Mower County Health & Human Services

Notice - Fatherhood Forum has been cancelled for June 9th. The next meeting will be June 23rd.

Time for another Mower County Mental Health Monday!

How do you feel about your mental health lately? Are you thriving? Or are you feeling meh..? Curious to learn whether your habits are helping or hindering your ability to flourish? Check out this assessment to see where you fall on the flourishing-languishing spectrum:

https://mowercountymn.crediblemind.com/assessments/flourishing-or-languishing/page1

June is Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Awareness Month

CMV is a common virus that affects people of all ages. For most healthy adults and children, CMV causes few or no symptoms and is generally harmless.

However, when CMV is contracted during pregnancy, it can be passed to the developing baby. This is known as congenital CMV (cCMV). About 1 in 5 babies born with congenital CMV may experience long-term health challenges such as, vision problems and developmental delays.

Because there is currently no vaccine for CMV, prevention and awareness are especially important during pregnancy.

Simple steps that can help reduce the risk of CMV include:
- Washing hands frequently with soap and water, especially after changing diapers, feeding young children, or wiping noses
- Avoiding sharing food, drinks, utensils, or pacifiers with young children
- Avoiding contact with saliva, including kissing young children on the mouth

Awareness and prevention can make a difference in your family’s health.

Curiosity is a natural part of childhood. That’s why safe cannabis storage matters.

Keeping products locked up and away can help prevent accidental exposure and protect kids at home.

Make safe storage a daily habit. Learn more at SpeakingOfCannabis.org

Reminder - Our next Fatherhood Forum is tonight.

It's back! We are excited to be partnering with United Way of Mower County during their annual student service week.

Join us on Monday, June 22nd for CPR and First Aid training and gain valuable skills that can make a real difference in an emergency situation — all while earning volunteer hours. Double win!

What to expect:
• Learn how to prepare yourself and your family for emergencies
• Receive CPR and First Aid certification
• Discover how to become a community champion through the MN Responds volunteer network
• Participate in interactive, hands-on training led by professionals
• Receive giveaways and helpful resources

You never know when these important skills may be needed, so come ready to learn, practice, and build confidence in your ability to help others.

Spots are limited, so don’t miss out. We hope to see you there! (If spots are filled, make sure to sign up for the waitlist - more spots may be added if necessary).

What’s the Story With Ticks?

As temperatures warm and spring rains help plants to grow, pests like ticks, mosquitoes, and flies seem to bloom like the flowers. Unfortunately, tick-related illnesses continue to increase in Mower County and across Minnesota.

Here’s what you should know about ticks and how to stay safe this season:
• The blacklegged (deer) tick causes most tickborne illnesses in Minnesota
• Tickborne illnesses are spread through tick bites
• Protect yourself by wearing long sleeves, long pants, and thick socks in wooded or grassy areas
• Bug sprays containing DEET can help prevent tick bites
• After spending time outdoors, check your entire body for ticks
• A bullseye-shaped rash can be a common sign of Lyme disease
• The bullseye rash can vary greatly in appearance because of skin color and texture
• Some people never develop a rash with a tickborne illness

Common tickborne illnesses in Minnesota include:
• Lyme disease
• Anaplasmosis
• Hard Tick Relapsing Fever (HTRF)
• Alpha-gal Syndrome
• Powassan Virus (POW)
• Ehrlichiosis
• Babesiosis

Many of these illnesses begin with flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, nausea, or fatigue. Some can become severe if not treated early, resulting in swelling in the brain, irregular heart function, breathing problems, confusion, loss of coordination, and even death.

If you find an embedded tick or develop symptoms after a tick bite, contact your healthcare provider.

Learn more about tickborne illnesses from the CDC:
https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/about/

Questions about tickborne illnesses? Contact [email protected]