Public Health, je t’aime.

February 12, 2016.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Here are some Valentine’s Day sentiments from the health department in your life.

Zika quarantine? Our expert weighs in.

February 8, 2016.Reading time 4 minutes.

By Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer and Chief of Communicable Disease Epidemiology & Immunizations Experts are still learning about Zika virus, and in this time of uncertainty, some some are calling for a quarantine on travelers from areas affected by Zika. I don’t think it’s a good idea. Quarantine of travelers exposed to Zika virus is neither […]

Norovirus outbreak investigation in downtown Seattle building (UPDATED)

December 5, 2015.Reading time 6 minutes.

UPDATE 12/9/15 This morning, our food protection program staff re-inspected all of the food establishments in the building and cleared them to re-open. We are requiring the food establishments and building management to use a daily cleaning and sanitation log for the next 14 days. We are not collecting more data on the magnitude of the outbreak at this point. […]

Costco chicken salad connected to King County E. Coli case

November 24, 2015.Reading time 1 minute.

The Washington State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in conjunction with local health officials, are currently investigating a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 cases that has been connected to Costco chicken salad. One case has been reported in Washington state. This person, a King County resident, is a […]

You heard it here first: Changing our food borne illness public notification process

November 13, 2015.Reading time 8 minutes.

Since June, we’ve written in this space about a spate of food borne illness outbreaks that have kept all hands on deck here at Public Health – Seattle & King County and at times across the state – the salmonella outbreak connected to pork from Kapowsin’s slaughterhouse, the E. coli O157 outbreak linked to food […]

Public Health investigates E. coli outbreak

September 1, 2015.Reading time 10 minutes.

Public Health is currently investigating an outbreak of E. coli O157 – one of the most serious foodborne illnesses you can contract. Our thoughts are with the families affected by this outbreak, and we appreciate the support of the community as we work to protect the health of the public. A person can get an E. coli […]