Uplifting Wellness: On Measles, Stress & Hantavirus

By Rudolfo Carrillo

Measles Outbreak: What You Need to Know

A measles outbreak in west Texas and southern New Mexico continues. As of March 28, the New Mexico Department of Health documented 44 cases (including 23 adults and 21 children) in our state’s Lea and Eddy Counties. Some of these cases were discovered post-infection, after folks recovered sufficiently to seek medical care.

Missed Vaccinations’ High Cost

Of these cases, the department has recorded one death; according to a release reporting that tragic loss of human life, “an unvaccinated Lea County adult, tested positive for measles after death and did not seek medical care before passing, according to laboratory confirmation from the NMDOH Scientific Laboratory Division, though the official cause of death remains under investigation.”

How to Stay Protected

State health monitors and officials remind citizens that vaccination remains the best defense against measles, with Chief Medical Officer Miranda Durham quoted as saying, “The large majority of Lea County residents are vaccinated and well-protected even if they come into contact with the virus. Most confirmed measles cases involve people unvaccinated and have occurred over an extended period of time.”

For more official guidance, visit nmhealth.org/about/erd/ideb/mog; to optimize your personal vaccine experience, go to vaccine.doh.nm.gov.

Stress Awareness Month: Managing Workplace Pressures

If you're stressed about the pathology of childhood diseases in a time when vaccine efficacy is being contested by our country’s top health official, take a deep breath. April is National Stress Awareness Month, after all. This year’s theme is “Job Stress and Incivility.” Brought to us by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this timely celebration focuses on promoting awareness and self-care.

Stress and Workplace Tension

Official directives remind citizens that, “Stress can affect your body, thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Being able to recognize common symptoms of stress can help you manage them.” In conjunction with work and the stressful nature of the world right now, such stress is really unhealthy for individuals and communities, even resulting in incivility among otherwise cooperative cadres of people.

Resources for Stress Management

The NIH further advises us that stressed-out staffers’ ability to deal with emotionally charged situations objectively decreases and all this can fuel existing conflict, leading to even more stress. Mitigating such trying circumstances is a choice, experts say, because: “A kind and inclusive workplace that fosters civility can mitigate adverse outcomes for staff and improve overall organizational effectiveness.”

To find out more about stress, civility, and the workplace in trying times, visit tinyurl.com/strssawrnss.

Hantavirus in New Mexico 101

New Mexico citizens were reminded of our rare placement in the nation’s medical annals when it was revealed that Betsy Arakawa, wife of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, likely died of hantavirus—up to a week before her Alzheimer’s disease-diagnosed husband of 30 years passed away at their home in Santa Fe.

A Rare But Deadly Disease

Hantavirus is a rare disease, caused by the Sin Nombre virus, which is mainly found in populations of Eastern deer mouse, common inhabitants of northern New Mexico and the Four Corners region. The disease is spread by contact with the bodily fluids of the mouse and can also be aerosolized and contracted via inhalation. Though Hantavirus is relatively rare among diseases, it is virulent.

How to Prevent Hantavirus Exposure

The state health department recommends the following precautions as the state moves toward springtime and more encounters with our rodent friends: Air out structures like cabins and sheds and abandoned or stored vehicles before entering them; use traps to control mouse populations; seal homes and shelters to keep rodents out; disinfect nests and droppings with a 10% bleach solution before cleaning; never sweep or vacuum rodent droppings; store hay, wood, and compost away from dwellings; eliminate trash and junk piles; and keep pet food in rodent-proof containers.

To learn more about this New Mexico health nemesis, visit tinyurl.com/hntvrsnm.