Lucy Branson [left] of the North Georgia Health District's Living Bridge Center administers an Orasure, or oral swab, HIV testTHE LIVING BRIDGE CENTER IN DALTON WILL OFFER FREE HIV TESTING ON NATIONAL HIV TESTING DAY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2012. THE FREE TESTING WILL BE CONDUCTED FROM 9 A.M. UNTIL 1 P.M. AT THE WHITFIELD COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT, LOCATED AT 800 PROFESSIONAL BOULEVARD IN DALTON, GEORGIA.

THE ORASURE (ORAL SWAB) TESTING METHOD WILL BE USED.

WHO SHOULD BE TESTED?

THE CDC RECOMMENDS THAT EVERYONE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 13 AND 64 BE TESTED FOR HIV AT LEAST ONCE IN THEIR LIFETIME, AND THOSE AT INCREASED RISK -- SUCH AS GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN, INJECTION DRUG USERS, OR PERSONS WITH MULTIPLE SEXUAL PARTNERS -- SHOULD BE TESTED AT LEAST ANNUALLY.

FREE T-SHIRTS, EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, GOODY BAGS, AND INCENTIVE CARDS FOR RETURNING FOR TEST RESULTS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO PARTICIPANTS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS FREE HIV TESTING EVENT, CALL THE LIVING BRIDGE CENTER AT 706-281-2360.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT NATIONAL HIV TESTING DAY, LOG ONTO WWW.NAPWA.ORG.

DALTON (GA) JUNE 20, 2012 - According to Raymond King, Director of Environmental Health for the North Georgia Health District, a horse located in a pasture immediately adjacent to the Dalton Municipal Airport in Whitfield County, Georgia has been diagnosed with rabies by the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, and now a total of six local persons who had recent contact with the saliva or mucus of the horse are receiving post-exposure rabies treatments through area hospitals.
 
The horse started to show possible symptoms on June 9th and was examined by a number of persons and veterinarians that week before being taken to the University of Georgia Veterinary College for further examination and testing.
 

Brooke Walker of North Georgia WIC and Tom Pinson of the Gaston Community CenterThe public is invited to attend the Farmers' Market presented by North Georgia Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and Dalton’s Gaston Community Center.

The Farmers' Market will be held at the new Gaston Community Center at 214 Fredrick Street in Dalton from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 20 and Thursday, June 21, 2012.

Come purchase affordably priced, locally grown, fresh fruits and vegetables, and receive free recipes for preparing healthy, nutritious meals. Participants will also be offered food storage guidelines.

Families on the WIC program in attendance will be provided $30 worth of produce.

Participating farmers are from Brown’s Produce of Tunnel Hill and R & A Orchards of Ellijay.

For more information about the WIC-Community Center Farmers' Market, call 706-272-2991, extension 1 or 706-529-8202.

The case of Necrotizing fasciitis, or "flesh-eating bacteria", that recently occurred to a young Georgia victim is a tragedy and it reminds us that there are always microbes in our environments to infect us. But some proportion and perspective are appropriate here.

Odds that you will be struck by lightning during your life are one in 10,000. The CDC estimates that only one of 400,000 people get necrotizing fasciitis in any one year in the U.S.

Most cases of necrotizing fasciitis occur in persons with health risk factors such as diabetes or compromised immune systems. The most common cause of necrotizing fasciitis is Group A Streptococcus (strep), about 725 cases a year in the U.S. Treatment consists of antibiotics and surgical removal of dead tissues. Around 20% of patients with necrotizing fasciitis caused by Group A strep will die.

Necrotizing fasciitis can be caused by at least six completely different bacteria.