Public Health Vet says, “Don’t kiss your chicks”

June 5, 2017.Reading time 6 minutes.

2019 update: It’s not uncommon for us to see cases of salmonella associated with backyard poultry. We haven’t heard of any King County cases this year, but at least one person in Washington has become infected with salmonella after contact with pet hedgehogs. It’s a good reminder that even the cutest little animals carry germs […]

Zika Virus, One Year Later

June 1, 2017.Reading time 6 minutes.

It’s been just over a year since King County had its first diagnosed case of Zika virus infection. We caught up with medical epidemiologist Dr. Meagan Kay, DVM, to find out what we’ve learned about Zika virus since then, and what concerns health experts have now. At this time last year, Meagan, you were expecting […]

Rodents, your car, and hantavirus: What to do if you suspect rodents are living in your vehicle

April 21, 2017.Reading time 9 minutes.

Here at the Insider, we’ve been talking to Dr. Meagan Kay, Medical Epidemiologist, about the cluster of hantavirus cases that we’ve had in King County over the last several months. Meagan, what is hantavirus? Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a rare but sometimes deadly disease that people can get by breathing in hantavirus contained in […]

Outbreak Responders: a Public Health comic strip

April 6, 2017.Reading time 2 minutes.

For National Public Health Week (April 3-9th), we’re celebrating by featuring unsung public health heroes who make our communities safer and healthier. Each day, we’ll highlight public health workers through their own words, sharing their work and why they’re committed to serving our community. Today we’re featuring our Communicable Disease Epidemiology & Immunizations unit. I’ve […]

A new case of Hantavirus suspected in King County

April 4, 2017.Reading time 8 minutes.

Update: 4/6/17: Tests have come back confirming hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the person reported on below. The patient is hospitalized in stable condition. Original post: Local public health officials are investigating a new suspected case of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in an Issaquah woman. Test results are expected by Thursday, April 6, and an investigation […]

Love oysters? Pay attention to this warning

March 28, 2017.Reading time 11 minutes.

This blog was originally posted on March 28, 2017. We are sharing it again to remind you of the risks of eating raw or under-cooked oysters. Want to know more about raw oysters? Check out our latest post on the topic here. UPDATE 05/9/17: Public Health – Seattle & King County has received additional reports of […]