Workers distributing mosquito wipes

CELINA - Mercer County-Celina City Health Department workers are handing out packets of mosquito protection wipes at local parades and will distribute them in the Commercial Building at the Mercer County Fair next week.

The wipes are timely gifts as cases of Zika virus infections spread by mosquitoes have been confirmed in Florida, board members learned at Wednesday's meeting. That disease is often spread through mosquito bites. The U.S. only cases of Zika not tied to travel abroad are 15 cases in Florida. No such confirmed cases have been in Ohio, but nursing director Julia Shaffer reported increased media attention generates more questions to local employees.

In other business, local health department officials reported 1,430 vaccines were administered in July, more than 1,000 of those were funded by the department. A total of 45 tuberculosis tests were given with five positive results, but none of those cases was active. The clients were referred for further evaluation.

One case of pertussis (whooping cough) was reported to the health department on July 24 with sporadic cases sprinkled around other counties in the region. Auglaize, Allen and Van Wert counties reported the same small presence of the disease.

However, as of Aug. 5, the Ohio Department of Health had reported a 27 percent increase in pertussis cases in Ohio in 2016. ODH officials recommend a pertussis vaccine for health department patients.

ODH officials also sent an alert on Aug. 2 about two cases of H3N2 swine flu originating at the Clark County Fair. Two children contracted the disease from a single source, according to the alert. These are the only two swine flu cases reported in the United States.

Additional signs at the Mercer County Fair will remind people to carefully wash their hands, especially after contacting swine.

Health commissioner Amy Poor reported department personnel had applied for a $15,000 grant from the National Association of County and City Health Officials. That funding is designed to assist local health departments pay for requirements in accreditation process. The grants should be awarded by September.

Board members approved first reading of a resolution to increase the administration fee for vaccinations from $12 to $15.

Members offered no questions or objections to a resolution setting fees for temporary campgrounds at $50 for fewer than 50 sites and $50 plus $1.25 per site for temporary campgrounds of 50 or more campsites.

Another resolution would set local fees of $50 per examinee for local proctoring of Serv Safe examinations for food service workers.

Members approved a 2.64 percent pay increase for Health Services clerk Lindsay Hess to $14.75 per hour. However, she is to receive no pay increase at her next evaluation for 2017.

Funds were moved for supplemental appropriations of $150,000 to the vaccine supplies fund and $1,000 to the medical supplies fund. The appropriations are necessary due to increased prices for doses of the vaccines Zostavax (used to prevent shingles) and Twinrix (a vaccine used to prevent Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B.) A dose of Zostavax used to prevent shingles will be increased $8.85 per dose to $210 while a dose of Twinrix will increase by $3.06 per dose to $80.