Friday, March 22, 2013
Dakota was ranked the 15th healthiest county in Minnesota, thanks to lower mortality rates and high quality "clinical care," but lagged with respect to physical environment factors such as pollution and fast food restaurants.
Dakota County's a relatively healthy place to live, statistically speaking. Of 87 Minnesota counties, Dakota was ranked 15th for overall health, according to a study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Wisconsin Population Health Institute released Wednesday. Dakota had the fifth-lowest premature death rate and was ranked fourth in the quality of its clinical care, with far more doctors per capita than the state average. The county also stood out for its healthy behavior, a category in which it was ranked eighth. Dakota County residents smoke less, exercise more, experience fewer vehicle crashes and are less likely to contract a sexually transmitted disease. Plus, its teens are less likely to give birth. But the county lagged …
Friday, February 8, 2013
Minnesota Department of Health's latest numbers indicate worst of outbreak behind us.
Updated Feb. 8: Minnesota's 2013 flu outbreak is definitely on the wane. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported Thursday afternoon that influenza killed 15 more Minnesotans during the week of Jan. 27-Feb. 2—less than half the number of deaths reported the previous week. So far this season, a total of 127 Minnesotans have died of flu-related illness. According to this report from the Star-Tribune, the vast majority of deaths and hospitalizations have occurred among the elderly. Also, only 108 people were hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed influenza during the week. Three weeks ago, 476 people were hospitalized in a single week. The MDH reported that only one long-term care facility and 19 schools reported outbreaks of …
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
A new, extremely contagious norovirus strain, detected last year in Australia, is making Minnesotans miserable.
Although it's the traditional flu that seems to be on everyone’s minds this season, the winter vomiting bug, or the norovirus, is also making the rounds. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the norovirus causes about 70,000 hospitalizations and 800 deaths each year, mostly in young children and the elderly. Common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pains. The CDC points out that the norovirus is often referred to as the stomach flu, but it is unrelated to influenza. A new norovirus strain, GII.4 Sydney, was detected last year in Australia. The strain hit the U.K and sickened over a million people. It has now reached the United States and this new strain appears to be taking over. …
Sunday, January 27, 2013
In other headlines from around the region last week, South Metro school districts are losing students to open enrollment, and Shakopee makes a guest appearance on 'Saturday Night Live.'
You can't be in front of your computer 24 hours a day, so each weekend, Patch reviews the top recent headlines from throughout the South Metro region. Here's a look at last week's stories, which first appeared on this site or those of our neighbors, that may interest you or affect your life. To read the full stories, click on the headline links. UPDATE: Death Toll Now at 75, But Flu On The Wane Across Minnesota Department of Health says there were an additional 15 deaths last week, but that number of people hospitalized with flu-like symptoms has fallen dramatically. Authorities Identify Apple Valley Woman Killed in Savage Crash Authorities are still investigating an accident that left a 35-year-old south metro woman dead Wednesday morning…
Monday, October 8, 2012
Officials still trying to reach about 100 who got steroid shots at clinics in Shakopee, Edina, Maple Grove and Fridley.
Minnesota officials are still trying to reach about 100 people who received steroid shots tied to a multi-state outbreak of fungal meningitis that has killed 8 people and infected 105 others in nine states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Minnesota Department of Health staff worked through the weekend to call by phone 831 people who got steroid treatment at six clinics located in Edina, Maple Grove, Fridley and Shakopee. Three Minnesotans Infected So far, three Minnesota women have been hospitalized with the infection but are doing well, according to MDH spokesperson Buddy Ferguson. The MDH said all three are in their 40s but hasn't said more about them or where they got the infection. A 39-year-old …
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
State officials say that a man in his 20's has contracted swine flu, a new strain called H3N2, the second case reported in Dakota County.
Follow us on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter| Blog for us The Minnesota Department of Health announced that another case of H3N2v, a new strain of swine flu, has been confirmed. The latest case was contracted by a man in his twenties, who became sick after purchasing a pig from a live animal market in Dakota County on Aug. 17. This is the third case to appear in Minnesota. The first two were reported in early August, when two fell ill after visiting a live animal market. The three cases are part of larger outbreak of pig flu. To date, there have been 277 confirmed cases nationwide, according to Center for Disease Control. Since July, 13 people have been hospitalized. All have recovered. So far, the virus' …
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Officials at the Minnesota Department of Health have traced three recent cases to cantaloupe grown in southwestern Indiana.
Follow us on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter| Blog for us Health officials are advising Minnesotan consumers to avoid cantaloupe after at least three people in the state became ill with Salmonella. Salmonella is a bacterial organism which can cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps for 12 to 72 hours after the initial infection. The illness typically lasts four to seven days. However, young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems have a greater risk of developing a more severe and sometimes fatal infection. The three patients reported eating cantaloupe a week prior to becoming ill in late July. Two of the infections appeared in individuals over 70. The third patient was a child. …
Monday, August 29, 2011
The Minnesota Department of Health confirmed that a 43-year old woman became infected through contact with an infected 12-month old from Kenya.
The Minnesota Department of Health is reporting it has discovered a third case of measles in Dakota County. The new case was discovered in a 43-year old adult female with an unknown vaccination history. Officials discovered the case through follow-up investigations and it is believed the individual contracted the virus through contact with a 1-year-old unvaccinated infant who acquired the infection in Kenya. The second case was an unvaccinated 15-month-old in Dakota County who also came in contact with the infected infant. An outbreak in Hennepin County earlier this year saw 20 measles cases reported. Officials state on the Health Department website that they consider that outbreak over and not related to the cases in Dakota County. …
Friday, August 19, 2011
Neither child had been immunized against the infectious disease.
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Friday, August 19, 2011
Two Dakota County children have been diagnosed with measles this month, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. A 1-year-old child fell ill after visiting Kenya, where the disease is “endemic” MDH announced in a statement released Friday. The second child became sick after exposure to the first child. Both children have been hospitalized. Neither had been vaccinated against the highly contagious disease. Any additional cases are likely to occur between now and Sept. 8, based on exposure periods and the length of time patients are contagious. Symptoms of measles can crop up eight to 12 days after exposure. The MDH describes symptoms of measles as “fever, runny nose, cough, loss of appetite, watery eyes and a rash. The rash …
