Surge in communicable diseases, funding shortages threaten public’s health

Germ that causes tuberculosis

If you’ve followed the Public Health Insider, you know that we’ve seen a surge of communicable disease outbreaks in places like schools, health care facilities, jails and restaurants. And those are just the most visible ones. As the local health department, it’s our mission and legal responsibility to track down and stop over 50 communicable diseases in […]

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Local public health capacity is critical in the response to global health emergencies

Last year, our local health department worked intensively with King County healthcare systems and our community in response to the ongoing, unprecedented Ebola outbreak. Our director of communicable diseases, Dr. Jeff Duchin (now also health officer), was a leading figure in our local Ebola preparedness and response activities. At the national level, he worked with […]

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Helping Ebola-affected countries from halfway around the world

It’s not easy to watch the news every night as a deadly virus rages through your homeland—a place burdened further by the lack of resources and healthcare infrastructure—especially when you’re thousands of miles away. In the face of the Ebola crisis in West Africa, Frank Magass, a native of Guinea and a professional in King […]

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Update: King County resident tested negative for Ebola

As a follow-up to our blog post on Saturday, the King County resident who had been tested for Ebola does not have the virus, according to the results from the Washington State Public Health Laboratory. By late Sunday afternoon, his symptoms had improved and he was able to go home. Following the CDC’s protocol for […]

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State lab testing for possible Ebola in King County resident; Early symptoms consistent with common cold, Ebola thought to be unlikely

The Washington State Department of Health, Public Health laboratory is testing a sample from a King County resident who developed a fever today while under monitoring after traveling from Mali. The patient also has a sore throat but none of the other typical symptoms to suggest Ebola infection. Because fever can be an early indicator […]

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