Health Information A to Z
The information provided on this page is intended to help educate the public and is not a substitute for medical advice. Information is reviewed and updated as needed. The fact sheets are not copyrighted and may be reproduced without permission.
Health Information Guides
What is COVID-19 disease?
COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is a disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2. It can be very contagious and spread quickly. Over one million people have died from COVID-19 in the United States.
COVID-19 most often causes respiratory symptoms that can feel much like a cold, the flu, or pneumonia. COVID-19 may attack more than your lungs and respiratory system. Other parts of your body may also be affected by the disease. Most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, but some people become severely ill.
How is COVID-19 spread?
COVID-19 spreads when an infected person breathes out droplets and very small particles that contain the virus. Other people can breathe in these droplets and particles, or these droplets and particles can land on their eyes, nose, or mouth. In some circumstances, these droplets may contaminate surfaces they touch.
Anyone infected with COVID-19 can spread it, even if they do NOT have symptoms.
The risk of animals spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to people is low. The virus can spread from people to animals during close contact. People with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should avoid contact with animals.
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear two to fourteen days after exposure to the virus. Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms. Symptoms include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
What are the new CDC guidelines for COVID-19 and respiratory virus prevention?
- Stay up to date with vaccination to protect against serious illness, hospitalization, and death.
- Practice good hygiene by covering coughs and sneezes, washing, or sanitizing hands often, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.
- Take steps for cleaner air, such as bringing in more fresh outside air, purifying indoor air, or gathering with others outdoors.
If you get sick:
- Stay home. Isolate at home away from others until 24 hours after symptoms improve and fever subsides without the use of medication.
- Resume activities with precautions. After isolation, continue with enhanced prevention strategies for the next five days, such as wearing masks, maintaining distance, and improving hygiene and air quality.
How is COVID-19 treated?
Some people are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 or need hospital care. Antivirals can provide additional protection, even if you are vaccinated, if:
- You are at least 50 years of age, especially 65 or older, OR
- You have certain underlying medical conditions, such as a weakened immune system, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, or chronic lung disease, regardless of your age.
You should talk to a medical provider about getting treatment for COVID-19 if you fall into one of the two categories above.
There are treatment options for people at higher risk of severe disease. The antiviral your doctor prescribes depends on whether you’re at home or in the hospital, and on which medications you are currently taking.
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What is influenza?
Influenza (also known as “the flu”) is a viral infection of the lungs and airways. Anyone can get influenza. Influenza is spread from person to person by coughing and sneezing. It may also be spread by direct contact with infected people or contaminated objects like door handles or computer keyboards. Influenza can be a serious disease that causes severe complications such as pneumonia. It can also make heart disease or chronic lung disease worse. In the United States, there were 21,000 deaths caused by influenza during the last influenza season (2022-2023).
What are the symptoms of influenza?
Symptoms of influenza might be confused with the common cold. Influenza symptoms are usually more severe than cold symptoms. These include:
- Fever (100°F or greater)
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Fatigue or tiredness
- Chills
- Body aches
- Stuffy or runny nose
- Headache
Symptoms usually start 1 to 3 days after being exposed to the influenza virus. Most people feel better after several days but cough and tiredness may last two weeks or more.
How is influenza treated?
For the quickest recovery from influenza, get plenty of rest; drink fluids like juice, water, or hot tea; and consider a fever-reducing medication, such as acetaminophen (but do not give aspirin or aspirin-containing products to children or teenagers who have flu-like symptoms – including fever). Do not give any medication, including over-the-counter remedies to a child without first consulting your healthcare provider. If a fever lasts more than 3 or 4 days, see your healthcare provider. A physician may also prescribe certain antiviral medications. These medications may make symptoms milder if taken within 1 to 2 days of when symptoms begin. However, antiviral medication should be limited to those with severe illness or those at higher risk for complications.
Look out for emergency warning signs that require urgent medical attention.
If you see these warning signs, seek medical care immediately, either by calling your healthcare provider or going to an emergency room. When you arrive, tell the receptionist or nurse about your symptoms. You may be asked to wear a mask and/or sit in a separate area to protect others from getting sick:
In children:
- High or prolonged fever
- Fast breathing or trouble breathing
- Bluish or gray skin color
- Not drinking enough fluids (dehydration)
- Severe or persistent vomiting
- Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
- Worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions
- Changes in mental status, such as not waking up or not interacting; or seizures
- Fever with a rash
In adults:
- High or prolonged fever
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
- Sudden dizziness
- Severe or persistent vomiting
- Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
- Worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions
- Confusion
How do I prevent getting influenza?
