-
05/23/24 Health Advisory: Pertussis Increasing in Washington
Summary Current situation in Washington In 2023 CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) week 1–18, healthcare providers reported 24 cases of confirmed or probable pertussis in Washington. In this same period in 2024, providers reported 170 cases. This is a 6-fold increase. Multiple health jurisdictions reported increases. DOH (Washington State Department of Health) updates its weekly pertussis update every Friday. Recommendations for…
-
12/03/21 Health Advisory: COVID-19 Updates for Providers
Advisory or Update, COVID-19, Emerging Diseases and Conditions, Health Advisory, Infection Control, News and Alerts, Notifiable Conditions, Provider Resources, Schools, Travel, UncategorizedCOVID-19 Updates for Providers Requested actions Be aware, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health advisory warning of COVID-19 variant of concern Omicron (B.1.1.529). At least one case has been identified in the U.S.; it was linked to travel. Omicron has not been detected in Pierce County; however, we are tracking its…
-
11/23/21 Health Advisory: COVID-19 vaccine booster doses available to everyone 18 years or older
Communicable Disease and Immunization Update, COVID-19, Immunizations, News and Alerts, Provider ResourcesCOVID-19 Updates for Providers Requested actions Be aware, following the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) decision to update its emergency use authorizations (EUAs) to allow COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for everyone 18 years or older, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup recommend: People 50 years or older…
-
Health Advisory: COVID-19 Cases Increasing in Multiple Countries
Emerging Diseases and Conditions, Health Advisory, Infection Control, News and Alerts, Notifiable ConditionsRequested actions Be aware COVID-19 cases are increasing globally. Get a detailed travel history for patients with fever and acute respiratory illness. Ask patients with suspected COVID-19 infection to wear a surgical mask. Evaluate them in a private room with the door closed, ideally an airborne infection isolation room. All healthcare personnel entering the room…
-
Health Advisory: Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Respiratory Infection
There is 1 lab-confirmed case of 2019-nCoV in Washington, a traveler who returned to Snohomish County from Wuhan, China. Requested actions Get a detailed travel history when evaluating patients with fever and acute respiratory illness. Suspect 2019-nCoV in patients with: Clinical Features Epidemiologic Risk Fever1 or signs/symptoms of lower respiratory illness (e.g., cough or shortness of…
-
Health Advisory: Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Respiratory Infection in Washington
A traveler who recently returned to Snohomish County from Wuhan, China has lab-confirmed 2019-nCoV. Requested actions Get a detailed travel history when evaluating patients with fever and acute respiratory illness. Suspect 2019-nCoV in patients with: Fever and symptoms of lower respiratory illness (e.g., cough, difficulty breathing) and in the 14 days before symptom onset: Traveled to Wuhan City, China,…
-
Health Advisory: Outbreak of Pneumonia of Unknown Etiology in Wuhan, China
Treating patients who traveled in the region and have severe respiratory symptoms Requested actions: Consider pneumonia in patients with severe respiratory symptoms who: Traveled to Wuhan, China since Dec. 1, 2019, and Had onset of illness within 2 weeks of returning, and Do not have another known diagnosis that explains their illness. If a patient…
-
2019-2020 Influenza Season Preparedness
Surveillance updates Seasonal influenza surveillance begins in October and ends in April. It is important to stay up to date on local influenza activity. Vaccine Both influenza A components of this season’s vaccine are different from last season. Both B components are unchanged. CDC recommends influenza vaccine for everyone over age 6 months for whom…
-
Vaping-associated Pulmonary Illness
CDC Urges Clinicians to Report Cases of Unexplained Vaping-associated Pulmonary Illness Multiple cases of severe pulmonary disease in patients who use vape products have occurred in Wisconsin and Illinois. Requested actions Ask patients who present with respiratory or pulmonary illness if they vape THC or e-juice. Determine what kind of THC or e-juice they’ve vaped,…
-
Outbreak of Hepatitis A in Washington
Washington state is experiencing a hepatitis A outbreak in multiple counties in people who are living homeless or who use drugs. Requested actions Give hepatitis A vaccine to unvaccinated patients living homeless or using drugs. Suspect hepatitis A in patients with acute onset of jaundice, vomiting, anorexia and elevated liver function test results—especially those living…
-
Health Advisory: Change in Consent Requirement for HIV Testing
Overview In the past, providers were required to get exceptional consent before testing patients for HIV. On June 7, 2018, Washington State Legislature Bill SB 6580 passed, repealing the law requiring exceptional consent for HIV testing. Now HIV testing has the same notification and consent requirement as any other medical test. Impacts of this Change…
-
Health Advisory: 2018-2019 Influenza Reporting, Testing and Treatment
Reporting Seasonal influenza surveillance begins in October. Influenza surveillance relies on high-quality data received from healthcare providers, hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, laboratories and other partners in the community. It is early in the season, but laboratory-confirmed influenza and influenza-associated hospitalizations have already occurred in Washington. Washington law requires healthcare providers to report the following…
-
Health Advisory: Increase in Suspected Cases of Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM)
Increase in Suspected Cases of Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) As of Oct. 9, 2018, 5 cases of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) in Washington are being evaluated by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) neurologists and other AFM experts. All cases are among children between 7 months and 5 years of age who presented with…