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SICK & WELL
HEALTH CARE
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PROMOTING
HEALTHY LIVING
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PREVENTING
DISEASE
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ABOUT US
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Communicable Diseases
Over the past few years Wilkes County Health Department has placed greater emphasis on the following communicable
diseases: Sexually Transmitted Diseases, HIV/ AIDS, Food and Waterborne Diseases, Tickborne Diseases, Arboviral
Diseases, Rabies, Tuberculosis and the Flu. Wilkes County Health Department provides investigation, case management
or treatment of communicable diseases. In some cases, testing and treatment are available. In other cases the Health
Department provides referral and arrangement of care. Sometimes, when there are several people with similar symptoms
or a single person with a highly infectious disease, the Health Department may investigate for the source or to control
spread. In all cases, the goal is to prevent the spread of communicable diseases in our community through testing,
treatment, care coordination, case-finding and appropriate control measures such as disinfection, quarantine and isolation.
For more information or for an appointment, please contact 651-7450.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Infections (“Venereal Disease”)
STIs can cause symptoms like skin sores or bumps, itching, burning when urinating, smelly or different colored discharge,
pain or fever. Some STDs do not cause any symptoms at all. If you know your partner has had one or if you are pregnant
and have had unprotected sex, you may want to be checked for an STI. STIs can still be passed to your partner if you are
not showing symptoms. Anyone who believes that they are infected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) or infection
(STI), or that they have been in a risky sexual encounter with someone who has a STI, may receive STI services by
appointment.
STI services include a risk assessment, sexual history review, physical exam and appropriate lab tests. Treatment,
counseling and education are also provided. Some of the most common STIs are:
Bacterial Vaginosis (BV),
Chlamydia,
Genital Herpes,
Gonorrhea,
Hepatitis (viral),
HIV / AIDS,
Human Papillomavirus Infection (HPV) (which can cause genital warts),
Syphilis, and
Trichomoniasis.
If a person is diagnosed with HIV or syphilis, his or her sexual partners must be contacted so that they can be tested
as well. HIV testing is offered to all clients requesting STI services but it is not automatic (See HIV / AIDS below). All
STI services are strictly confidential and parental permission is not required for minors. Most STI services and medicines
are free of charge. Medicines for STIs that are curable are usually provided free of charge by the state. Medicines for
STIs that are life-long are usually not provided.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National STD and AIDS Hotlines can also answer questions or look
up free or low cost clinics in your area that do STD testing. You can call them at 1 (800) 227-8922 or 1 (800) 342-2437, seven
days a week, 24 hours a day.
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) / AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome)
HIV is a sexually transmitted disease but it is so significant to our lives today and our futures, even for people without the
infection, that it is listed separately. HIV transmission is at a relatively low level in Wilkes County which either provides us
time for prevention or it means we have infected people who have never been tested and do not know their HIV status.
Everyone is encouraged to know his or her HIV status, even people who are at low risk. Sexual activity of any kind is a risk
for HIV. During clinic visits and community outreach activities, Public Health Nurses and Health Promotion Specialists
provide information on HIV prevention and offer free testing. All results are completely confidential, protected by the federal
HIPAA law, just like all medical care that you receive. This
means that the information you discuss with your health care providers must stay in your files at the clinic and not be
released to anyone without your permission. Anonymous testing is when your name is not associated with the test or
the results in any way. You may be given a number or code word to identify yourself during testing and when receiving
results. North Carolina law now prohibits anonymous testing.
Wilkes County Health Department does not provide the new rapid HIV tests at this time. The blood test requires two weeks
for the most accurate result. Each year the Health Department celebrates HIV Testing Day (June 27th) by going into the
community to people who may be at high risk for HIV because of their behavior and providing education and offering tests.
Each year Wilkes County Health Department hosts an annual “Students Speak Out About HIV” poster contest in the four
high schools. Students are asked to create a poster centered around educating the public about HIV. It is also an
opportunity for teenagers to tell the public how they perceive the threat of HIV. A panel of community members selects
the winning posters from each school and a county winner. The county winning poster is posted as a billboard in the
community to raise awareness about World AIDS Day on December 1st.
Food and Waterborne Diseases
There are many diseases that cause diarrhea that we can get from where we least expect. E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria
are found in the intestines of animals, including our pets and wild animals. Eating fresh foods straight from the garden or
that have not been washed thoroughly can spread these diseases if animals have contaminated the garden. Giardia and
cryptosporidium are also found in animal intestines but can be spread by drinking contaminated water. If you are camping,
be sure to purify your water with a filter or iodine to avoid these diseases. Fresh mountain streams may also have fresh
mountain deer using the bathroom in them!!!
Diseases can also be spread on food when it is not cooked all the way. This is especially common when grilling. Beef
needs to be heated up to at least 155 degrees F in the THICKEST part. Chicken must be cooked up to 165 in the thickest
part and fish to 145. (The chicken leg coming off is not a very good way to tell if the chicken has been cooked hot enough.)
Use a meat thermometer to see if the meat is cooked completely.
For more information, please call (336) 651-7450.
Tickborne Diseases
Ticks carry several diseases. Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Disease and Ehrlichiosis have all been seen in Wilkes
County over the past few years. People who live or work in woods or areas with overgrown brush; who work or play in their
yard; or who enjoy the outdoors through hiking, camping, fishing and hunting are most at risk of tick-borne diseases.