Yearly vaccination is the most important way to prevent influenza. Anyone concerned about getting sick from influenza virus should get a flu vaccine. Getting vaccinated is especially important for people at higher risk of complications from flu. The best time to get the influenza vaccine is as soon as it is available, but any time during the flu season is still a good time to get vaccinated. It takes about 2 weeks after vaccination to develop protection against the influenza virus. Past infection with influenza or immunization with the influenza vaccine does not necessarily protect a person from getting influenza the next year because influenza strains often change from one season to the next.
People who should receive influenza vaccination include:
- Everyone 6 months and older
- People of any age with certain acute or chronic medical conditions, including immunosuppression
- People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
- Those who might transmit influenza to the vulnerable people listed above should also receive influenza vaccination, including:
- Health care personnel (including emergency medical personnel).
- Household contacts of people at high risk for complications from the flu.
- Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (because these children are too young to be vaccinated).
- Household contacts and out of home caregivers of older adults.
There are some people who should NOT be vaccinated. These include:
- Children less than 6 months of age (influenza vaccine is not approved for this age group).
- People who have had a severe, life-threatening reaction to an influenza vaccination or any ingredient in the vaccine.
Some people should talk to their doctor before getting the flu shot. These include:
- People who have an allergy to chicken eggs or any ingredient in the vaccine.
- People who have ever had Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) People who have a moderate-to-severe illness with a fever (they should wait until they are recovered to get vaccinated)
In addition to vaccination, there are everyday steps you can take to protect your health and if you are sick, to prevent spreading influenza to others:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. If tissues are not available, cough or sneeze into your sleeve.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine.) Keep away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick.
Influenza vaccine may rarely cause serious side effects in some people.
The viruses in the flu shot are killed (inactivated), so you cannot get the flu from a flu shot. Some minor side effects that could occur are:
- Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given.
- Fever
- Aches
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Itching
If these problems occur, they begin soon after the shot and usually last 1 to 2 days. People who receive influenza vaccine rarely have any serious problems from it. However, some serious problems can occur, such as severe allergic reactions.
More information on the flu vaccination can be found from the CDC.
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What is Measles (Rubeola)?
Measles (Rubeola) is a highly contagious viral infection. It is spread easily from person to person through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes.
What are the symptoms?
The most common symptoms are fever, red eyes, runny nose and eyes, cough, chills, sore throat, headache, muscle aches, and a red-brown, blotchy rash starting on the face and moving to the rest of the body. Most children with measles are quite ill but recover with no ill effects. However, some develop ear infections, pneumonia, croup, diarrhea, or encephalitis (brain swelling). Infants and adults often have the more serious cases.
How is it treated?
There is no medicine for the disease. Your health care provider may recommend medication to relieve the symptoms or to treat complications of measles. Measles can be prevented by the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine series. North Carolina law requires children to receive two doses of measles-containing vaccine: dose one at 12 to 15 months of age and dose two (at least 30 days later) before kindergarten/first grade entry, between ages 4 years – 5 years of age.
If you plan to travel internationally with an infant less than 12 months old:
- Infants aged 6-11 months should receive one dose of the MMR vaccine before departure.
- If an infant aged 6-11 months received the MMR vaccine prior to travel, the infant still needs to complete the two-dose MMR series according to the recommended vaccination schedule.
Who should stay at home?
Individuals with measles should be kept from school/childcare and/or work for four days after the rash appears. They may need to stay out longer if they don’t feel well and/or cannot participate in usual classroom or work activities.
Precautions
- Good hand washing practices.
- Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing and then wash your hands.
- Use tissue one time and discard tissue in trash can.
- Watch for symptoms of illness among staff, students, co-workers, and other family members.
- Get vaccinated if you are unvaccinated.
- Frequently disinfect toys, sinks, countertops, and tabletops at home with a solution recommended by the Division of Public Health to help prevent exposure to measles when these surfaces are contaminated.
- For healthcare facilities, workplaces, and hospitality establishments: to prevent or reduce patient, employee, and customer risk to measles virus exposure, take preventative measures to ensure that workplace surfaces that may be contaminated with body fluids are cleaned regularly with disinfectant. Generally, EPA-registered disinfectants suitable for Hepatitis B viruses and HIV will be effective against the measles virus. Commonly contaminated areas include water fountains, sinks, countertops, tabletops, tables, front desks, cabinets, chairs, door handles, telephones, faucet handles, restrooms, and equipment. In addition to the previous items, childcare workers should disinfect any toys or small objects that may be contaminated with a child’s saliva or other body fluids.
If a case of measles occurs, staff should immediately notify the Division of Public Health. The Division of Public Health will decide if a special immunization program or other treatment is needed for those in close contact with the infected person. Also:
- Children and adults who are not immunized should be immunized or kept from school, childcare, or work until 21 days after the rash appears in the last case of measles in the facility.
- Closely observe all children for symptoms and refer anyone developing symptoms to their health care provider.
- Follow appropriate group separation practices in large facilities.
Special Note: Parents are advised to avoid the use of aspirin in children who have flu-like symptoms or chicken pox. Ask your health care provider about other medicines for fever or pain. Free language assistance available upon request.
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What is meningococcal disease?
Meningococcal disease is any illness caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitides and can also include infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and bloodstream infection (bacteremia or septicemia).
How are the bacteria that causes meningococcal disease spread?
Neisseria meningitidis can live in the upper respiratory tract without causing any visible signs of illness in an estimated one out of ten people (this is called a “carrier state”). However, the bacteria can be triggered to enter the body, therefore resulting in a case of meningococcal “disease”. The bacteria are spread to others who are in close proximity to the infected individual, through respiratory and throat secretions. Proximity is one to three feet for 30 or more minutes and sharing oral secretions with the individual, such as sharing eating utensils, drinking glasses, toothbrushes, and kissing. According to the NC Division of Public Health, simply sitting next to an infected individual does not constitute a high risk contact.
What are the signs and symptoms?
When signs are present, they may include:
- Fever
- A spotty red or purple rash
- Headache and/or neck stiffness
- Person looking very sick
- Confusion or coma
- Shock
- Bleeding under the skin and into tissues
How do you know if someone has meningococcal disease?
A medical diagnosis is made by testing blood or other body fluids.
How is meningococcal disease treated?
A person with meningococcal disease may need to be admitted to a hospital’s intensive care unit. Treatment may include intravenous fluids (IV) and antibiotics, breathing support, medications for blood pressure, blood clotting or platelets and wound care for skin with blood clots. Isolation of the person will occur for the first 24 hours to avoid spreading the bacteria to others. Prognosis is good if treatment is received early.
Should close contacts be treated?
Yes. Prophylaxis (preventive antibiotics) will be offered to family members and other close contacts.
Can meningococcemia be prevented?
There are three types of meningococcal vaccines available in the United States and the indications for each type of vaccine are slightly different. All 11 to 12-year-old children should be vaccinated with a single dose of a vaccine that can help prevent four types (serogroups A, C, W and Y) of meningococcal infection, (Menactra® or Menveo®).
Since protection may decrease over time, a booster dose is recommended at age 16.
A serogroup B meningococcal vaccine (Bexsero® or Trumenba®) may be given to teens ages 16 to 23 years, and two or three doses are indicated, depending on the brand. The recommendation for this specific meningococcal vaccine is strongest for individuals at increased risk of meningococcal disease such as those with certain medical conditions or travel to areas with high numbers of cases.
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What are lice and nits?
Lice are tiny but visible insects. They live in hair and survive on human blood. The eggs of lice are called nits. They too are very small but visible. Nits are extremely tiny and white, and they cling to the hair. The female louse attaches her eggs to the hairs near the scalp. The eggs hatch and leave empty nit shells on the hair. As lice mature, they begin laying more eggs. It takes seven to 10 days for lice to mature.
Where do head lice occur?
Lice outbreaks occur worldwide. They are common among young children and their close contacts. They are not related to poor hygiene. Routine hair care will not prevent or cure the problem.
How are head lice spread?
Lice are spread most of the time by head-to-head contact with a person with head lice or by contact with their personal belongings (such as combs, brushes, coats, hats, bed linens or towels) that have live lice or eggs on them.
What are the signs of head lice?
Lice and nits, although very small, can be seen in the hair and scalp. Nits may resemble dandruff. Itching of the scalp is very common, but in mild cases children may not complain. Irritation of the skin at the hairline and ears due to scratching may be present.
