Anthrax Facts:

• Anthrax is NOT contagious from one person to another.
  
• To date, there have been no confirmed cases of anthrax or anthrax exposure in Atlantic County

• DISEASE TRACKING
  Atlantic County, along with nine other counties in New Jersey, is engaged in a special effort to monitor for anthrax, called "active surveillance." In this system, the county's four hospitals gather information daily from their Emergency Rooms, Infection Control Units and laboratories to review diagnoses and symptoms. This information is transmitted to the county health department daily, and in turn to the state and the CDC. So there are many eyes looking at this data just to make sure we are not missing anything. This is a very proactive, vigilant approach that should provide extra reassurance to the public.
  
  
• ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION
  Through Atlantic County's "Community Health Alert Information Network" (CHAIN), the Division of Public Health is electronically linked to the CDC, State Health Department and over 1,000 local community partners such as physicians, hospitals, laboratories and others. CHAIN assures that critical information is collected and disseminated very rapidly in the event of a public health emergency. Rapid communication can also help to avert public health emergencies as well. The more quickly a disease threat is detected, the more quickly it can be controlled!

• If someone has a suspicious letter or package or has been exposed to a suspicious powdery substance, they should call 911.

• Dr. Helmer from Shore Memorial Hospital had some very good advice recently...."Take care of yourselves: eat nutritiously, exercise, wash your hands frequently, get your flu shot this season. You'll be strengthening your body's immunity against disease in general, you'll be helping to relieve any stress or anxiety that you may be feeling these days, and you'll be doing something, actively and personally to protect your health!".