Diseases - FAQs:

A vaccine, like any medicine, could possibly cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions. The risk of a vaccine causing serious harm, or death, is extremely small.

Serious problems from influenza vaccine are very rare. The viruses in inactivated influenza vaccine have been killed, so you cannot get influenza from the vaccine.

Mild problems:

• soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given
• hoarseness, sore or red eyes, cough, itchiness
• fever
• aches

If these problems occur, they usually begin soon after the shot and last 1 to 2 days.

Severe problems:

• Life-threatening allergic reactions from vaccines are very rare. If they do occur, it is usually within a few minutes to a few hours after the shot.
• In 1976, a certain type of influenza (swine flu) vaccine was associated with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). Since then, flu vaccines have not been clearly linked to GBS. However, if there is a risk of GBS from current flu vaccines, it would be no more than 1 or 2 cases per million people vaccinated. This is much lower than the risk of severe influenza, which can be prevented by vaccination.

The virus nicknamed CRHP is known scientifically as carbapenem-resistent Klebsiella pneumoniae. It is emerging as an important challenge in health-care settings.

Learn more:

• Klebsiella pneumoniae in Healthcare Settings (CDC)
• Guidance for Control of Infections with Carbapenem-Resistant or Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae in Acute Care Facilities (CDC)

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite. People with malaria often experience fever, chills, and flu-like illness. Left untreated, they may develop severe complications and die. In 2008, an estimated 190 - 311 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide and 708,000 - 1,003,000 people died, most of them young children in sub-Saharan Africa.

For more information, you may want to visit these sites:

• Malaria (CDC)
• Malaria Diagnosis & Treatment in the United States (CDC)
• Malaria Fact Sheets and Brochures (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
• Malaria (MedlinePlus)
• Malaria and Travelers (CDC)
• Malaria Research Resources (NIH)

Summer is mosquito season in many states and the time most likely to see increased reporting about West Nile Virus (WNV) and its impact on birds, animals, and people. The CDC reports that a single mosquito bite can give you West Nile Virus. Using a mosquito repellent can improve your odds of avoiding West Nile virus.

Residents of areas where virus activity has been identified are at risk of getting West Nile encephalitis; persons over 50 years of age have the highest risk of severe disease. It is unknown if people with immune-compromised health conditions are at increased risk for WNV disease. Because of public health concerns, the CDC tracks the virus and has a program to control infectious disease where possible.

For more information, you may want to visit the following sites:

About West Nile Virus:

• West Nile Virus: What You Need to Know (CDC)
• 2011 West Nile Virus Activity by State (CDC)
• 2011 West Nile Virus Activity by County (CDC)
• Five Common Myths about West Nile Virus (CDC)
• West Nile Virus Research (NIH/NIAID)

Preventing and Treating West Nile Virus:

• Fight the Bite! (CDC)
• Updated Information regarding Insect Repellents (CDC)
• Insect Repellent Use and Safety (CDC)
• Workplace Safety (CDC/NIOSH)
• Protecting Pets from Mosquito-Borne Diseases (FDA)

MRSA is a type of staph bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics. Staph infections, including MRSA, occur most frequently among persons in hospitals and healthcare facilities (such as nursing homes and dialysis centers) who have weakened immune systems (see MRSA in Healthcare Settings). The MRSA bacteria are commonly found on the skin or in the nose of healthy people.

Staph bacteria is present in the nose of approximately 25% to 30% of the population without causing an infection. MRSA is present in about 1 percent of people.

Staph bacteria are one of the most common causes of skin infections in the United States. Most of these skin infections are minor (such as pimples and boils) and can be treated without antibiotics. However, staph bacteria also can cause serious infections (such as surgical wound infections, bloodstream infections, and pneumonia).
 