Who should be treated?
Treatment is recommended for people with active infestation. All other household members and close contacts should be monitored but not treated unless lice or nits are found. Bedmates of the person with lice or nits should be treated.
How are head lice treated?
Medication in the form of shampoo or crème rinse is available both over the counter or by prescription. It is very important that medication instructions be followed exactly as written. Nit removal is also particularly important. The best way to remove nits following treatment is to separate hair into small sections and wet comb each section with a fine-tooth comb. Clean comb after each section of hair is wet combed. Nits should be placed in a sealed trash bag.
Nits can sometimes live through the treatment, then hatch and re-infest. Children may return to school after treatment with a significant amount (75%) of nits removed, however daily combing needs to be continued to remove ALL nits.
If crawling lice are seen after full treatment, consult your health care provider. Retreatment is often recommended but do not treat an infected person more than two or three times with the same medication if it does not appear to be working. Do not mix lice treatments.
Other Important notes:
- Pregnant women and children under age 2 should check with their health care providers regarding treatment.
- Children with asthma and allergies should check with their health care provider regarding treatment.
- Excessive use of pesticide products may be harmful.
- Itching or redness of the scalp may occur after using lice medication. Avoid contact with eyes. If shampoo gets in the eyes, immediately flush with water. After use, store product out of reach of children. If problem persists, contact your school nurse, childcare nurse, or health care provider.
- No method is 100 %effective. Remember the most important step in successful treatment is to remove all nits.
Prevention and control measures in the classroom:
- Hang or store coats and hats separately using assigned or labeled wall hooks, lockers or cubbies.
- Tuck hats and scarves into coat sleeves.
- Teach students not to share hats, headgear, combs, brushes, bows, etc.
- Avoid “dress-up” time or activities where clothes or hats are shared. Vacuum
- Vacuum rugs or carpet daily.
- Store sleeping mats or towels in individually student-labeled cubbies or plastic bags. Send these items home frequently for laundering. Store other personal items in plastic or paper bag labeled with students’ names.
- Clean headphones with damp cloth between students.
- Investigate any student scratching his head.
- Examine all classroom contacts if head lice have been confirmed.
Prevention and control measures at home:
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend the removal of lice and nits on household objects:
- Machine washing with hot water and detergent (especially bed linens, towels and clothes worn or used by the infected person in the 2-day period just before treatment) followed by drying at a hot temperature.
- Items that cannot be washed should be dry cleaned or sealed in plastic bags for two weeks.
- Vacuum upholstered furniture, carpeting, mattress, pillows, floors, and automobile. Immediately dispose of vacuum cleaner contents in outside trash.
- Soak combs and brushes in hot water (at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit) for 5-10 minutes.
- Household lice sprays are not recommended. They can be toxic if inhaled or absorbed through the skin.
- Encourage children and others not to use personal articles belonging to someone else. Continue to inspect hair for lice or nits. Use fine-tooth comb every day for two weeks.
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What causes it?
Pertussis, also called “whooping cough,” is a highly contagious disease (easily spread from one person to another) caused by the Bordetella pertusis bacteria (germs). The bacteria are spread through droplets from the nose and mouth when the infected person coughs, sneezes or talks.
What are the symptoms?
Early symptoms include a runny nose, low-grade fever, and mild, occasional cough. These symptoms usually appear about seven to ten days after exposure to the bacteria. The cough gradually becomes more severe. After one to two weeks, the person begins to have episodes of hard, fast coughing that end in a long inhalation of air that sounds like a high-pitched whoop, hence the nickname “whooping cough.” During an episode, the person may turn blue and appear ill and distressed. The person may vomit and show signs of exhaustion immediately after the episode.
The whooping cough episodes may last one to six weeks. The cough slowly goes away but may return if the person has other respiratory infections. Very young children (less than 1 year of age) are most severely affected. Older children, teenagers, and older adults may have symptoms ranging from very mild to a persistent cough. They do not usually make the whooping sound while coughing. However, they are still able to pass the disease on to other people.
How is it diagnosed?
A health care provider should diagnose pertussis. A lab test may be done, especially if the patient is a young infant or someone who has had the pertussis vaccine.
How is it treated?
