Hancock County Health Department

If you've been recently diagnosed with Cyclosporiasis, you could receive a call from your local health department.

🗣️ANSWER THAT CALL. You could help us solve this outbreak.

If you think you have Cylosporiasis, follow these steps:

➡️Talk to your healthcare provider.
ask your healthcare provider if you should be tested for foodborne illnesses, like Cyclosporiasis. They can take a p**p or blood sample and test it.

➡️Write down what you've eaten and what you've done.
Write down everything you remember eating in the two weeks before you got sick. Write down restaurants you ate at and events you attended. Gather any grocery or restaurant receipts you kept.

➡️Talk to your local health department.
Report your illness to your local health department. Someone may reach out to interview you about what you ate and did before you got sick.

🔗Read more about Cyclospora: https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-a-z-list/diseases/cyclospora.html
📍Find your local health department: https://idph.illinois.gov/IDPHPrograms/v_LHDDirectory/Show-V-LHDDirectory-Public.aspx

📣 Happy Hancock County Fair Week 📣

☀️ Hot weather can be dangerous. Whether you're showing animals, enjoying the inflatables, or eating fair food, take steps to protect yourself and others from the heat. 🐄🐖🥨🌭🍧🎡

The Hancock County Health Department would like to inform community members of a statewide change in childhood health requirements. Beginning July 1, 2026, lead testing will be required for all children in Illinois at ages 12 and 24 months. Healthcare providers will continue to conduct annual evaluations using the IDPH Childhood Lead Risk Questionnaire for children aged 3 and older, with follow-up testing administered if new or increased risk factors are identified. Under Illinois state law, blood tests that come back with confirmed lead levels in excess of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter require a public health intervention including involvement of a public health nurse and home inspection.
Lead exposure poses a significant risk to young children, as it is commonly found in older homes, soil, water, and certain consumer products. Because most children exposed to lead do not look or act sick, a blood test is the only definitive way to determine if a child has been exposed.
Why Early Lead Testing Matters
• No Safe Level: There is no safe level of lead in the human body. Even minor exposure can severely impact a child's brain development and overall physical growth.
• Long-Term Complications: Lead exposure can lead to lifelong difficulties with thinking, learning, and behavior, alongside short- and long-term medical issues.
• Early Intervention: Routine testing ensures early detection, allowing families and healthcare providers to intervene quickly and eliminate sources of exposure.
The Hancock County Health Department provides convenient, on-site childhood fingerstick lead testing Monday-Friday from 7:30am-5:00pm. Call today to make an appointment! (217) 357-2171 Opt. 3

🎨🧸 Play, Learn & Grow Together! 🧸🎨

Join Early Beginnings and Hancock County WIC for our monthly Play Group for children birth to age 3!

📅 Tonight (and every 3rd Wednesday of the month)
🕠 5:30–7:00 PM
📍 First Baptist Church
601 Main St., Carthage, IL

Come enjoy:
✨ Fun indoor play activities
🥕 Nutrition information for families
🛝 A safe, welcoming environment
📚 Learning through play

💚 Come when you can and leave when you need to—you don't have to stay the whole time!

We can't wait to see you and your little ones tonight!