Preble County General Health District

615 Hillcrest Drive
Eaton, OH 45320
937.472.0087
















Health Education

Health Education division provides valuable information about things you can do to live a healthier life.

Links to programs:

Summer Safety Tips


Sun Protection

Skin cancer is the most-commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States; it accounts for about half of all cancers in the United States., About 53,600 new cases of skin cancer were diagnosed in 2007, according to the American Cancer Society. Follow these easy tips to protect yourself and your family from the sun's harmful rays:


Heat-Related Illness

People suffer heat-related illness when the body's temperature control system is overloaded. The body normally cools itself by sweating. But under some conditions, sweating just isn't enough. In such cases, a person's body temperature rises rapidly. Very high body temperatures may damage the brain or other vital organs. Several factors affect the body's ability to cool itself during extremely hot weather. When the humidity is high, sweat will not evaporate as quickly, preventing the body from releasing heat quickly. Other conditions that can limit the ability to regulate temperature include old age, youth (age 0-4), obesity, fever, dehydration, heart disease, mental illness, poor circulation, sunburn, and prescription drug use and alcohol use. You can help prevent heat related illness by following these tips:


Symptoms of heat-related illnesses are:


West Nile virus

West Nile virus (WNV) is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. It has caused illness and death in humans, wildlife and domestic animals, especially birds and horses. In humans, it causes an influenza-like illness that may lead to aseptic meningitis, encephalitis and death, especially in people age 50 or older.

In 2010, five human cases of WNV were reported to ODH (Allen County (1) Hamilton County (1) Montgomery County (1) Putnam County (2)).


West Nile virus protection:


West Nile virus prevention:


Food Safety

The E. coli O157 bacterium is blamed for roughly 73,000 infections and 61 deaths in the United States each year, according to the CDC. Most illnesses from E. coli O157 are associated with eating undercooked, contaminated ground beef, making it important to cook hamburgers to an internal temperature of at least 160 degree F. Use a meat thermometer to be sure, as contaminated meat looks and smells normal and can turn brown before disease-causing bacteria are killed.

* Thorough hand washing is defined as using warm water and washing with soap for at least 30 seconds. In public restrooms, use your arm or a paper towel to turn off the faucet and, if available, use the automatic door opener to exit the bathroom.


Grilling Safety

It's safe to picnic and grill in the summer, but it's especially important to be vigilant about food preparation. We encourage our residents to: