Text Box: 156 E State Street Burlington, WI  53105 Phone (800)688-4930             (262)763-4930 Fax  (262)763-4928

 

 

                                               Western Racine County               

 

                                                       Health Department                      

                                                   

                                                                                                      www.wrchd.org

 

Serving the communities of:  City of Burlington

                                               Towns of Burlington, Dover, Norway, Raymond, Rochester, Waterford & Yorkville

                                               Villages of Rochester, Union Grove, & Waterford

______________________________________________________________________________________

 

                                 2008 ANNUAL REPORT

______________________________________________________________________________________

 

                                                                                Director’s Message

                                                   from Cheryl Mazmanian, Director/Health Officer

Text Box: For the Western Racine County Health Department, 2008 was a year filled with occurrences that reinforced why public health is an integral and necessary part of the services provided by the municipalities in western Racine County.  This is evidenced by a regional measles outbreak, countywide flooding, and an Arsenic Well Water Study.   In March, the Health Department faced a measles outbreak that affected the whole southeast region of the State.  The Health Department performed case surveillance and epidemiological studies, and provided education to address the outbreak.  Although there were no confirmed cases of the measles in western Racine County, the Health Department investigated 14 suspect cases and mailed out hundreds of letters to children not up to date with the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine.  This outbreak emphasizes the importance of our immunization clinics and childhood vaccines.   Although the Western Racine County Health Department does not have any designated environmental health staff, environmental health incidents occupied significant staff time.  In June, after days of torrential down pours, Racine County experienced one of the worst floods in its history.  Throughout the county, hundreds of families were affected by the flooding.  The Western Racine County Health Department distributed 51 well water test kits, 15 Red Cross Flood Clean Up kits, and mailed 35 mold/flood clean up informational packets.  In total, staff members followed up on 231 environmental complaints throughout the year.   In September, the Western Racine County Health Department, in collaboration with WI Department of Health Services and Department of Natural Resources, participated in a well water study for arsenic and other heavy metals.  Long-term exposure to high levels of arsenic can increase the risk of skin cancer and may cause damage to the central nervous system.  The Health Department was notified of two public well systems that tested high for arsenic.  Area residents were offered free water testing. Due to elevated readings, 22 of the 70 wells were retested.  All together a total of 92 water samples were tested.  An information session was held to educate residents about arsenic, the test results, and potential resolution.    In addition the public health staff continued to focus on newborn baby visits and perinatal case management, especially in light of the 6 infant deaths in 2008.  Other services delivered included communicable disease follow up, car seat checks, case management of children with special healthcare needs, immunizations, home visitation, and blood pressure checks.    Health education efforts continued through a variety of community events.  Topics addressed at the health fairs included tobacco cessation, emergency preparedness, hand hygiene and cough etiquette, and going green.  The annual community fitness challenge was also a huge success with a total of 620 participates.  In May, the Fitness Challenge Program was presented at the Wisconsin Public Health Conference as a model of health promotion for other health departments in the state to replicate.       I want to thank the staff, Board of Health members, municipality staff and community members for their continued support during the year.  In 2009, I look forward to strengthening our systems and enhancing the quality of services.   

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

State Reported Communicable Diseases

 

 

 

 

 

2008

2007

2006

2005

Disease

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Cases

Cases

Cases

Cases

Blastomycosis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0

2

0

0

Campylobacteriosis

1

 

 

 

2

2

1

1

 

1

 

 

8

5

15

16

Chlamydia

1

8

7

4

4

9

5

4

8

5

6

2

63

59

58

57

Cryptosporidiosis

 

 

 

1

 

1

 

 

1

1

 

 

4

3

3

3

E.Coli O157:H7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0

0

2

3

E.Coli (EHEC, STEC)

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

2

0

1

0

Encephalitis, Viral

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0

1

1

0

Genital Herpes

4

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7

21

0

0

Giardiasis

1

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

3

5

9

4

Gonorrhea

 

 

 

1

 

1

1

 

1

 

 

 

4

6

11

15

Haemophilus Influenzae, Invasive

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

0

0

0

Hepatitis A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0

1

0

1

Hepatitis B

 

2

1

 

 

3

1

 

 

 

 

1

8

3

5

7

Hepatitis C

 

4

1

1

 

 

1

1

2

1

1

1

13

4

19

22

Herpes Simplex Virus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0

0

29

19

Histoplasmosis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0

1

0

0

Kawasaki Syndrome

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0

2

1

1

Legionellosis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0

2

0

0

Lyme Disease

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

1

1

4

5

Meningitis (Aseptic, Viral)

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

8

7

4

Meningitis (Meningococcal)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

1

0

0

0

Mumps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0

0

4

0

Mycobacteria Disease (non TB)

1

 

2

1

 

1

1

 

 

 

0

2

8

4

11

10

Pertussis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0

0

8

9

Rheumatic Fever

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0

0

0

1

Salmonellosis

 

 

 

 

 

1

1

 

 

1

1

1

5

11

7

11

Shigellosis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0

4

0

0

Strep A Invasive Disease

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0

1

1

1

Strep B Invasive Disease

 

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

3

3

4

3

Strep Pneumoniae, Invasive Disease

1

1

4

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7

5

4

5

Syphilis

2

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

2

0

1

Tuberculosis (Pulmonary)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

1

0

0

0

Typhoid Fever

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0

0

0

1

Varicella

 

 

2

5

13

2

 

 

 

 

 

1

23

11

33

37

Total

12

19

19

15

21

20

12

6

13

11

10

8

166

165

237

236

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

= indicates diseases that are no longer reportable to State

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Locally Reportable Communicable Diseases

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2008

2007

2006

2005

Disease

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Cases

Cases

Cases

Cases

Fifth's Disease

6

3

2

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13

8

35

6

Haemophilus influenzae (non-invasive)

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

0

0

0

Hand, Foot, & Mouth

 

1

1

1

 

 

 

 

1

1

 

 

5

0

5

3

Impetigo

4

2

2

2

 

 

 

 

1

1

1

2

15

7

9

3

Influenza

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

1

0

0

Latent TB Infection (LTBI)

 

1

 

 

 

1

1

 

1

 

1

 

5

0

0

0

Lice

4

11

 

1

 

 

 

 

19

18

23

18

94

50

31

20

Mononucleosis

2

3

5

4

3

1

 

 

4

9

3

 

34

30

33

33

MRSA

1

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

1

1

 

 

4

3

0

0

Pink Eye

14

13

7

7

11

2

 

 

11

7

9

6

87

101

66

88

Pinworms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0

0

0

2

Pneumonia

 

3

2

1

1

 

 

 

3

3

1

 

14

20

13

4

Ringworm

 

2

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

1

5

2

Scabies

2

4

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

1

1

9

9

2

4

Shingles

2

1

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

4

0

2

Strep, Scarlet Fever

36

46

31

26

26

4

 

 

19

17

34

15

254

278

370

263

Total

72

92

92

46

41

8

1

1

60

57

73

42

545

512

569

430

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  2008 Communicable Diseases by Municipality  ---  711 Reported Total

              

 

   2008 Environmental Complaints    ---  231 Total