Antibiotics are used to treat and prevent the spread of pertussis. People who have been in close contact (i.e., live in the same home) with someone who has pertussis should be treated. In addition, those individuals exposed to pertussis who are at high risk of severe illness or who will have close contact with a person at high risk of severe illness should be treated. Persons recovering from pertussis infections should also get plenty of rest and fluids.
How is it prevented?
Immunizations are the best preventive method against pertussis. One immunization is called DTaP. It is for infants and young children. Tdap is another vaccine. It is for older children and adults. Both vaccines are a combination of Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis vaccines. In addition, covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing can reduce the spread of the virus. Frequent hand washing is also recommended.
Why get vaccinated?
Pertussis is highly contagious. Major complications most often occur in infants and young children, including pneumonia, seizures, and brain damage. Young children can die from pertussis.
School/Childcare Attendance
Any person who has pertussis should not go to school, childcare, or work until five days after treatment has begun.
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What is rabies?
Rabies is a viral disease that damages the brain and spinal cord of warm-blooded animals. The virus is present in the saliva and blood tissue of the central nervous system of rabid animals. Rabies can infect any warm-blooded animal (including humans) and is usually fatal. There is no cure for rabies. Postexposure rabies treatment (treatment given after contact with the rabies virus), if given promptly and correctly, may be effective in preventing rabies disease from developing.
How does rabies spread?
Rabies virus is found in the saliva of the infected animal and is usually transmitted through a bite or infected saliva getting into an open wound or mucous membrane (eyes, nose, mouth). Not all exposures transmit the disease. When sufficient rabies virus enters the body, it travels to the brain and spinal cord. Once signs of the disease appear, the infected person or animal will usually die within days.
How can I tell if an animal has rabies?
You can’t. Animals infected with the rabies virus in their saliva can act normally. When signs of infection do appear, they may include changes in normal behavior such as acting fearful, nervous, lethargic, or even friendly. Other signs may include aggression, foaming at the mouth, biting at real or imaginary objects, staggering, stumbling and paralysis. The best way to confirm that an animal has the rabies virus is to test its brain in a qualified laboratory. If the suspicious animal is a dog or cat, it must be confined and observed for a certain period.
Which animals can get rabies?
Raccoons account for most animals testing positive for rabies in North Carolina. Animals such as foxes, skunks, bats, dogs, cats, and livestock have also been diagnosed with rabies. Rabies is rare among small rodents (squirrels, chipmunks, mice, and voles), opossum and rabbits.
What’s different about bats?
Bats can also transmit rabies. Because the size of the bat’s bite may be so small as to go unnoticed, even brief physical contact with a bat should be considered an exposure risk. Finding a bat in a room with any sleeping person who is not able to definitively state that no physical contact occurred should also be considered a potential exposure. In any of these cases, the exposure should be brought to the attention of local animal control so that the bat can be captured safely and tested for rabies.
What if someone I know is exposed?
If there is a possibility that the rabies virus has been transmitted, the wound or exposed area should be vigorously scrubbed with soap and warm water for at least ten minutes, using a brush if possible. Contact your health care provider or health department for exposure evaluation and further treatment if necessary. Call your local animal control agency (641-5990) to capture the animal for rabies observation or testing. If it is possible to do so safely, detain the animal until animal control arrives.
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What are Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)?
Sexually transmitted infections are infections commonly transmitted during anal, oral, or vaginal sex.
How do you get STIs?
Sexually transmitted infections are spread by having vaginal, oral, or anal sex with an infected male or female. Anyone who has any kind of unprotected sex is at risk. If a mother is infected, she can also pass STIs to her unborn child while she is pregnant or during birth. Some STIs can also be spread by sharing needles (HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis).
Are STIs preventable?
Yes. The best ways to avoid getting STIs are:
- No sex (abstinence).
- No drugs (including alcohol), which can impair your judgment prior to sex.
If you are having sex:
- Talk to your partner about getting tested and using condoms.
- Limit your number of sex partners.
- Use a latex condom correctly each time you have sex.
- Use dental dams, flavored condoms, or non-lubricated condom for oral sex.
What are the signs and symptoms of STIs?
STIs often have no signs or symptoms. You can have an STI, not show signs and still spread it to someone else. You could get an STI from someone who doesn’t show any signs. General signs and symptoms include:
- Itching and/or burning pain in the genital area when you urinate (pee).
- Sores, rashes, or blisters that appear in the genital area.
