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Washington State Alerts |
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No communicable disease outbreaks |
| Whitman County Alerts |
09/21/2011
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Health Officials from Whitman County Public Health have confirmed a case of pertussis (whooping cough) in a 14 year old Pullman, Washington boy. He attends Lincoln Middle School. Students and Staff of Lincoln Middle School have been advised by the Whitman County Health Department to contact their healthcare providers should they develop URI symptoms and a cough lasting longer than two weeks. Pertussis is a bacterial disease that primarily affects children, and may begin with cold-like symptoms. In one or two weeks, the illness progresses to severe coughing spasms that frequently end with vomiting. In between each coughing spasm a characteristic whooping sound may be heard as the ill child breathes in. Pertussis is spread through droplets from the mouth and nose when an untreated person with Pertussis coughs, sneezes, or talks. Pertussis is a potentially fatal illness for children under one year of age. It is preventable by immunization and the pertussis vaccine is part of the routine baby shots given at two, four, six and 18 months of age, with a booster given just prior to school entry and again prior to entering the sixth grade. Antibiotics are used to kill the bacteria that cause pertussis, but are of little value in treating the severe cough once it is established. People who are fully immunized are unlikely to become ill from exposure to an active case of pertussis. Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis) vaccine is now available to person age 11-64 and is recommended as a single dose booster. Health officials urge parents to be sure their children are up to date on all immunizations, particularly those children who are under one year of age. Further information about pertussis or pertussis vaccine can be obtained through either the Colfax (397-6280) or Pullman (332-6752) offices of the Whitman County Department of Public Health. Additional Resources: Whitman County Public Health: Pertussis Q&A |
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06/27/2011 |
A multi-state disease outbreak leads Washington health officials to warn people not to eat alfalfa sprouts or spicy sprouts labeled “Evergreen Produce” or “Evergreen Produce, Inc.” The sprouts are linked to nine cases of Salmonella Enteritidis in Washington; cases have also been reported in Idaho, Montana and North Dakota. The alfalfa sprouts are packaged in 4-ounce and 16-ounce plastic bags with the Idaho company’s pre-printed labels. They are also packaged in 1-pound and 5-pound plastic bags with stick-on labels. The spicy sprouts are packaged in 4-ounce plastic bags with pre-printed labels and 1-pound plastic bags with stick-on labels. People shouldn’t eat any products containing alfalfa or spicy sprouts from Evergreen Produce — discard them immediately. For additional information: |
| Special Interest: Top | 03/15/2011 |
Influenza A and B confirmed in Whitman County Both influenza A and influenza B have recently been identified in Washington State and Whitman County residents. Locally, the public health department has received reports from area schools of high rates of absenteeism due to the flu. Take these simple precautions to help prevent the spread of flu and other
lung and breathing (respiratory) diseases:
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| 03/15/2011 |
Nuclear event in Japan poses no health risk in Washington The state Department of Health is conducting ongoing air monitoring for radiation to see if the nuclear plant incident in Japan has affected radiation levels in Washington. There have been no elevated readings. The agency’s Radiation Protection staff expects no public health risk in Washington, and the monitoring is precautionary. If the situation changes in Washington, the Department of Health will inform the public. State health officials are monitoring the events in Japan, and are in contact with the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Environmental Protection Agency. An explosion took place at the Japan reactor site Saturday. The nuclear plant incident in the wake of the earthquake in Japan has raised concerns among some people in Washington about windblown radiation coming to our state. Air sample readings in our state remain normal. The Department of Health Radiation Protection Program doesn't expect any change in environmental measurements taken in Washington. Even in the event of a significant release from the reactor, radiation would be diluted before reaching our state and levels would be so low no protective action would be necessary. The state health department will continue its monitoring work as the situation in Japan develops and changes. For additional information, please visit the Washington State Department of Health's website at www.doh.wa.gov or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at http://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/ . |
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| 12/08/2010 |
Neisseria meningitidis PULLMAN, WA – A Washington State University student has been hospitalized by a possible case of bacterial meningitis. WSU Health and Wellness caregivers say the 19-year old male student has been presumptively diagnosed with meningitis due to Neisseria meningitidis bacteria. The student had been ill with flu like symptoms for 2-3 days prior to admission, and is now in a Spokane hospital undergoing further care and treatment.
The student was a resident of the Stephenson South Residence Hall. The primary risk is to those students who have been in close contact. Whitman County Public Health officials, in conjunction with the WSU Health and Wellness Service, have notified close contacts of the affected student and are recommending they undergo antibiotic treatment to prevent further illness. Close contacts are defined as those persons who are; roommates/household members, a sexual partner of the ill person, or who shared smoking or eating utensils with the ill person within the last 10 days (since November 28th, 2010).
Persons who share common residence hall areas (such as dining halls) or classroom spaces with the affected student are not considered close contacts and do not need treatment.
If you are someone who meets the definition of a close contact, please call:
Symptoms of meningococcal disease usually involve high fever, headache, and stiff neck which develop over several hours, or up to 1 to 2 days.
Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, discomfort looking into bright lights, confusion, and sleepiness. Anyone with these symptoms should contact their health care provider immediately.
Meningitis, while rare does happen on college campuses. While taken seriously, caregivers at WSU typically only see a case of Meningitis every few years.
For more information, check out the information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at: http://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/about/faq.html
For additional information on Meningococcal disease, please visit the Washington Department of Health at http://www.doh.wa.gov/EHSPHL/factsheet/meningococcal.htm
For more information on WSU’s Health and Wellness, see: http://hws.wsu.edu
For the latest information on the WSU case, go to: http://alert.wsu.edu
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| 9/23/10 |
Similac® Brand Powder Infant Formulas
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| 10/1/09 |
Visit the
Whitman County H1N1 website
for updated H1N1 information in our community. Click here for Whitman County Public Health Blog regarding recent health news. Novel H1N1 ("Swine Flu") Resources
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| 3/23/09 |
Nationwide Peanut Butter Recall
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Status Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Updates |
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| 11/25/08 |
MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
Washington State Department of Health Resources
Fact Sheets Information for Elementary Schools (Tacoma-Pierce Public Health) Information for Middle and High Schools (Tacoma-Pierce Public Health) Resources for the Public (Seattle-King County Public Health) Overview of Community-Associated MRSA (CDC)
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