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Hepatitis C is spread through blood to blood contact, most commonly through IV drug use. It also can be contracted through having sex with an infected person, and sharing personal items such as razors and toothbrushes.
Noe said Hepatitis C is popping up in people in their 40s and 50s who didn't know they had it, as well as a high number of younger people.
Hepatitis C is the leading cause of liver cancer, cirrhosis and liver transplants.
"I like to tell people if they change their lifestyle, they can die with Hep C instead of from it," Noe said.
There are four other Hepatitis strains that cause liver complications, but they are less prevalent in the county.
Hepatitis B is spread through unprotected sex, sharing needles and using personal items of someone with the disease.
In 2007, one case of prenatal Hepatitis B, two cases of acute Hepatitis B and two cases of chronic Hepatitis B were confirmed.
None of the other strains, A, D or E, were confirmed in the county in 2007.
Rabies/Animal Bites
Four bats tested positive for rabies in 2007, Noe said. Two county residents were bitten by rabid bats and had to go through a series of rabies shots as a result.
A total of 70 animal bites were reported, up 15 from 2006.
"Seventy animal bites is much too high," Noe said.
He asks that parents teach their children not to go up to strange animals.
Any bite needs to be reported to the health department and the Franklin County Sheriff's Department, Noe added.
Whooping Cough
Cases of pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough or the 100-day cough, increased dramatically in 2007.
A total of 17 cases were confirmed in 2007, up 12 from 2006. An outbreak of the illness occurred in the Gasconade County R-II School District, affecting some students from New Haven, Noe said.
Noe said the pertussis vaccination, given in early childhood, seems to wear off by adolescence. He recommends teens get a booster shot to prevent infection.
Pertussis mats down the cilia in the air passageway, making it difficult to clear out phlegm, Noe said. It causes people to cough until they vomit.
Tick-Borne Illnesses
One case of Lyme disease was confirmed last year, up one from 2006. It is spread by the deer tick and affects many body systems.
Three cases of Ehrlichiosis were confirmed in 2007, an increase of two from the year before.
A total of seven cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever were confirmed in 2007, which was an increase of two from 2006.
It is the most common fatal tick-borne disease, and is spread by the American dog tick, the wood tick and the Lone Star tick.
A case of Q fever also was confirmed in 2007. There were no reports of the tick-borne illness in 2006.
Food-Borne Illnesses
Sixteen cases of Campylobacteriosis were confirmed in 2007, up one from the year before.
Campylobacteriosis is an infectious disease that causes diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever contracted by handling raw poultry or handling raw or undercooked poultry meat.
One case of E. coli 0157 H7 was confirmed in 2007. Four cases were confirmed by the state in 2006.
Eighteen cases of salmonella were confirmed in 2007, an increase of six from 2006.
Salmonella is a bacterial infection caused by consumption or handling raw or undercooked eggs, poultry or meat, or contact with animal feces.
Cases of shigellosis showed a big decrease from 2006. Shigellosis is a bacterial disease caused by handling infected feces and eating contaminated food. It causes bloody diarrhea, fever and stomach cramping.
Four cases were confirmed in 2007, compared to 21 confirmed in 2006.
Parasitic Diseases
One case of the parasitic disease Cryptosporidiosis was confirmed in the county in 2007.
The diarrhea-causing parasite is contracted through drinking bad water and is highly unusual in this area, Noe said.
Seven cases of Giardia have been confirmed this year. It is a diarrheal illness caused by a one-celled, microscopic parasite that is spread through contaminated drinking and recreational water and handling animal or human feces. It also can be contracted by eating uncooked food contaminated with the parasite.
Other Diseases
The health department reports that there was one confirmed case of Strep Disease, Group A Invasive, and 27 cases of chickenpox. A total of 33 cases of chickenpox were confirmed in 2006.
