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According to a recent survey, one in four middle school-aged children in the state use tobacco products. This statistic, along with several others, was obtained through the Louisiana Youth Tobacco Survey (LYTS).
The Department of Health and Hospitals Office of Public Health has awarded a $3.7 million loan to the City of Westlake to help the community improve its drinking water. The loan was finalized last Thursday, March 27.
The Department of Health and Hospitals Office of Public Health announces today that three dead birds have tested positive for West Nile virus. The Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine’s Diagnostic Lab performed the tests that detected the virus and reported the results to OPH. One bird, a sparrow, was found in Alexandria, another sparrow in West Monroe and a blue jay in Lafayette.
Friday marks the first day of spring and the first official day of this year’s West Nile virus surveillance program, which involves testing dead birds for traces of the virus. Testing will take place through the Department of Health and Hospitals’ Office of Public Health.
What should be done when your state leads the nation in rates of childhood obesity? That was the question various attendants sought to answer at "Childhood Obesity in Louisiana," a conference sponsored by the Environment and Health Council of Louisiana and the Louisiana Council on Obesity Prevention and Management.
The Department of Health and Hospitals urges citizens to be aware, but not concerned, about the spread of an atypical strain of pneumonia that began in Southeast Asia and possibly could spread to other parts of the world.
Louisiana leads the nation in childhood obesity. However, various health and physical fitness organizations throughout the state are looking to slim down the problem. The Environment and Health Council of Louisiana, in conjunction with the Louisiana Council on Obesity Prevention and Management, will sponsor a statewide conference to discuss factors that lead to childhood obesity and explore solutions. Conference attendants will look into the benefits of long-term prevention options, such as better health and fitness classes and nutrition programs implemented in schools.
Each year, more than 200,000 Americans die of complications from diabetes, and the disease claims lives in Louisiana at the highest rate in the country. In an effort to raise awareness about the disease, the Department of Health and Hospitals’ Office of Public Health has launched a public education campaign this week, titled “Diabetes: The Silent Killer.”
The Department of Health and Hospitals’ Office of Public Health will offer the media a chance to experience the process health care workers undergo to receive a smallpox vaccine Thursday, Feb. 13, when the statewide inoculation program begins. This opportunity will include the screening process, counseling and a simulated vaccine demonstration.
The federal Centers for Disease Control has advised the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Office of Public Health that debris that fell from the space shuttle Columbia should not pose a risk to people’s health.
State health care workers will host a media briefing to address the upcoming smallpox vaccinations that begin Feb. 13. Louisiana's plan calls for vaccinating the state's public health and health care response teams against the disease. Officials will describe what the smallpox virus is, why the nation is undergoing the vaccine process and what possible side effects a person can have after inoculation. Speakers include DHH Secretary David W. Hood, State Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry and OPH Director of Immunizations Frank Welch. Media will have the opportunity to participate in a question-and-answer session with speakers. However, there will not be room for cameras. The briefing will take place at DHH Headquarters in Baton Rouge and will be broadcast to all regional OPH offices.
Morehouse Parish residents concerned they may have eaten contaminated fish can receive a free test to determine the level of mercury in their bloodstream. These tests are in conjunction with the Department of Health and Hospitals' statewide blood-screening program.