NOTIFIABLE DISEASES REPORT

Each week the Orange County Public Health Department reports to the state the incidence of various notifiable diseases in the county. The following table details a selection of these afflictions for January, the most recent month for which information is available:

NUMBER OF CASES January January % Change, Disease 1990 1989 1989-1990 Acquired immune deficiency 46 22 +109 syndrome (AIDS) Alzheimer’s disease and 16 N/A * related conditions Campylobacter 15 15 No change Chlamydial infections 97 N/A * Lapse of consciousness 179 121 +48 (non-alcohol related) Giardiasis 25 50 -50 Gonococcal infection 106 242 -56 Hepatitis A 26 30 -13 Hepatitis B 35 38 -8 Lead poisoning 12 31 -61 Measles 10 4 +150 Meningitis 22 13 +69 Non-specific urethritis 172 N/A * Salmonellosis 16 24 -33 Shigellosis 11 29 -62 Syphilis 38 69 -45 Tuberculosis 27 29 -7 TOTAL REPORTABLE 1,082 1,159 -7

* Was not a notifiable disease in January, 1989.

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome: Fatal disease that attacks the body’s immune system. Is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus. Transmitted by sexual contact, exposure to contaminated blood and from an infected mother to her newborn.

Alzheimer’s disease: A progressive form of middle-age dementia sometimes marked by memory disorders, impaired reasoning, personality changes and other symptoms.

Campylobacter: Characterized by sudden, acute diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever and vomiting. Associated with foods poorly refrigerated or improperly cooked, unpasteurized milk and unchlorinated water.

Chlamydial infections: A predominantly sexually-transmitted viral disease that can be identified either by culture or other lab test.

Giardiasis: A protozoan infection principally of the upper small intestine. May be associated with a variety of intestinal symptoms such as chronic diarrhea, abdominal cramps and bloating, fatigue and weight loss. Contracted by ingesting contaminated food or water.

Gonococcal infections: Sexually transmitted bacterial diseases that differ in males and females in terms of course, severity and recognition.

Hepatitis A: An acute viral illness affecting the liver. Occurs mostly in children and young adults. Usually transmitted by oral ingestion of infected material or by poor sanitation.

Hepatitis B: An acute illness of the liver transmitted by exposure to contaminated needles, by administration of blood or blood products and/or oral ingestion of contaminated material.

Lead poisoning: Intoxication from absorption of lead or its salts into the body. Often occurs in young children who nibble on materials containing paint with a lead base. Common signs are abdominal pain, constipation, drowsiness, pallor, mental confusion and a blue line on gums.

Measles: A highly infectious viral disease tending to appear in epidemics. Mainly affects children.

Meningitis: Inflammation of the three membranes enveloping the brain and spinal chord.

Non-specific urethritis: An infection often caused by chlamydia (see above), but reported without proof of its cause.

Salmonellosis: A bacterial disease characterized by the sudden onset of a headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, dehydration and fever. Contracted by eating contaminated food.

Shigellosis: Acute diarrhea acquired by person-to-person contact, through eating contaminated food or by handling contaminated objects.

Syphilis: A chronic venereal disease caused by a spirochete and transmitted by sexual intercourse. The first symptom, a chancre, appears after an incubation period of 12 to 30 days and is followed by a slight fever.

Tuberculosis: A mycobacterial disease that usually affects the lungs. General symptoms include sweats, hectic fever and severe weight loss.

NOTIFIABLE DIESEASES TREND Sources: Orange County Public Health Department, “Reported Cases of Specified Notifiable Diseases,” for November, 1988.

“Control of Communicable Diseases In Man,” an official report of the American Public Health Assn., Abram S. Benenson, editor, 1985, 4th edition.

“Better Homes and Gardens Family Medical Guide,” Donald G. Cooley, editor, 1973, 2nd edition.

“The Bantam Medical Dictionary,” prepared by Laurence Urdang Associates Ltd., 1982.

“Stedman’s Medical Dictionary,” Williams and Wilkins Co., 1973, 22nd edition.