NORTHERN NEVADA Public Health Serving Reno, Sparks & Washoe County

Normally, a business which emits 2 pounds or more per day of criteria air pollutants or 1 pound per day or more of toxic air pollutants will require a permit to operate. Different types of air pollution control devices are also required for different processes depending upon the size of the operation for compliance with the AQMD regulations. Applications may be obtained by downloading from the District Health Department Web site. For further information, please contact one of our environmental engineers at 784-7200 for help with the necessary information for application submittal.

Just call 784-7200 (24 hours per day) and your complaint will be logged onto an official AQMD complaint form. After that, within "normal" hours of operation, an air quality specialist will investigate your concerns and determine if there is a violation of the AQMD regulations. If a violation exists, the person or business will be required to correct the problem. A Notice of Violation may also be issued.

Every year between November 1 and February 28, the Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH) Air Quality Management Division uses the Green, Yellow, Red Burn Code Program to inform area residents whether or not lighting stoves or fireplaces is allowed, or is advisable.

Washoe County residents can get a daily air quality update by visiting www.OurCleanAir.com or by calling the Air Quality Hotline at (775) 785-4110. They can also get this update by listening to television and radio weather forecasts, or by checking the Reno-Gazette Journal's weather page.

The local asbestos regulations essentially mirrors the federal requirements. If you own a commercial building and want to do some remodeling, an asbestos survey will need to be completed by a certified consultant to determine the presence or absence of any asbestos materials. If present, a certified abatement contractor will need to remove the asbestos before the project can proceed. In addition, the property owner will need to obtain an asbestos acknowledgment form from the AQMD prior to obtaining a building permit from the local building departments. For further information, please call 784-7200.

The Air Pollution Control Hearing Board (APCHB) hears appeals when a negotiated resolution cannot be achieved. The APCHB meets the first Tuesday of every month (as needed).

For household use, antibacterial products are no better than ordinary soap for preventing infections. Hand washing for 15 seconds with ordinary soap and water will reduce the risk of most common infections and does not add to antibiotic resistance.

Yes. It is becoming a major public health concern. Each time you take an antibiotic unnecessarily or improperly, you increase your chance of developing drug-resistant bacteria. We could run out of ways to kill disease-causing bacteria.

You don't know who is carrying anti-biotic resistant bacteria and they may pass that resistant bacteria on to you and make you ill. This could mean stronger, more expensive antibiotics, hospitalization and, sometimes, death.

Unnecessary antibiotics can be harmful. Antibiotics only fight bacterial infections. They do nothing to help viral illnesses like colds or influenza (flu). If you take an antibiotic when it is not necessary, such as for a cold, you increase the risk of developing an infection caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antibiotics also destroy good bacteria in your body.

Sometimes. Viruses and bacteria can cause ear infections. Your doctor may wait to see if the ear infection improves by itself before deciding to give antibiotics.

No. The common cold and the flu (influenza) are caused by viruses, not by bacteria. Antibiotics do not work against viruses. Normal cold symptoms include sore throat, fever, cough, and/or a runny nose. A runny nose often starts out with clear drainage and then turns to a green or yellow color. This is a good sign that the body is fighting the virus. If your runny nose is not getting better after 10-14 days, please talk to your healthcare provider.

No. Viruses cause most bronchitis.

No, this is a common misconception. People may exhibit allergic reactions to antibiotics, but they are not resistant to them. It is the bacteria, not the person, which become resistant.

Sometimes. Bacteria or viruses cause sinus infections. Antibiotics are needed for bacterial sinus infections. A bacterial sinus infection may be present if cold symptoms do not improve after 10-14 days.

No. Viruses cause most sore throats. Only strep throat needs an antibiotic; it is caused by strep A bacteria.

Antibiotics either inhibit the growth of bacteria (bacteriostatic) or actually kill the bacteria (bacteriocidal). By stopping the growth of bacteria, it gives the body time to mount an immune response and allows the body to eliminate the bacteria. Drugs that kill the bacteria are the preferred choice when someone has a weakened immune system and whose body cannot destroy the bacteria on its own. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses.

Some bacteria are naturally resistant to certain types of antibiotics. Bacteria can also become resistant by a genetic mutation or by acquiring resistance from another bacterium. Because bacteria can collect multiple resistance traits over time, they can become resistant to many different families of antibiotics, which allows the resistant bacteria to continue to live/and multiply even in the presence of antibiotic treatment.

There are three ways in which you can get an antibiotic-resistant infection:

• You can develop antibiotic-resistant infections when you take an antibiotic. The bacteria could figure out how to outsmart the antibiotic and stay alive. In that case, you can transmit these resistant bacteria to others and they too may become ill.
• You can catch antibiotic resistant-infections from people or objects around you that are infected with resistant bacteria. Not properly washing hands can increase your risk of catching all kinds of infections.
• You can develop an antibiotic-resistant infection when the bacteria inside your body change; it mutates or acquires genes that allow them to resist antibiotic treatment.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria can also develop in pigs, chickens, cattle and other farm animals, which are exposed to low doses of antibiotics in their daily feed. These resistant bacteria can then spread to humans, causing antibiotic-resistant infections. Guidelines are being developed to address this concern.