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

June 5, 2017.Reading time 5 minutes.

On June 2, the Washington State Department of Health announced an ongoing Salmonella outbreak associated with live poultry. As of the latest update on this outbreak, 16 people in Washington (including two in King County) have been diagnosed with Salmonella, though the outbreak is affecting people nationwide. We sat down with Public Health Veterinarian Beth […]

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 […]

Suspected case of a rare disease linked to raccoon roundworms

May 8, 2017.Reading time 5 minutes.

UPDATE 05/9/17: Results came back from the CDC today indicating that the child tested positive for Baylisascaris. Original post from 05/08/17: Health experts suspect that a King County toddler may have contracted Baylisascaris infection, a very rare disease associated with accidental ingestion of roundworm eggs found in dirt or other substances that have been contaminated by raccoon droppings. […]

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 […]

Two cases of hantavirus reported in King County since December, 2016: Be aware of health risks associated with deer mouse infestations

March 21, 2017.Reading time 9 minutes.

Hantavirus can cause a rare but deadly disease called Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). In Washington State hantavirus is carried primarily by deer mice. Over the last several months, two people in King County have become ill with HPS, and one person died. A person gets HPS by breathing in hantavirus. This can happen when dust […]

Better know a germ: Strep zooepidemicus

August 11, 2016.Reading time 3 minutes.

By Vance Kawakami, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at Public Health – Seattle & King County Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report discussed a recent, fatal Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (Strep zooepidemicus) human infection contracted from close contact with a horse at a private horse riding and boarding […]

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