About The Lee County ledger. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1978-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 6, 2019)
The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, February 6, 2019, Page 5A Public Health urges heightened awareness about measles Special to the Ledger Following two con firmed cases of measles in the Atlanta area, Public Flealth officials are urging healthcare providers to maintain heightened awareness for patients with measles. Both residents with the diseases are now out of the infectious stage, but the Georgia Depart ment of Public Health is notifying others who may have been exposed between Jan. 7-14. Public Health officials say the risk of becom ing ill is low. However, anyone who becomes sick with measles symp toms or thinks they have been exposed to measles should: Contact their healthcare provider immediately and let him or her know you may have been exposed to measles. If you don’t have a doctor, you should contact your county health depart ment. DO NOT go to the doctor’s office, hospital or public health office without FIRST calling to let them know about your possible contact with measles. Your healthcare provider or public health nurse will advise you about what to do. If you think you might have measles, stay at home and avoid contact with others especially babies less than one year of age or people with weakened immune systems. Healthcare providers who suspect measles should notify Public Health immediately. Measles (Rubeola) Fact Sheet What is measles? Measles (rubeola) is a highly contagious vac cine-preventable disease caused by a virus. How is measles spread? Measles is spread by air-borne droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. What are symptoms of measles? Measles typically begins with a fever, fol lowed by cough, runny nose, and/or red, watery eye. After two to three days, the fever peaks and a rash appears at the hairline and spreads progressively downward covering the face, neck, trunk and extremities. What kind of vac cine is given to prevent measles? The MMR vaccine prevents measles and two other viral diseases- —mumps and rubella. More than 95% of the people who receive a single dose of MMR will develop immunity to all three viruses. A second dose boosts immunity, typically enhancing protection to 98%. The Centers for Dis ease Control and Preven tion (CDC) recommends that all persons be routinely vaccinated be tween 12 and 18 months of age and receive a booster between four and six years of age. Who is at increased risk of becoming in fected with measles? Infants who are too young to have been vac cinated (less than one year of age) Persons who have never been vaccinated Immunocompromised persons (these include persons undergoing cancer chemotherapy or other immune-suppres sive treatments, trans plant recipients or those with diseases that affect the immune system such as acquired immune defi ciency syndrome (AIDS) or systemic lupus erythe matosus (SLE) Who is at high risk for complications from a measles infection? Infants and children less than five years of age Adults greater than 20 years old Pregnant women People with compro mised immune systems What about older per sons? Persons born before 1957 are generally con sidered immune because they probably had the disease when they were younger. Is it okay to go to pub lic places (i.e., grocery store, work, day care, school etc.) if I have been exposed to measles and develop symptoms? No, if you have been exposed and you be come ill with symptoms of measles you should avoid public places and contact your healthcare provider immediately. DO NOT go to the doc tor’s office, the hospital or a Public Health clinic without FIRST calling to let them know about your possible exposure to measles. Your healthcare provider or Public Health nurse will advise you about what you should do. The University of Georgia • Cooperative Extension Service Camellias Doug Collins, Lee County Extension Coordinator Putting Knowledge toWorLJ BrunermI&u Lawn Care Lawn Maintenance • Hedge Maintenance Pine Straw • Mulch • Clean Up Licensed and Insured Bryan Bruner, Owner • bbruner2010@aol.com 229-869-6641 LeePride CLEANERS 261 Walnut AV6. Downtown Leesburg 759-6200 Thank Yon Southwest Georgia The Albany qifeBsfiGiBtMF HERALD Air Conditioning & Heating Co. 'teesburq Mr 1723 Philema Rd., Albany, GA AhiMMU Sfawdrud www.leesburgair.com • 888-8222 HEATING * AIR con d't' on ' ng Camellias are in full bloom right now. They bloom over an extended period, providing color to the landscape. Blooms can be cut and floated in water in a bowl to be enjoyed indoors. Severe freezes can “burn” blooms. Camellias Submitted Photo Kelly Glass Lee County Middle School EAST Welcomes New Teacher Kelly Glass Special to the Ledger Kelly, a graduate of the Lee County School System, is entering her fifth year of teaching, she is teaching 7th grade Science on Team EPIC. Before moving back to Lee County she received her B.S. in Biology, and taught Honors Biology in the Colquitt County School System for four years. While there, she sponsored the Science Club and coached the Middle School Spirit Football and Basket ball cheerleaders. Kelly works with the youth and sings on the worship team at her church, Hope City United. She also enjoys teaching dance at Pink Slipper School of Dance. She is excited to rejoin the Trojan fam ily and serve her home school system. Camellias are in bloom now. I have seen several large camellia bushes that are cov ered in blooms, both in Leesburg and in the surrounding area. They bloom when little else is blooming. Camel lias are prized for their large, colorful, and plentiful blooms borne during late fall and winter. Camellias are close relatives of sa- sanquas. Most people would have trouble telling a camellia from a sasanqua. Like sasan- quas, the blooms come in different colors, color variegations, and forms. Sasanquas bloom in the fall, while camellias bloom in the winter. Camellia blooms are generally larger than those of sasanquas. I know of several very old camellia bushes. Ca mellias can live as long as 200 years. Also in the genus with camellias and sasanquas is the tea plant that produces the leaves from which tea is made. Camellias are native to Asia. Like sasanquas, camel lias prefer a moist but well-drained, deep, somewhat acidic soil with plenty of organic matter. They benefit from mulching and par tial shade. They do well under widely-spaced pine trees. High pH soils are not good for camellias. Camellia bushes are attractive evergreen plants, with a normal mature height of be tween ten and fifteen feet—sometimes even ten feet taller than that. Camellia plants can grow into large bushes, so give them plenty of space when planting. They may be a very small shrub at planting, but they can grow into very large plants over a period of decades. Once established, ca mellias require relatively little care. Ordinarily, they are not significantly affected by insects or disease. A camellia you plant may be enjoyed by future generations long after your lifetime. For more information, call the Lee County Extension Office at 759-6025 or email me at collinsd@uga.edu In the past 10 years, there have been seven confirmed cases of measles in Georgia, including one imported from another country. For more informa tion about measles, go to https://www.cdc.gov/ measles/index.html. 227-B WALNUT AVE. LEESBURG, GA 31763 (NEXT TO SUBWAY) ® 733-0056 (§) 733-0227 We Accept Faxes & Emails To File! LEESBURG@SISTERSTAKES.COM ^ State Farm Auto • Home • Renters • Life • Bank • Business Michele Bates, Agent Steve Perrine, Agent BOOSTER LEE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE / fo Aec (fatotyi 229.888.0813 www.StevePerrine.com **£?// GOODSON PECANS Est.1972 Stop by our store in Leesburg or Livi and Company in Albany on Ledo Rd. Leesburg Store is Beside Subway 227-E Walnut Ave. S. • Open Monday-Friday 9-3 www.goodsonpecans.com 229- 759-4008
