Antibiotic resistant gonorrhea found in King County

November 6, 2017.Reading time 5 minutes.

Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern in the healthcare community. Antibiotic resistance is said to have occurred when an antibiotic loses its ability to effectively kill bacteria. The bacteria are “resistant” meaning that they continue to multiply, and the infected person is not cured. Public Health – Seattle & King County’s STD Clinic Director, Dr. […]

More syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia in King County

October 11, 2017.Reading time 6 minutes.

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are on the rise across the U.S. and Washington and King County data show a similar trend towards more syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. Bottom line: We need to rein in what’s looking like an explosion of preventable, sexually transmitted disease. We need more surveillance to find STD cases, more awareness among […]

How protecting your dog’s health also protects yours

September 15, 2017.Reading time 8 minutes.

At Public Health, we usually leave dog-related health issues to our friends in the veterinary community, but when furry companions start getting people sick, our ears perk up. Our epidemiologists and veterinarians specialize in zoonotic diseases – diseases caused by germs that can be spread from animals to humans. We want your pup to be […]

Hey, what’s up with bats?

August 31, 2017.Reading time 10 minutes.

Three rabid bats have been found in public areas within King County since August 19 and an additional two rabid bats were found in 2017 that had no exposure to the public. I sat down with Vance Kawakami, DVM MPH, one of our public health veterinarians and an epidemiologist, to find out what is going […]

Rabid bat found at City of SeaTac park

August 30, 2017.Reading time less than 1 minute.

A rabid bat was found at Angle Lake Park in the City of SeaTac. If you had any contact with a bat near the park lakeshore by the old lifeguard shack on Monday, August 28 or Tuesday, August 29, contact Public Health (206-296-4774) immediately for information on preventative treatment. Rabies can be life-threatening, but is preventable if […]

New cases of Legionnaires’ Disease at Local Hospital

August 25, 2017.Reading time 5 minutes.

The University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) has notified Public Health – Seattle & King County of two patients who were diagnosed with a serious type of pneumonia called Legionnaires’ disease caused by infection with Legionella bacteria. The patients’ medical histories suggest that exposure to Legionella happened while hospitalized at UWMC. The first patient, a male in his 40’s, […]