Orange County Health Department

Local Public Health, Orange County, Florida
Orange County Health Department is a unit of the Florida Department of Health, charged with protecting the health and safety of visitors and residents of Orange County, FL The estimated daytime population of Orange County, FL is 1.5 Million people. Orange County has an estimated 51 million visitors per year including the major theme parks of Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and Sea World. The County seat is Orlando, FL.

Orange County Health Department
The Orange County Health Department is responsible for a single county jurisdiction that is larger in population than 8 U.S. States and the District of Columbia. The Florida Department of Health's responsiblities include epidemiology, investigating foodborne, zoonotic and waterborne diseases, emergency preparedness and bioterrorism, controlling communicable disease, health promotion and education, school health, women's health, public health dentistry and oral health, WIC and nutrition, vaccine preventable diseases, eliminating health disparities, provision of vital records, and protecting the public's environmental health. In 2006, the Department opened a first in the U.S., hospital based vital records office, at Winter Park Memorial Hospital Florida Hospital. Publications by staff have included CDC MMWR investigations of foodborne, waterborne, zoonotic, and other infectious diseases. "Storyboards" have been published, with graphics in toolkits, by the Public Health Foundation in Washington DC demonstrating that quality improvement efforts improved STD and HIV public health outcomes. WIC and nutrition program staff collaborated with the Department of Health and published "The Whole Grain Choo-Choo Train", a children's book which teaches small children about proper eating habits and nutrition.

Deadly Ameoba Deaths
In 2007, the tragic death of 3 children in or near Orange County, due to a rare, deadly infection, Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis,  aka PAM, has prompted a public health investigation in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control. PAM is a waterborne infection caused by the amoebic organisim, "Naglearia Fowlerii", that enters the brain through the nose, usually resulting in death. PAM is associated with swimming and water sports in fresh water bodies and inadequately chlorinated swimming pools. An increase of Naegleria Fowlerii may be seen with global climate change, given that PAM is more likely in warm water. Orange County, FL has had 12 cases of Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, in 45 years, of 25 PAM cases recorded in the State of Florida. As of 1990, about 200 cases of PAM, Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, had been reported worldwide. PAM occurs throughout the world including colder climates, such as, the UK and Belgium. In 2007, PAM cases were also reported in Texas and Arizona. Waterborne diseases investigated by the Orange County Health Department, the Florida Department of Health and the CDC here, have also included Giardia, Cyclosporiasis and Cryptosporidiosis. Techniques for identifying Cyclosporiasis were first developed in central FL. The Orange County Health Department, the Florida Department of Health and the CDC urge swimmers and water sports enthusiasts to wear nose plugs when the ambient temperatures exceed 80 degrees, when choosing to participate in fresh water activities.[

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