Learn More:

• MRSA (MedlinePlus)
• Symptoms of MRSA (CDC)
• Protect Yourself from MRSA (CDC)
  • Personal Prevention of MRSA Skin Infections (CDC)
• Environmental Cleaning & Disinfecting for MRSA (CDC)
• Drug Resistance to MRSA Research (NIH/NIAID)
• Clinical Trials on MRSA (NIH)

Staph bacteria are one of the most common causes of skin infection in the United States and are a common cause of pneumonia, surgical wound infections, and bloodstream infections. The majority of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) infections occur among patients in hospitals or other healthcare settings; however, it is becoming more common in the community setting.

In 2010, encouraging results from a CDC study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA Association) showed that invasive (life-threatening) MRSA infections in healthcare settings are declining. Invasive MRSA infections that began in hospitals declined 28% from 2005 through 2008. Decreases in infection rates were even bigger for patients with bloodstream infections. In addition, the study showed a 17% drop in invasive MRSA infections that were diagnosed before hospital admissions (community onset) in people with recent exposures to healthcare settings.

This study (or report) complements data from the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) that found rates of MRSA bloodstream infections occurring in hospitalized patients fell nearly 50% from 1997 to 2007.

Learn More:

• MRSA (MedlinePlus)
• Data & Statistics for MRSA (CDC)

Steps to prepare for flu season and limit the spread of the flu virus include some everyday actions that you and your family can take to stay healthy.

• Get vaccinated!
   
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. No tissue available? Cough into your sleeve or elbow, not your hands.
   
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective. (See our Handwashing Video.)
   
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
   
• Follow the advice of your local public health department regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other measures to reduce flu transmission.
   
• If you get sick, stay home. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
   
• Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

Families, students, and school staff can keep from getting sick with flu in three ways.

1.  Practicing good hand hygiene. Students and staff members should wash their hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective. (See the Handwashing Video.)
   
   
2. Practicing respiratory "etiquette."  The main way that the flu spreads is from person to person in the droplets produced by coughs and sneezes, so it’s important to cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.  If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder, not into your hands.
   
   
3. Staying home if you’re sick. Keeping sick students and staff at home means that they keep their viruses to themselves rather than sharing them with others at school.

Everyone must take personal responsibility for helping to slow the spread of flu viruses by practicing these steps.

The CDC recommends that you wash your hands thoroughly with clean, running water and soap. Use warm water if it is available.

If clean, running water is not available use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

There are everyday actions people can take to stay healthy. Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

Flu spreads mainly person-to-person through the coughing or sneezing of infected people. If you get sick, the CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

• Be sure to continue taking your diabetes pills or insulin. Don’t stop taking them even if you can’t eat. Your health care provider may even advise you to take more insulin during sickness.
   
• Test your blood glucose every four hours, and keep track of the results.
   
• Drink extra (calorie-free) liquids, and try to eat as you normally would. If you can’t, try to have soft foods and liquids containing the equivalent amount of carbohydrates that you usually consume.
   
• Weigh yourself every day. Losing weight without trying is a sign of high blood glucose.
   
• Check your temperature every morning and evening. A fever may be a sign of infection.

Call your health care provider or go to an emergency room if any of the following happen to you:

• You feel too sick to eat normally and are unable to keep down food for more than 6 hours.
• You're having severe diarrhea.
• You lose 5 pounds or more.
• Your temperature is over 101 degrees F.
• Your blood glucose is lower than 60 mg/dL or remains over 300 mg/dL.
• You have moderate or large amounts of ketones in your urine.
• You're having trouble breathing.
• You feel sleepy or can't think clearly.

For more information, see:

• Diabetes and the Flu
• Taking Care of Your Diabetes at Special Times: When You Are Sick from the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse fact sheet, Your Guide to Diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2.

The pneumonia bacteria are spread through contact between persons who are ill or who carry the bacteria in their throat. Transmission is mostly through the spread of respiratory droplets from the nose or mouth of a person with a pneumococcal infection. It is common for people, especially children, to carry the bacteria in their throats without being ill from it.

