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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HIV cluster update: No new cases in past week

The investigation and public health response for the cluster of  HIV cases in north Seattle among heterosexuals who use injection drugs continues.  Most importantly, we have not identified any new cases of HIV transmission in the past week.  We did determine that one case diagnosed in early 2018 is linked to the cluster.  Therefore, the […]

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Public Health investigates HIV infection in heterosexuals who inject drugs

Public Health – Seattle & King County has recently identified an increase in the number of new HIV cases among heterosexuals who inject drugs in King County. HIV infection is typically much less common among heterosexuals in King County than among men who have sex with men (MSM). But the risk for HIV infection increases […]

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Staying involved helped one man out of homelessness, and empowers others

by Rekha Ravindran, Health Care for the Homeless Network Over the past decade, Greg Francis has moved into stable housing after living unsheltered – and he still remembers vividly what it was like to live unsheltered. “It was tough,” he says. “It felt like someone else was controlling my life. So I came up with […]

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Meningococcal (bacterial) meningitis case in shelter resident

A resident of a homeless shelter in Seattle tested positive for bacterial meningitis (meningococcal disease) on March 18. The patient, a man in his 60s, is hospitalized and his condition is improving. The bacteria that causes meningococcal disease spreads through direct contact with infectious saliva or respiratory droplets (e.g. being coughed, sneezed or spit on, […]

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