- A discharge or drip from the genitals (may have an unusual odor or color).
What do you do if you think you may have an STI?
Contact the local health department or your primary health care provider. Don’t just hope it will go away because it won’t. Some STIs can be treated with antibiotics. Without treatment, STIs can cause serious health problems including sterility, cancer and even death. You should also inform your sexual partners; there is help available for telling them. You do not have to do this alone.
Who can I call for more information?
American Sexual Health Association Hotline:
1-800-227-8922
Spanish-Speaking: 1-800-344-7432
Hearing-impaired: 1-800-243-7889
Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health
Greensboro or High Point: 336-641-7777
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What is tuberculosis (TB)?
- Latent TB infection means the TB bacteria has infected a person, but it is inactive or dormant (quiet). The person is not sick, does not have symptoms and is not contagious.
- TB disease means the bacteria has become active in a person; symptoms are usually present, and the infection is usually contagious. If not treated, TB disease can cause serious damage to your body. It was once the leading cause of death in the United States.
How do you get TB?
- You can get TB by breathing the bacteria into your lungs when someone with TB coughs into the air.
- It is hard to get TB unless you share close breathing space with an infected person for a long period of time on an ongoing basis. TB is most frequently transmitted within families and close workers, not casual acquaintances.
- TB is not spread by brief contact with a person with disease.
What are the symptoms and signs of TB?
Symptoms and signs vary from person to person but may include:
- Productive coughing longer than three weeks
- Sputum that is blood-tinged
- Prolonged tiredness
- Prolonged fever
- Unexplained weight loss
- Drenching night sweats
With latent tuberculosis infection, there are no symptoms or signs. Infection is detected by a positive TB skin test.
How do you know if you have TB?
- Latent TB infection is usually diagnosed by a positive reaction to a TB skin test or a positive blood test (IGRA). A positive skin test does not mean you have the tuberculosis disease.
- TB disease is suspected by symptoms, a chest x-ray and medical evaluation. It is confirmed by culture of the TB organism in sputum.
Can you cure TB?
Yes. TB can almost always be cured.
How do you treat TB?
- By taking medication as prescribed and monitored by a health care provider, latent TB infection can be stopped from turning into TB disease.
- TB disease is treated by medicines (usually several) taken for six to nine months or longer, depending on the situation. Regular checkups are also needed.
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What is meningitis?
Meningitis is an infection of the meninges (the three membranes that cover the brain and the spinal cord). These membranes extend from the head down the spinal column from the neck to the base of the spine. A crystal clear fluid called spinal fluid circulates over the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis is sometimes referred to as spinal meningitis.
What is meningitis?
Meningitis may be caused by a virus, bacteria, or fungi. Viral meningitis (also called aseptic meningitis) is the most common type of meningitis. Viral meningitis can also be a complication of mumps, chickenpox, or some other viral disease.
How is meningitis spread?
Some viruses that cause viral meningitis, enteroviruses, are most often spread through direct contact with respiratory and throat secretions from an infected person. You might shake hands with someone infected or touch something infected with the virus and then rub your own nose or mouth. These viruses may also be spread to others by contact with feces, especially among small children who are not toilet trained and to adults who change diapers of infected infants.
What are the signs and symptoms?
- High fever
- Sudden, severe headache
- Stiff neck
- Nausea and vomiting
- Confusion
- Discomfort when looking into bright lights
In newborns and babies, the typical symptoms may be much harder to detect. The parent or caregiver may notice the baby moving more slowly or being inactive, being irritable, vomiting or feeding poorly. Symptoms usually begin within three to ten days after exposure to the virus.
Illness usually lasts less than ten days. See your health care provider immediately if you think you have meningitis.
How is meningitis treated?
People usually recover without specific treatment. Bed rest, fluids, and medicine to relieve fever and headache may help a person with viral meningitis feel better. Viral meningitis is not treated with antibiotics.
How can meningitis infection be prevented?
Proper hand washing with soap and warm water helps prevent infection. Hands should be washed:
- After using the toilet
- After changing diapers
- After sneezing or coughing
- Before handling food or drink
- Before eating
Avoid sharing items that may have another person’s saliva on them, such as eating utensils, cups or drinking containers and cigarettes. In settings such childcare centers, washing objects and surfaces with a dilute bleach solution (1½ cups of household bleach mixed with one gallon of water) can be an effective way to kill the virus.