Official insights from Public Health – Seattle & King County staff
A Seattle resident has tested positive for West Nile virus, making this the first locally acquired case of West Nile virus reported in King County. The individual, a woman in her 40s, reported symptoms including fever, headache, stiffness in the neck, and a rash. She was hospitalized for one day in mid-September and has since […]
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Also known as rabbit fever or deer fly fever, tularemia is a rare disease caused by infection with the bacterium Francisella tularensis. It can range from mild to life-threatening, causing ulcers, gland inflammations, and in some instances, difficulty breathing. In King County, only seven cases of tularemia have been reported to Public Health over the […]
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Public Health Insider has reported on multiple incidents of human/bat interactions this summer – a bat in a park bathroom, a bat at an equestrian center and a bat near Husky Stadium. Statewide, bat-human encounters broke a record this spring. So what are the essential 5 things to know about bats? Read on: 1. Anyone […]
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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 […]
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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. […]
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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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