Category: Health Alert Network

Criteria to guide testing of patients of COVID-19 have been expanded to a wider group of symptomatic patients. See https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/hcp/clinical-criteria.html.

Criteria to guide testing of patients for COVID-19 have been expanded to a wider group of symptomatic patients. See https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/hcp/clinical-criteria.html. Healthcare providers should use their judgment to determine if a patient has signs and symptoms compatible with COVID-19 and whether the patient should be tested.

In the United States, presumptive or confirmed COVID-19 cases likely from community spread have been reported from Washington state, Oregon, and California. The World Health Organization raised the global risk assessment to very high. Healthcare providers should continue to consider COVID-19 in patients with severe respiratory illness and encourage all patients presenting with respiratory illness to take steps to minimize the potential for disease transmission in the community.

Hepatitis A continues to be of concern in our region with 3 new case reports in recent weeks, including one being in a food worker. In 2019, 47 residents of our health district were confirmed to have hepatitis A. Providers should continue to test patients with clinically compatible signs and symptoms and vaccinate susceptible adults and children.

Health authorities in China, the United States, and other countries worldwide continue to investigate an outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), with nearly 8,000 confirmed infections reported to date, most of them in China. The first human-to-human transmission in the United States was announced this week, in a household contact of a person with confirmed 2019-nCoV infection who had traveled from Wuhan.

Rates of syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continue to increase. Central District Health (CDH) received reports of 61 syphilis infections in 2019 with nearly 1 in 4 reported infections being in females.

Central District Health (CDH) has confirmed that exposure to TB may have occurred at Capital High School in Boise between January and May 2019. There is no ongoing risk, and people are safe to attend school and school events as usual.

As of August 27, 2019, public health officials in 25 states are investigating 215 reports of persons with severe respiratory illness associated with vaping or e-cigarette use, and additional reports of pulmonary illness are under investigation.

Hepatitis A continues to be of concern in our region with the illness being diagnosed in 28 Ada and Elmore county residents, including multiple food handlers, and 46 people statewide. Providers should continue to test patients with clinically compatible signs and symptoms and vaccinate susceptible adults and children.