Locally-acquired hepatitis A case in person living homeless

A King County man in his forties has been hospitalized with a confirmed case of hepatitis A, a highly contagious virus that can cause severe liver disease. The patient has been living without permanent housing and has a history of illicit drug use.   Because he has not travelled outside King County during the period […]

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An update on the increased HIV risk among people who inject drugs in King County

As the Insider reported last summer, there has been an unusual increase in the number of HIV infections among people who inject drugs in King County. A new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report article describes the increase in detail, and we summarize some of the key findings below: In 2018, a total of 30 women […]

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Happy National Public Health Week? Our House is On Fire…

By Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer Six months ago, after the release of the comprehensive Fourth National Climate Assessment, I wrote about the many harmful health effects due to climate change that we are currently experiencing and that we can expect to increase, such as longer and more severe pollen and allergy seasons; increases in […]

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Increase in locally acquired hepatitis A cases in King County

Five locally acquired cases of hepatitis A infection and an additional case that may also have been acquired locally have been reported to Public Health – Seattle & King County since November 2018. These cases add to three other hepatitis A cases reported in July 2018 for a total of nine cases in less than […]

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Global epidemic, local response: TB update in King County

Even though there are medications that can cure and prevent TB disease, too few around the world are currently able to get the treatment they need to make them well and prevent others from getting a disease that kills 4,500 people every day worldwide, and 1.6 million total in 2017 alone.

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Widespread flu this spring: A double whammy

Even though the plum trees are blossoming and the heavy coats are disappearing, flu season is in full swing. And this year, hospitals are reporting a big uptick in the number of flu cases so far in March. We talked with Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County, to […]

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