To keep from getting ticks on you:
- Wear long pants and sleeves when in areas that are likely to have ticks.
- Tuck pants legs into socks and shirts into pants.
- Wear light-colored clothes so you can see ticks more easily.
- Use repellents on skin and clothing to keep ticks from biting.
- Check yourself and your children for ticks at least every six hours, paying particular attention to the scalp and back of the neck.
It can take a few hours for the tick to bite and pass disease so removing the tick as soon as possible reduces the risk of
disease. Make sure you take off the tick by grabbing it with tweezers close to the skin and pulling straight out slowly and
firmly until the tick lets go. Nail polish, petroleum jelly or hot matches will not make a tick let go. If the tick's mouth parts
are still attached in the skin, remove them with a sterile needle. Wash your hands and the bite area with soap and water,
and then clean the bite with disinfectant. Save the tick in a jar or plastic bag and make a note of the day you removed it. If
you develop any flu-like symptoms over the next several weeks, see your healthcare provider and let him or her know you
were bitten.
For more information, please call (336) 651-7450.
Arboviral Diseases (Certain Mosquito-Transmitted Diseases)
West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephilitis and LaCross Encephalitis are caused by a virus spread by mosquitoes.
The virus can cause symptoms as mild as fever and headache but in can sometimes lead to coma, convulsions, paralysis
and even death. In the past Wilkes County Health Department has participated in the West Nile Virus bird testing program.
That program ended when the virus was found to be in all North Carolina counties for several years in a row.
There are two simple ways to protect yourself, your family, pets and community from these arboviral diseases:
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Avoid mosquito bites by using insect repellants with DEET, wearing light, long-sleeved clothing, and avoid out of doors when mosquitoes
are at their worst such as dusk and dawn.
- Mosquito-proof your home by emptying standing water and installing screens.
Rabies
Rabies is a virus that attacks the nervous system. It spreads in the wild animal population often without notice. Humans are exposed to it when rabid
animals come into contact with people or their pets. Only six people in the world ever have been known to survive rabies so prevention and treatment
immediately after exposure is extremely important. Wilkes County Health Department works with Wilkes County Animal Control and the Humane Society
of Wilkes to prevent the spread of rabies through rabies vaccination clinics; public education; investigating animal bites; testing and investigation of
unvaccinated animals, and population control of unwanted animals. The
Humane Society of Wilkes has financial assistance for spaying and neutering pets as well
as a website of animals that need homes.
There are ways to protect yourself, your family, pets and community from rabies:
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Keep wild animals out of your home by securely fitting doors and windows, covering chimneys with screens and closing any holes in foundations,
porches, basements and attics.
- Stay away from strays and other people's pets (that may be unvaccinated).
- Keep your pet or animals confined to your property. Letting your pets run loose allows them to track down wild or rabid animals.
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Keep trash and pet food in animal-proof containers. Do not attract wild (and possibly rabid) animals by leaving your pet’s uneaten food
outside, or by leaving food out for wild animals.
- Get your animals vaccinated against rabies by a professional and save the certificates. Do not try to vaccinate your own pets.
- Spay or neuter your pets to avoid unwanted animals.
- Finally, take all animal bites and scratches seriously. Call someone qualified to make a decision about you or your pet’s risk for rabies.
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If you need to capture an animal because it has bitten a person or pet trying to tame or capture wild animals by yourself can be dangerous. The
head/ brain must be undamaged and kept under refrigeration for laboratory examination, so don't shoot it in the head. Animal Control has better
methods and training for capturing or destroying possibly rabid animals.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease that is spread by an infected person coughing or sneezing tiny droplets of infected spit into the air that the next
person inhales. While TB is spread from the lungs, TB can be found in other parts of the person’s body such as the spine or kidneys. People who
come into close contact with TB cases are at highest risk of catching the disease.
Wilkes County Health Department provides diagnostic tests and treatment for all active cases of TB and their contacts. Many employers require
TB skin tests which the Health Department provides for a small fee. Anyone with a positive skin test or those who need diagnostic evaluation
can receive either a chest x-ray or sputum test at no charge. All test results are sent to Raleigh to be read. The state’s TB physician may
recommend a course of treatment which also is provided free of charge. Those who are on medication for a six-month period will require a monthly
follow-up. In the follow-up visits patients will be examined for symptoms related to the medication and a blood test may be performed to check liver
function. Blood pressure, weight and vision will also be watched during this six month period. Close contacts of this person will need to be given a
TB skin test. A final chest x-ray is done following therapy to make sure the symptoms have resolved.
Influenza
Influenza or “the flu” is a viral disease that is spread mostly during the winter months. There are many different types of viruses that cause colds
in the winter but the influenza virus is the only one that causes the flu. Vaccination is one way to protect against the flu. There are two different
kinds of flu vaccine. One is the “flu shot” – injected into the upper arm – and the other is the FluMist – a nasal spray.
The flu is not the only bad bug going around in the winter months, though so to help prevent all the colds and sicknesses in the winter months,
practice good health manners:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick, too.
- Stay home when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
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Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then
touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
- See your healthcare provider immediately if you develop flu symptoms; antiviral medications can help if taken early in the illness.
The 2004 flu shortage has changed some of the regulations about flu vaccination and treatment. Wilkes County Health Department is notifying
the public of new regulations as they are announced.
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