny County Health Department will start issuing river water advisories for the 2010 river recreation season beginning today and running through September 30th.
They will indicate whether water quality in rivers is normal or if a combined sewer overflow (CSO) alert has been issued. The alerts are issued when heavy rainfall causes sewers carrying a combination of sewage and storm water to overflow and contaminate rivers and streams.
Those with weakened immune systems or open cuts or sores should avoid the water at those times.
Updates are available by calling the river advisory hotline at 412 687 ACHD, by subscribing to text message or twitter alerts, by visiting www.achd.net or by looking out for orange colored flags with black CSO lettering. They fly at marinas and docks and on the Allegheny, Monongahela, Ohio and Youghiogheny Rivers.
They will indicate whether water quality in rivers is normal or if a combined sewer overflow (CSO) alert has been issued. The alerts are issued when heavy rainfall causes sewers carrying a combination of sewage and storm water to overflow and contaminate rivers and streams.
Those with weakened immune systems or open cuts or sores should avoid the water at those times.
Updates are available by calling the river advisory hotline at 412 687 ACHD, by subscribing to text message or twitter alerts, by visiting www.achd.net or by looking out for orange colored flags with black CSO lettering. They fly at marinas and docks and on the Allegheny, Monongahela, Ohio and Youghiogheny Rivers.
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