Q&A with Dr. Jeff Duchin: Communicable disease outbreaks show homeless at increased risk

February 28, 2018.Reading time 9 minutes.

Public Health is currently responding to increases in several infectious diseases in King County that particularly affect people living homeless. These diseases include group A streptococcal infections, Shigella, and a cluster of serious infections transmitted by body lice called Bartonella quintana. We sat down with Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer and Chief of Communicable Disease […]

SING-A-LONG: “These are a Few of Our Public Health Things”

December 29, 2017.Reading time 1 minute.

Public Health is celebrating a long, productive year. Sing along! Click the links! Smileys on restaurants and signage on clinics Saying “you’re welcome” to all who come in it Kicking off Best Starts with com-mun-ities These are a few 2017 things! Spray parks and hygiene and tales made of doodles Noro in oysters And phthalates […]

QUIZ: Is your residence rat-proofed for the winter?

December 20, 2017.Reading time 9 minutes.

When it gets cold and rainy, we humans bundle up and retreat to the indoors. Unfortunately, so do rats. Besides being unsightly, rats spread bacteria and viruses, and they can cause damage to buildings, houses and even vehicles. So, before you settle in for the season, make sure you’ve done what you can to keep […]

Medical Examiner’s Report: What we learned from those we lost in 2016

December 19, 2017.Reading time 5 minutes.

Last year, 14,373 people died in King County. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office (MEO) investigated those deaths that were sudden, unexpected or unnatural – 2,494* in total. But, the count of life lost is more than a number. By tracking and analyzing different manners of death as well as trends in homicides, traffic fatalities, […]

‘Don’t stuff that turkey’ and other Thanksgiving food safety tips

November 22, 2017.Reading time 5 minutes.

Sure, Thanksgiving is a joyful time spent with family and friends, but if you’re like me and you’re cooking two turkeys, eight side dishes, three desserts and an entire appetizer spread, it can be stressful too. Plus, now that I work in public health, my guests expect that the food I prepare will not make […]

Can you answer these 5 questions about immunizations correctly?

November 13, 2017.Reading time 12 minutes.

We typically think of immunizations happening in early childhood, before a child reaches 11 or 12 years old. However, teens and adults need immunizations, too. How well do you know the lifetime vaccine schedule? Test your skills below! Now that you are a vaccine schedule expert, you’ll be excited to hear the latest news from […]