News & Press

Department of Health Confirms New Mexico’s First Hantavirus Case of 2019

Mon, 3 Jun 2019 20:28:28 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

May 23, 2019

Media Contact: David Morgan

Phone: (575) 649-0754

Department of Health Confirms New Mexico’s First Hantavirus Case of 2019

SANTA FE-- The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) reports a case of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in a 50-year-old woman from McKinley County who was hospitalized care and has since returned home.

HPS is a severe respiratory illness is caused by the Sin Nombre virus and can be deadly. In New Mexico, deer mice are the main carriers of hantavirus. The virus is found in mice droppings and urine.

A person may get HPS by breathing in the virus. This can happen when droppings or urine containing the virus are stirred up and the virus is put into the air as mist or dust. Persons can also get hantavirus by touching their eyes, nose, or mouth after they have touched droppings or urine that contains the virus. HPS is not transmitted from person-to-person.

Early symptoms of HPS are like those for the flu including fever and muscle aches, possibly with chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and cough. These symptoms develop within one to six weeks after rodent exposure. Although there is no specific cure for HPS, chances for recovery are better when medical attention is sought early.

The best preventive measure people can take is to avoid contact with mice and other rodents including their droppings and nesting materials. The important steps are to:

AIR OUT closed-up buildings and stored vehicles before entering,
SEAL UP your homes, cabins and outbuildings so mice don't get in,
TRAP UP mice until they are all gone, and
CLEAN UP nests and droppings using a disinfectant and appropriate technique.

· Put hay, wood, and compost piles as far as possible from your home.

· Get rid of trash and junk piles.

· Store livestock and pet foods in sealed metal containers to prevent rodent access.

In the past ten years in New Mexico there have been 37 cases of HPS in New Mexico. Twenty-one of those people survived the disease. There were no cases of HPS in New Mexico in 2018, and five cases in 2017.

For more information, visit the NMDOH’s hantavirus pulmonary syndrome webpage: https://nmhealth.org/about/erd/ideb/zdp/hps/)

Two Cases of Human Tularemia Confirmed in Santa Fe County

Mon, 3 Jun 2019 20:24:28 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

May 29, 2019

Media Contact: David Morgan

Email: david.morgan@state.nm.us

Phone: (575) 649-0754

Two Cases of Human Tularemia Confirmed in Santa Fe County

SANTA FE - The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) reports two confirmed cases of tularemia in 2019 among two residents of Santa Fe County: a 57-year-old man and a 72-year-old woman.

Tularemia is a rare infection caused by the bacteria Francisella tularensis that spreads through insect bites, with deer flies and ticks being the primary vectors in New Mexico. It can also be spread through handling infected animal tissues in situations such as hunting, trapping and skinning of rabbits or other rodents or during the clean-up of rodent carcasses while gardening.

Dogs and cats can be infected if they are allowed to roam and scavenge dead animals or are not protected from tick bites. Tularemia can also make dogs and cats sick: if they are not diagnosed and treated by their veterinarian, they can give the disease to people. Direct inoculation from an animal bite is very rare but can occur if the animal is infected.

Tularemia symptoms in people may include sudden fever, chills, headaches, diarrhea, muscles aches and joint pain. Other symptoms may include swollen and painful lymph glands especially in the anatomical region where the bacteria first gained entry into the body.

“Tularemia can cause serious illness in both people and pets, so I would encourage people in Santa Fe County to follow precautions to avoid getting infected,” said Department of Health Cabinet Secretary, Kathy Kunkel. “People can get tularemia if they handle infected animals such as rabbits or rodents or are bitten by infected ticks or deer flies. Provide your own protection against insect bites and improve your pet’s safety by not letting them roam loose or scavenge rodents.”

To Avoid Exposure to Tularemia

Wear an insect repellent effective against ticks, fleas, biting flies and mosquitoes when hiking, camping or working outdoors including gardening and landscaping. Effective repellants include: DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535.
Ensure your pet has a year-round tick and flea product. Consult with your veterinarian about the product that is best-suited for your pet.
Prevent pets from hunting or eating wild animals. Contact a veterinarian if your pet becomes ill with a high fever and/or swollen lymph nodes.
Wear gloves while gardening or landscaping and wash your hands after these activities.
Avoid mowing over dead animals, such as when cutting the grass, as this can potentially aerosolize the bacteria.
Dispose of animal carcasses by using a long-handled shovel and either bury them 2-3 feet deep (if allowed) or double bag them in garbage bags and throw them in the trash.

In 2018 there was one human tularemia cases and seven animal tularemia cases; in 2017 there were five human tularemia cases and 39 animal cases.

For more information, visit the CDC’s Tularemia web page: https://www.cdc.gov/Tularemia/.

Fairness to Pet Owners Act

Tue, 21 May 2019 19:56:16 GMT

Important news: Prescription mandate legislation, the misleadingly-named Fairness to Pet Owners Act (H.R. 1607/S.1290), has now been introduced in the House and Senate. This legislation is gaining momentum and we urgently need you to tell your lawmakers to oppose this bill.

This legislation would require veterinarians to provide clients with copies of all companion-animal prescriptions, regardless of whether the client wants one or whether the prescription is ultimately dispensed by the veterinarian or filled by a pharmacy.

This proposed prescription mandate is unnecessary because clients already are able to receive prescriptions upon request. The AVMA's Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics require veterinarians to provide prescriptions when asked, and the vast majority of states have law or regulation that requires the same.

Every single letter will make a difference - working together, we can stop this bill from becoming law.

Tell Congress to oppose prescription mandates

AVMA Antimicrobial Stewardship

Wed, 10 Jan 2018 19:18:59 GMT

Dear Colleagues

Your AVMA House of Delegates meets twice yearly. The Winter Session was held last weekend in Chicago. While several amendments, resolutions and topics were discussed and voted on, your Delegates and the NMVMA would like to bring one very important policy to the attention of all veterinarians in New Mexico; The Core Principles of Antimicrobial Stewardship in Veterinary Medicine. Antimicrobial resistance is a true and real problem for all health providers. It is important that each of us continue to become educated on when and what antibiotics to use and more importantly when not to use these powerful medications. We have included here an introductory letter by Dr Topper, the AVMA President, and a link to the policy. The AVMA website also has more information.

Please take a few minutes to read this policy. If you have any questions feel free to contact us or your AVMA.

Sincerely

T. Murt Byrne, DVM AVMA Delegate
Darryl Leslie, DVM AVMA Alternate Delegate

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