Ohio Department of Health

Ohio Addictions Chief to Address Overdose Deaths

Associated Press — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:04:00 +0000

The head of Ohio's addictions agency plans to talk about new data showing state residents still dying from drug overdoses at record rates.

Orman Hall is director of the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services. He also will use a news conference Tuesday afternoon to push for addiction treatment and other health care services for all Ohioans.

Data released last week show the number of people who died of accidental overdoses jumped 14 percent in 2011 for a total of over 17 hundred overall deaths.

Ohio Flu Season Sees Rise In Hospitalizations

Associated Press — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 21:04:00 +0000

The Ohio Department of Health is reporting a spike in the number of people hospitalized with influenza this year compared to last year.

Department spokeswoman Shannon Libby says it's early to see this much flu activity, with cases typically going up in January or February.

The Columbus Dispatch reported Tuesday that 863 Ohioans have been hospitalized with influenza this season, compared with just 65 by this time last season.

Abortions By Ohio Women Are At An All-time Low

Associated Press and Akron Beacon Journal — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 11:30:00 +0000

The Ohio Department of Health reports that induced abortions dropped 12 percent last year, hitting the lowest number since the state started tracking them 35 years ago.

The Akron Beacon Journal reports that abortions have fallen in Ohio each year since 2000. Experts attribute it to a variety of factors, including increased use of birth control, better access to health care and improved health education.

The number of overall Ohio births also has fallen, 16.5 percent from 1990 to 2010.

Ohio Meningitis Cases Up To 9

Associated Press — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:35:00 +0000

The Ohio Department of Health says the number of meningitis cases linked to recalled steroid injections has risen to nine in the state.

The health department says five cases have been reported in Marion County, and one case each in Crawford, Hamilton, Morrow and Warren counties. None have died.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that 19 people have died among the 247 sickened in 15 states in the outbreak of rare fungal meningitis. They all received shots of an apparently contaminated steroid medication made by a Massachusetts specialty pharmacy.

Ohio Finds more Mosquitoes Carrying West Nile

Associated Press — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 11:27:14 +0000

DAYTON, Ohio - Health officials and pest controllers say Ohio weather patterns have caused an increase in mosquito populations this year, including more carrying West Nile virus.

Ohio Department of Health spokeswoman Shannon Libby says 248 pools of mosquitoes collected from traps have tested positive for the virus so far. That's up from 78 by this time in 2010.

Libby tells The Dayton Daily News that there have been no reports of human cases of West Nile in Ohio, which can lead to coma, paralysis and death.