Town of Northwood NH

Health Department

Devin Haley, Health Officer
Northwood Town Hall
818 First NH Turnpike
Northwood, NH 03261


About

The Health Officer alerts the town of concerns related to communicable diseases, the flu, West Nile Virus, EEE and other health related issues as they arise.

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When you head to the water this summer, always perform your personal risk-assessment prior to swimming or letting your pets in. Look for any discoloration or unusual growth, and if you see something suspicious stay out of the water and report it! Please report through our NEW bloom report form. This survey will get all the information we need from you in one round of communication, allowing us to more quickly respond to your reports. You can also find this form by searching "NHDES HAB" on the internet, navigating to our page, and scrolling down the the "See a bloom?" section.

Our Healthy Swimming Mapper also has new features, including more information about each warning, pictures of the bloom, and alerts posted directly on the map. We are working on adding links to the cyanobacteria history for each waterbody, but that will be coming soon! There is also a link to the bloom report form on this website.

We will also be issuing a weekly statewide cyanobacteria update. Sign up by selecting the "Healthy Swimming Updates" email list.

Thank you all for being our "eyes on the water", I look forward to working with you to help your communities swim safely this season!

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The NH DHHS, Division of Public Health Services, Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, has released the 2021 Lead Exposure in New Hampshire Data Brief. The data brief provides surveillance data on the number of NH children tested for blood lead levels, the numbers identified with elevated blood lead levels indicating exposure, along with high-risk geographical locations. Some important data to note:

  • There were 5,360 fewer children, 72 months and younger, tested in 2021 for blood lead levels as compared to 2019. This represents a 25% drop in the number of children tested over the two-year period.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide recall of point-of care (in-office) blood lead testing supplies has caused NH pediatric blood lead level testing numbers to drop to the lowest level they have been since 2017.

This dramatic drop in testing rates is alarming, as routine testing of children at age one and again, a second test, at age two, is critical to identifying those with elevated blood lead levels. Even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to negatively affect a child’s ability to think, learn and behave. While the effects of lead poisoning may be permanent, if caught early, there are things parents can do to prevent further exposure and reduce damage to their health and development.

/2021 AAG-Final Report


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