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Health Advisory: Tuberculosis Testing For People Who Were Previously Incarcerated
11/30/2023 The Washington State Department of Health (DOH), Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC), and local health jurisdictions continue to work to address a large tuberculosis (TB) outbreak within the state prison system. Since July 2021, 28 people have been diagnosed with active TB; during the outbreak investigation, DOH and DOC identified over 2900 potentially…
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School Opiate Overdose Resources
Schools can prepare for opiate overdose. About 2,500 Washington State 12th graders had tried heroin at least once and even more (about 3,500 ) use pain killers to get high in any given month. Almost one in 10 teens believe prescription drug misuse carries little to no risk. –2018 Health Youth Survey If a student…
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Fentanyl Safety Recommendations for First Responders
You can protect yourself from fentanyl exposure. The abuse of drugs containing fentanyl is killing Americans. First responders are likely to encounter fentanyl when responding to overdose calls, conducting traffic stops, arrests and searches. Inhalation of airborne powder is harmful. Wear gloves when you suspect the presence of fentanyl. Questions? Contact Yakima Health District at…
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Health Advisory: Hepatitis A Outbreaks Among Homeless in California
Actions Requested Have increased suspicion for acute hepatitis A among people with acute onset of jaundice, markedly elevated liver function tests and other symptoms of acute viral hepatitis. Especially in those who are homeless and/or using drugs. Perform serologic testing on suspect cases: hepatitis A IgM or acute hepatitis panel. Provide hepatitis A vaccine to…
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Cryptococcus gattii
What is it? C. gattii is a fungus closely related to C. neoformans that can infect the pulmonary and central nervous systems of both animals and humans. Until recently, C. gattii was only found in certain subtropical and tropical environments. In 1999 it emerged on Vancouver Island, British Columbia (BC), Canada. Between 1999 and 2006,…
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Travel-Associated Illness
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Free Immunization E-Course
There Never Was an Age of Reason: Vaccines, Vaccine Hesitancy and Vaccine Decision Making This e-course offers continuing education credits, is hosted by WithinReach and funded by Kaiser WA. Click here to register Objectives Describe the impact of modern vaccines on individual & public health. Identify factors other than hesitancy that contribute to under-immunization. Discuss…
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Health Advisory: Increase in Gonorrhea
Actions Requested Be aware that gonorrhea is increasing, especially among people age 20 to 29. Take a sexual history and screen for gonorrhea and other STDs in all sexually active people, especially those at increased risk. Perform routine gonorrhea and chlamydia screening for all sexually active women under age 25, including screening multiple sites (cervix,…
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MERS-CoV
In September 2012, the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health announced a new form of coronavirus, since named Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). So far all cases have been linked (by residence or travel) to countries in or near the Arabian Peninsula: Bahrain; Iraq; Iran; Israel, the West Bank and Gaza; Jordan; Kuwait; Lebanon; Oman;…
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Hepatitis A Fact Sheet
Overview Transmission: Fecal-oral. Incubation Period: Average 28-30 days (range 15-50 days). Symptoms: Anorexia, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, followed by jaundice. Severity of illness increases with age. Infectious Period: 14 days prior to onset of jaundice to seven days after onset of jaundice. Infants can excrete virus in the stool for longer periods of time. Epidemiology:…
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Hepatitis A Fact Sheet
Overview Transmission: Fecal-oral. Incubation Period: Average 28-30 days (range 15-50 days). Symptoms: Anorexia, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, followed by jaundice. Severity of illness increases with age. Infectious Period: 14 days prior to onset of jaundice to seven days after onset of jaundice. Infants can excrete virus in the stool for longer periods of time. Epidemiology:…
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Health Advisory: Zika Testing
Action Requested Know how to order appropriate Zika virus testing through commercial laboratories. Background Because testing for Zika virus is now widely available through commercial laboratories, testing for Zika virus at Washington State Public Health Laboratories is now limited to: Patients for whom cost is a barrier to testing. Infants with possible congenital exposure to…
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Lice in Schools
What procedures should our school follow if a student has head lice? Head lice are tiny parasites that can live on the human head. They survive by sucking blood from the scalp. Lice eggs (called “nits”) can attach to strands of head hair. Lice can cause the head to itch, but have not been proven…