Last Updated:
07/02/09 12:35:56 PM
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Influenza (Flu): Surveillance,
News Releases and Brochures |
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Flu Surveillance |
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National flu surveillance updated weekly
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. |
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The Nevada State Health Division's
Office of Epidemiology works with local health districts and
departments to conduct surveillance for influenza-like
illness (ILI) and monitor laboratory–confirmed cases of flu.
This enables public health professionals to: |
- Identify the beginning and end of each flu season, so
communities can plan and respond accordingly.
- Monitor the level of influenza-like illness in
communities to determine the extent of the flu season and
variances in influenza-like illness by age.
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The term influenza-like illness is used
to describe people seeking medical treatment for symptoms
consistent with flu infection: a fever over 100 degrees
Fahrenheit, a cough and a sore throat.
The only way to absolutely
determine whether a person has the flu is through a
laboratory test of a culture taken by a doctor. Since most
people do not seek medical treatment for the flu and
cultures are only collected from a fraction of the people
who see a doctor, monitoring for symptoms consistent with
flu infection provides a more-accurate representation of flu
virus activity.
The few cultures collected by
doctors allow public health laboratories to confirm a
diagnosis of influenza and determine which flu strain has
infected the patient. In turn, public health agencies can
gauge which strains of flu are circulating and whether they
match the strains included in the flu vaccine. |
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News Releases |
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Brochures and Flyers |
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Do I Need a Flu Shot?
(pdf) -
General flu information from
the Nevada State Health Division.
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Avian Influenza
"Bird Flu" (pdf)- Facts and information on treatment
and prevention.
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Pandemic
Influenza (pdf) - Definition, facts and information
on treatment and prevention.
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Cover Your Cough - Tips on good health habits to
stop the spread of germs; developed by the Minnesota
Department of Health.
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Healthy Habits -
The
Healthy Habits series, by Southern Nevada Health District,
describes easy steps to take in preventing the flu and other
illnesses.
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Brush
up on hand-washing hygiene; provided by Southern Nevada
Health District.
- Hand washing Brochure
(pdf)
- Hand-washing Brochure en
Español (pdf)
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