There are four types of symptoms for pneumococcal disease.

Meningitis:
High fever, headache, and stiff neck are common symptoms of meningitis in anyone over the age of 2 years. These symptoms can develop over several hours, or they may take 1 to 2 days. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, discomfort looking into bright lights, confusion, and sleepiness. In newborns and small infants, the classic symptoms of fever, headache, and neck stiffness may be absent or difficult to detect, and the infant may only appear slow or inactive, or be irritable, have vomiting, or be feeding poorly.

Pneumonia: 
In adults, pneumococcal pneumonia is often characterized by sudden onset of illness with symptoms including shaking chills, fever, shortness of breath or rapid breathing, pain in the chest that is worsened by breathing deeply, and a productive cough. In infants and young children, signs and symptoms may not be specific, and may include fever, cough, rapid breathing or grunting. 

Otitis media: 
Children who have otitis media (middle ear infection) typically have a painful ear, and the eardrum is often red and swollen. Other symptoms that may accompany otitis media include sleeplessness, fever and irritability. 

Blood stream infections: 
Infants and young children with blood stream infections-also known as bacteremia-typically have non-specific symptoms including fevers and irritability.

Approximately 70 million people who should be receiving the pneumonia vaccine are not yet vaccinated (National Health Interview Survey, 2007).

The pneumonia vaccine is recommended for:

• People who are 65 years of age and older
• People 2 years of age and older who have a chronic illness such as:
  • cardiovascular or lung disease
  • sickle cell disease
  • diabetes
  • alcoholism
  • chronic liver disease
  • cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak
  • a cochlear implant
• People 2 years of age and older with a weakened immune system
  • Due to illnesses such as:
    • HIV infection
    • AIDS
    • chronic renal failure
    • nephrotic syndrome
    • organ or bone marrow transplantation
    • Hodgkin’s disease
    • leukemia
    • lymphoma
    • multiple myeloma
    • generalized malignancy
  • Those receiving immunosuppressive therapy (e.g., steroids)
  • Those who have had their spleen removed or whose spleen is dysfunctional due to an illness such as sickle cell disease.
  • Residents of nursing homes or long-term care facilities
• People 19 through 64 years of age who smoke cigarettes or have asthma.

Federally-funded health centers care for you, even if you have no health insurance. You pay what you can afford, based on your income. Health centers provide

1. checkups when you're well
2. treatment when you're sick
3. complete care when you're pregnant
4. immunizations and checkups for your children
5. dental care and prescription drugs for your family
6. mental health and substance abuse care if you need it

Health centers are in most cities and many rural areas. To search for the Health Center in your area, visit http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/

It is unlawful for a public or private facility to discriminate against a person based solely on his/her disability if that person is a qualified person with a disability and meets the eligibility criteria to receive benefits or services. Each complaint, however, is examined on a case-by-case basis. Specifically, in cases involving AIDS, an issue that may come up is whether the person poses a significant threat to the health and safety of others.

Generally speaking, in a child care setting, having AIDS itself should not disqualify a child from participation. You may contact a regional HHS Office for Civil Rights to speak to one of our investigators. To learn more, please visit: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/complaints/index.html

Dental fluorosis is a change in the appearance of the tooth’s enamel. It can result when children regularly consume higher-than-recommended amounts of fluoride during the teeth forming years, age 8 and younger.

Most dental fluorosis in the U.S. – about 92 percent – is very mild to mild, appearing as white spots on the tooth surface that in many cases only a dental professional would notice. Moderate and severe forms of dental fluorosis, which are less common, cause more extensive enamel changes. In the rare, severe form, pits may form in the teeth. The severe form rarely occurs in communities where the level of fluoride in water is less than 2 milligrams per liter.

Learn more about:

• Preventing excessive fluoride exposure in children.
• Community Water Fluoridation Safety (CDC)
• Basic Information about Fluoride in Drinking Water (EPA)