Happy Heart Month!

February is American Heart Month - when healthy habits are your heart's desire. Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in Wisconsin, but many of the problems that lead to heart disease can be prevented through heart healthy behaviors:



• Know your blood pressure numbers
• Know your cholesterol levels
• Get active and work towards maintaining a healthy body weight
• Get enough quality sleep
• Eat heart healthy food
• Get an annual physical. Need help getting connected to health care coverage? Find local resources here.

Want more tips?

NIH: Take Action For Your Heart Fact Sheet

DHS: Heart Disease

American Heart Association: Sample recipes from the New American Heart Association Cookbook

Be Winter Ready: Practice Carbon Monoxide Safety

Winter weather is upon us, and this is an important time to make sure your home is carbon monoxide safe. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas you can't see or smell. It's created when fuels such as gas, kerosene, propane or wood are burned, and carbon monoxide poisoning occurs when you breathe that gas in. Each year in Wisconsin an estimated 500 people go to the emergency room because of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Common sources include:

• Idling cars in a closed garage
• Gas water heaters or clothes dryers
• Gas furnaces, boilers, wood stoves, or fireplaces
• Portable gas generators
• Gas ranges/stoves, cooktops or wall ovens
• Small gasoline-powered engines
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Symptoms: The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. CO symptoms are often described as “flu-like.”

How to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in your home:

• Install battery-operated or battery back-up CO detectors near every sleeping area in your home. Check them regularly to be sure they're working.
• Only use generators outdoors, more than 20 feet away from your home, doors, and windows.
• Never use a gas stove or oven to heat your home - even during a power outage.
• Have your chimney checked or cleaned every year. Chimney's can become blocked by debris, which causes CO to back up into the home.
• Have your heating system, water heater, and any other gas, oil, or coal burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year.
• Make sure gas appliances are vented properly.
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Learn More:

DHS: Carbon Monoxide CDC: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Basics Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Flyer: English / Español

earn More About Radon

H5N1 Bird Flu: An Update

Is news about the Bird Flu ruffling your feathers? Do you have backyard chickens? While the risk of becoming ill from bird fluis still very low, it's important to stay informed.

Bird flu is a type of viral infection that is common in wild birds that can spread to other animals. Currently human cases of bird flu are rare, however, can occur after contact with infected animals or contaminated surfaces. Currently there are no confirmed cases of bird flu spreading from human to human.

The Current Situation:

• There have been 67 total reported cases of bird flu in humans in the United States.
• 1 of those cases occurred in Wisconsin. That person contracted bird flu from an infected flock of poultry.
• There has been 1 human death associated with bird flu in the United States. The individual was over 65, had underlying health conditions, and had contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock.

What You Can Do:

• Get your flu immunization. The flu vaccine will reduce the chances of getting the H5N1 bird flu and the seasonal flu at the same time.
• Do not consume raw milk or raw milk products. Cases of bird flu continue to be identified in dairy cows, and the pasteurization process heats milk to kill harmful germs.
• Avoid contact with wild birds and sick or dead animals.

Symptoms Of Bird Flu:

Bird flu symptoms are similar to seasonal influenza symptoms including eye redness, fever, sore throat, muscle aches, and respiratory problems. If you develop symptoms of flu or an eye infection and you have been in contact with animals who may have been infected, stay home to avoid spread, and call your primary care physician.

Harm Reduction

Harm Reduction is a tool that has been used in Public Health throughout history to keep our communities safe. People use these tools every day - items like sunscreen, seat belts, birth control, and cigarette filters are all common examples of harm reduction.

Harm reduction is also a key pillar in the U.S Department of Health and Human Services overdose prevention strategy. The Federal Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines harm reduction as an evidence-based approach that is critical to engaging with people who use drugs and equipping them with life-saving tools and information to create positive change in their lives and potentially save their lives.

Harm reduction for substance use includes access to items like Naloxone (Narcan), fentanyl test strips, and sterile injection equipment. See below for harm reduction efforts and availability right here in Winnebago County.

Other Community Resources:

• Winnebago County Health and Human Services Programs
• We Heart You App
• Breakwater: A substance use prevention coalition
• MyConnection: Mental Health and Substance Use and Services
• DHS: Substance Use Care and Coverage

Fourth Quarter Communicable Disease Report

The Quarterly Communicable Disease (CD) Report provides timely data for the community and healthcare partners on diseases that are present and occurring in Winnebago County. Tracking this data helps detect, prevent, and control illness and outbreaks in the community. Find previous CD Reports here.

Questions? Contact Winnebago County Public Health at 920-232-3000 or by emailing WCPH.CD@winnebagocountywi.gov.

Welcome: Kaytlin!