Hancock County family warns of Lyme Disease

ELVASTON, Ill. (WGEM) – An Elvaston, Illinois woman is recovering from symptoms of Lyme Disease. This comes after she found a tick on her earlier this week. Now her husband has a warning for others.

“On Monday night it had a dark ring and there was a black spot in the middle of it,” said Mark Cole.

Cole thinks his wife got bit by a tick while working in their yard on Monday. While it’s not yet confirmed if she has Lyme Disease, Cole says there’s no doubt in his mind that his wife has it.

“She’s got all the signs,” says Cole. “She’s got the welt, the ring, body aches, soreness, sick, sleeps all the time.”

Melita Finney is the community health director at the Hancock County Health Department and says deer ticks are common in this area. Those are the ticks that carry Lyme Disease.

“Ticks really come from weeds that are tall or brushy areas,” said Finney. “That’s why they always say that when you’re going out to a forest area or even in your yard you want to take certain precautions to protect yourself.”

That includes wearing a long sleeved shirt and long pants tucked into your socks. Experts also recommend wearing insect repellent with DEET.

“That’s important and you can actually spray that on your clothes and on your skin but be careful with children and not put too much on,” said Finney.  “You might want to check with your doctor about what to do about your kids.”

Meanwhile, Cole says he has a message for others.

“Check yourself every time you come in the house,” said Cole. “Check your kids constantly, especially if they’re out running and playing in the yard.”

Cole says his wife is getting tested for Lyme Disease on Monday. If Lyme Disease isn’t treated, it could cause heart problems, memory loss and arthritis; just to name a few.

Hepatitis A on the rise in Nashville

Metro Public Health Department confirmed 41 cases of hepatitis A in Nashville since December, seven more cases since last week.

The city has added 10 more vaccination events in the last week, according to Rachel Franklin, the interim director of Communicable Disease and Emergency Preparedness.

Large hepatitis A outbreaks have occurred since early 2017 in multiple states. There are ongoing outbreaks in California, Utah, Kentucky, Indiana, and West Virginia. Those at greatest risk for exposure to hepatitis A include those who are homeless, using illegal drugs, and men who have sexual contact with men.

The Health Department and Davidson County Sheriff’s Office worked to provide hepatitis A vaccines at all Davidson County Sheriff’s Office facilities after four cases of hepatitis A were confirmed three weeks ago among DCSO inmates.

Hepatitis A symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, jaundice and clay-colored stool. Although some cases can require hospitalization, most rec

MPHD offers free hepatitis A vaccines to the three at-risk groups at all three of its health centers.

“We also want to remind everyone that practicing good hand washing hygiene can help stop the spread of this illness,” Franklin said. “Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water, scrubbing for at least 20 seconds, after you use the restroom and before eating or preparing any meals.”

over within a few weeks.

Do you have Auto-Immune Hepatitis? (AIH)

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We are currently looking for participants to help researchers and the diagnostic community by donating plasma.  We have unique plasma donation programs for you to participate in and you are compensated for doing so.  Plasma is a crucial component in the research & diagnostic communities as well as in the manufacturing of the very test kits that were used in aiding your healthcare provider in your diagnosis.

Without participants like yourself,  physicians, laboratories, hospitals and research centers will not have access to these test kits as they will go on back order without antibody rich plasma to create these test kits.  Since plasma is only a small component of the red blood cells you don’t have to wait 56 days to donate again.  With plasma you can safely 2x in a 7 day period.

We currently need those who have a positive LMK-1 antibody.

 

Basic donor qualifications:-

  1. Must be 18-65 years in age
  2. Must weigh at least 110lbs or more
  3. Must be HIV/HCV/HBV Negative

 

Research program for auto immune disorders

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We are currently looking for participants to help researchers and the diagnostic community by donating plasma.  We have unique plasma donation programs for you to participate in and you are compensated for doing so.  Plasma is a crucial component in the research & diagnostic communities as well as in the manufacturing of the very test kits that were used in aiding your healthcare provider in your diagnosis.

Without participants like yourself,  physicians, laboratories, hospitals and research centers will not have access to these test kits as they will go on back order without antibody rich plasma to create these test kits.  Since plasma is only a small component of the red blood cells you don’t have to wait 56 days to donate again.  With plasma you can safely 2x in a 7 day period.

Basic donor qualifications:-

  1. Must be 18-65 years in age
  2. Must weigh at least 110lbs or more
  3. Must be HIV/HCV/HBV Negative

 

AIH/Auto Immune Hepatitis  with  LKM-1 antibodies

Systemic Sclerosis with SCL-70 antibodies

SLE/Lupus with dsDNA antibodies

Polymyositis (PM)/ Dermatomyositis (DM) with the anti JO-1 antibody

Goodpasture’s disease (anti-glomuerular basement membrane) with GBM antibodies

Crohn’s disease antibodies are ANCA (P/C) ASCA

Pernicious Anemia produces the PCA/parietal cell antibody