HERMANN – The stomach illness linked to tainted lettuce served in some fast-foot restaurants has reached into Missouri and possibly into Gasconade County.

While the Missouri Department of Health & Social Services reported a big increase in the number of confirmed cases of cyclosporesis, Gasconade County Department of Health Administrator Kenna Fricke said some of those cases might be those of local residents.

At the conclusion of Monday morning’s regular monthly session of the department’s board of trustees, Fricke told the Gasconade County Republican that it’s possible some of the local cases “that came up over the weekend” might be among the growing number of cases seen in Missouri.

The stomach illness has been linked to lettuce contaminated in fields in Mexico that was served in fast-food restaurants in a handful of states. However, the illness has spread into several other states and regions of the country.

In other matters taken up at Monday’s session, Anita Berwanger gave an update on a community survey project aimed at identifying and responding to the more-serious health issues facing Gasconade County residents.

Berwanger is the health agency’s project manager for the Better Communities for Better Health project of the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services. Her work is funded with money in the three-year grant fueling the identification and response to the leading chronic health issues in the county.

The initial round of the survey appeared to contain questionable responses – as if a person made multiple replies with unusual issues as the leading concern for public health providers. Many residents were introduced to the survey during a visit to local food pantries. The survey also was available online.

Berwanger said the program will be relaunching the survey, looking to solicit responses through churches and at community events

The project was intended to be a three-year effort, but state health agency officials have stretched it into a fourth year, acknowledging the delay in getting the effort started. The information-gathering portion of the project is scheduled for the first year while remaining years will be used to craft responses for what are determined the be the top health concerns for the county.

Even with the glitches seen thus far in the survey process, Berwanger said some issues are coming into focus as potential priorities. “We’re starting to get an idea of where it’s headed. I think we’re starting to see some things. There seems to be a lot of interest around drug abuse and obesity,” she said, noting that other issues are being mentioned, as well.

Fricke applauded the work of Berwanger in getting the survey off the ground in this county.

“She’s doing a great job,” Fricke told the board.

Also, the board was scheduled to consider adding to the agency roster of employees during a closed session. Fricke has been working to recruit a nurse to help ease the staff shortage.

“We need to get another nurse hired,” she said shortly before the board went into closed session.